Page 21 of Crossing Lines

So that I don’t feel so alone in his sentiment.

So that I don’t feel like the only person who can’t be loved the way I am.

I like my designs to say something, and maybe this one says more about me than about him, but Evren’s business is his baby. I’m banking on the fact that he’ll be upset seeing his logo attached to anything not related to his team’s apparel.

With the image of him flipping his shit in mind, I spite-sew my design for the rest of the morning.

Chapter 6

Evren

Nina is in such a different place in her life if she can go out and get drunk on a Wednesday night. I can’t remember the last time I partied, let alone let loose and got drunk. Or even a time when I didn’t work nonstop. A good ten years for sure, probably more like fifteen. The amount of freedom she has to do it whenever she wants makes me more than a little jealous.

Maybe that jealousy influenced my tone toward her last night. I didn’t even know I struck a nerve until she reacted. But maybe it’s for the best, for us to put some distance between us. She’s almost twenty years younger than me, and she clearly has zero responsibilities and work ethic if she’s out partying on a random night in the week.

When she comes into the kitchen, she glances at me with bloodshot eyes. It looks like she didn’t sleep at all since coming home a few hours ago. I didn’t expect her toshow up after our argument—but she’s here. And just like that, my entire morning shifts as relief slams into me.

She struts to the cabinet like she owns the place, full of confidence and wearing a shirt that has writing on it that’s a little lopsided. I do a double take. None of Nina’s designs are ever anything but perfect. I take in the wordsover the top, but what catches my attention even more are the O’s. Instead of regular letters, they're my logo—a stylized S's, inside a sleek shield.

What does it mean? Does she think she’s over the top? Or my team? Or me? Or all of the above?

“Had that lying around, did you?” I ask, nodding to her shirt.

“Yes, yes I did.” She stands taller and grins. “And maybe I’ll sell it. It’s nice, don’t you think?”

“Didn’t we already have this conversation?”

“Oh, right,” she says. “We’re back to that? So, what? Are you going to sue me?”

“Not if you keep stubbornly refusing to accept my franchising deal.”

“As if you really would want me to sell my designs with your logo on it.”

“Why is it so hard to imagine that I believe in your talent?” I demand.

She snorts. “Be real. You wouldn’t want me to sell this shirt.”

“It’s not the direction I’d take my brand in, no. But maybe there are people out there who need to think that the team is over the top, or themselves, or they see somehumor in it, or maybe even comfort, like they’re not alone.”

She stares at me for a long moment, blinking rapidly before clearing her throat. “Right…well…I’ve got to run.”

She spins on her heels and all but jogs out of the kitchen, leaving her usual cereal untouched. It’s…disappointing. More than it should be. I stand there, finishing my coffee in silence, fighting the growing ache in my chest. I should be relieved she’s gone—after all, I want more distance between us. But as I stare at the empty spot where she normally sits on the counter, it’s painfully clear: I’ve been looking forward to seeing Nina in the mornings more than I care to admit. Hell, I look forward to the little ways she’s trying to mess with me.

I hate how much I miss her presence already, like a shadow that lingers even when she’s not here. It’s infuriating, this pull she has on me, and I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve already let her in more than I ever planned.

That’s fine, I can fix this. Attraction is just a chemical reaction. That means I should be able to resist it and her. I need to, because finding a new sponsor and preparing for our next season should be my priority. Not Nina.

“Kardesim,” Zeki says, breezing into my office wearing tan, tailored pants and a blue shirt with the top two buttons undone, showcasing his tanned chest. He looks like he just got off a yacht, complete with boat shoesand all. He hasn’t shaved in days based on the scruff coating his jaw. But no matter what he does in his spare time, he always looks put together, especially his dark brown hair that hangs almost down to his jawline.

I put my pen down slowly on the table, not believing he’s actually here. “You came.”

Zeki snorts. “I told you I would.”

“And to what do I owe this pleasure?”

Zeki lounges in the chair across from my desk. “I thought I’d check out the city you love so much. And help you repair your home.”

“I have contractors who can do that.” I’m starting to regret ever telling my family about my house flooding. Mom’s been messaging multiple times a day, as if she knows something more happened than a freak accident to cause the flooding. Of course, I didn’t tell her the truth, that my system was hacked. That would only worry her. And now Zeki’s in town?

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