Page 59 of Pomegranates and Olive

"No. Youhada shared history, but you said it yourself, it's over.Bazen iliskiler biter, boylece ask hikâyeleri baslayabilir."

"What?"

"I said, 'sometimes relationships end so love stories can begin'. You ran from that life and ended up here, remember? Do you really think your old life is worth salvaging when you were so unhappy?"

"I didn't say salvage it, I said we had to..." The conversation has taken a turn and I can feel the frustration permeating from him. "Ugh, you don't understand."

"I think I understand a lot more than you think."

"Luca knows me."

"Does he? So, you will give up the possibility of us for someone who 'knows you'?"

“You don’t know a thing about me.”

“And he does?” Deniz pauses and I can feel his mood darken. "Okay, tell me, what's his favourite thing about you?"

"Oh my God, so many things. I mean... he always says... well, he loves... Jesus, I don't have to explain anything to you. He says all the right things, okay?"

"Tell me then, what was the last compliment he gave you?" His tone is almost challenging and I'm becoming increasingly annoyed with him.

I scowl at him. "Don't be ridiculous."

"THAT!" He points at my face. "My favourite thing about you is the way you scrunch up your nose when you're angry. Do you know you do that?"

I do know I do that because Luca always says I look like my mother when I scowl and when my mother scowls she scrunches her nose. My dad thinks it's cute, but it has always annoyed Luca.

"I'm just saying that maybe you should be with someone that loves THAT about you."

"Who are you to judge our relationship?" I scrunch my nose up again eliciting a grin from Deniz and another scowl from me. "Luca and I... we are... were..."

"Mediocre?" He fires the word at me. "That's right, your life was mediocre, so mediocre that you ran away and yet now I'm offering you something that could actually be real and amazing and here you are running away again, running back to your mediocre life with your mediocre man."

"Oh my God, Deniz. I didn't say that at all. You're very judgmental for someone who fucks every woman that crosses your path because you can't actually love anyone... other than yourself that is. In fact, I think you're terrified that if you actuallydohave a real relationship you're going to get left at the altar. Again."

Shit.

I regret the words as soon as they come out of my mouth but it’s too late to take them back. Every muscle in Deniz's body tenses and his eyes no longer burn a sensual smoky grey. They’re dark, angry storm clouds, ready to explode.

"Do you ever listen to the words that come out of your mouth?"

"Wait a minute,I'mthe bad guy here?"

"You have an amazing ability to see and hear only what you want to." Deniz rubs a hand over his face in clear frustration before standing up and glaring at me dismissively. "You know what? You're right, itisa stupid idea. I'll know better next time."

"Don't you think you're being a tad overly sensitive?"

"This conversation is of little consequence to me." He turns away, so I can’t see the expression on his face. When he turns back his face is unreadable as he glances at his watch with impatience. "Now if you'll excuse me, I should really get to my meeting."

Ugh. I’m such a jerk. I need to apologise to him, but he and that damn cat are already crossing the courtyard to the factory door. "Deniz... wait... I..."

He glances over his shoulder as he opens the door. "Go slowly back down the ridge. I don't want to be responsible for you slipping and breaking your neck."

"Of course... I mean... fine... I'll be careful."

As he enters the factory I hear him murmur to the cat, "Aslan, did I ever tell you that the course of true love never did run smooth?"

He's quoting Shakespeare to the cat and for some stupid reason that makes me smile.

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