Page 47 of Only You

‘Looking for these?’ He turned to find Selene holding up his pack of cigarettes.

It must have fallen out when he left. The door swung closed behind her as she stepped onto the roof, holding out the pack to him.

He snatched it from her, too agitated to be gentle.

She didn’t seem to mind as she joined him.

He quickly lit one of the cigarettes and took a long drag before exhaling.

‘Nora asked me to check on you, which I didn’t expect. The crying was a surprise, too.’

Guilt welled up inside him, and Demir frowned, continuing to smoke and determined to ignore the feeling.

Selene took the cigarette from his fingers and inhaled.

His stomach curled like the puff of smoke she let out.

It reminded him of when they would hang out on his fire escape, something they hadn’t done since their spat earlier in the week.

He wondered if it was normal to miss someone after only a few days.

‘What’s going on with you two?’

‘Nothing,’ he said quickly. ‘And that’s why she’s annoyed. Now, she’s suddenly asking me about dates and shit. We didn’t need all that before tonight. Now, we get in front of people, and she wants to be a girlfriend.’

Brows furrowed, she put his cigarette out. ‘Demir, do you care about her?’

‘Of course I do,’ he answered. ‘But I don’t want anything serious.’

‘With her or with anyone?’

He looked over to the city again and tried to imagine a world where he wasn’t always fighting or living one day at a time. The picture was fuzzy in his mind. ‘I don’t know,’ he admitted.

Selene shifted awkwardly beside him. ‘You know, I hate to be the bearer of bad news,’ she said after a moment. ‘But you did kind of lie to her.’

‘How did I do that?’ he snapped.

‘Calm down, big guy,’ Selene said with a small smile.

‘What I mean is, from the outside looking in, it looks like you guys are together. A guy like you doesn’t give people attention.

So, when you do, it feels like a big deal.

You make people feel… special when you talk to them.

’ She looked at him with an intensity he wasn’t used to seeing from her.

‘It’s… addictive, talking to you. You make people want to figure you out.

’ She shrugged, her nonchalance feeling strained. ‘We just can’t help it.’

‘We?’ he asked quietly.

Selene’s eyes widened as if just realising what she said.

However, instead of looking away like he expected, her gaze dropped to his lips before returning to his eyes.

A jolt ran through Demir as all the tension between them came into perspective.

For a moment, his mind dared to go into territory he had been denying himself for months.

He felt a thrill go up his spine as she swayed towards him, tempting him to move closer.

Just a taste…

Selene took a deep breath before stepping back, breaking the spell over them and he turned so she couldn’t see his disappointment. His eyes stayed on the sky as she started to walk away.

‘If you like her, don’t ruin it just because you can.’ Demir looked over his shoulder. Between her cautious steps and hesitant gaze, she seemed just as conflicted as he felt. ‘You should try to be happy as much as you can while you can.’

And then, she left without another word.

Demir tapped his fingers on the roof’s edge before following her back to the party.

It was surreal stepping inside, the chaotic energy jarring after the quiet of the rooftop.

He looked around and saw Nora, teary-eyed and talking to her friends.

Her gaze roamed the room, widening when she saw him.

Putting down her drink, she went to him. ‘D, listen—’

‘I’m sorry,’ he cut in. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just surprised.’

‘I mean, you’re right,’ she admitted uncomfortably. ‘We’re just having fun and…’

‘Maybe,’ he sighed. ‘But I shouldn’t have done that. I do care about you, Nora. So, let’s just keep talking about it. Okay?’ A small but wary smile spread across her face.

‘O–Okay.’

He grabbed her hand and pulled her into an embrace. They stayed like that until the song switched to something much slower.

‘We can dance to this,’ he offered. ‘It’s more my speed.’

Nora looked at him in disbelief before laughing. ‘Yeah, we can do that.’

Eagerly, she pulled him to the middle of the room, his hands settling on her lower back, her arms around his neck. Demir followed her steps, the two of them swaying side-to-side. It was slow and sweet, Nora looking at him with wide, earnest eyes. ‘I am sorry,’ she repeated. ‘You know that, right?’

Demir tried not to shift uncomfortably beneath her gaze. Instead, he pulled her close, resting his cheek against hers. ‘I know,’ he whispered in her ear. ‘Me too.’

Nora let out a sigh of relief and laid her head on his shoulder.

Nearby, Selene swayed to the music, peering over Jack’s shoulder. Gaze filled with uncertainty, she caught his eye. Demir tried to look away – like he always did – but stopped as her eyes stayed transfixed on him.

They stared, each waiting for the other to break, but instead, their gazes softened.

Only then did he notice the yearning in her eyes and the short distance between them.

How easy would it be to cross the room and take her into his arms?

How easy would it be to kiss her like he had wanted to on the roof?

In his mind, he was already taking the first steps and reaching out.

She was meeting him halfway; his arm was wrapping around her waist just as her hand reached to caress his cheek…

Jack whispered something in Selene’s ear, and she looked away, burying her face into her lover’s neck.

Demir closed his eyes for a moment, remembering where he was, who was in his arms, and what it would really mean to cross that line.