Chapter 17: We Got Lost

It had somehow gotten dark while we weren't looking, and the trees around us had started giving off a decidedly nightmarish feeling. Were we going to be stuck on this remote island? 

Without any necessities? Without food, without a phone, how would we survive?

I was thinking this as I followed Emre along a path that was barely a path. In the darkness of the trees, I couldn't even see the moon.

Did he know where we were? 

Did he know how we'd get to the boat?

Maybe he had brought me out here on purpose…

Oh God, I was going to go mad. I was hungry, frustrated, and tired. All I wanted was to go back to the yacht and rest on a nice normal bed. I'd been up earlier than usual to prepare for the day, and now, I had no energy left. I was running on fumes.

"Emre, do you know where we're going or are we lost?"

"For the last time, Sarah, stop panicking. Just follow me."

"To the depths of hell…" I muttered.

"What?" 

"Nothing… I'm behind you."

Suddenly he reached out, took my hand, and tugged me towards what seemed to be the forest thinning out. I could hear the waves far ahead of us. 

We came out to another side of the shore. I heaved a sigh of relief as I saw Emre's yacht far off in the sea. Phew…it looked like we weren't going to spending our night fighting off mosquitos in the forest.

"There, we're here."

I let go of his hand when I saw the bonfire up ahead. It looked like everyone else had already gathered there and were waiting for us.

This was going to be awkward, I thought.

I walked slower the closer we got to our friends.

I looked around for Ashton and saw him on his cell phone far away from the fire, with a serious look on his face. He didn't even look up like everyone else was looking at us.

Melisa was sitting with Zayn and Zerrin—all of them were apparently preparing something to eat. Mert was fiddling with the driftwood bonfire and Pelin was sitting on a blanket near Eric. All of them were staring at us, their expressions ranging from curious to suspicious to surprised.

I gulped, I hated attention. 

Eric waved to us first, "What happened to you guys?" His voice was careful I didn't want to answer Eric, because I knew I'd have to lie, but what choice did I have with all eyes on me?

Emre and I ended up speaking together, "We got lost."

Both of us looked at each other, surprised that we'd thought of the same excuse to tell them.

It wasn't even a lie if you thought about it. We had gotten lost, not in the forest but in each other. It was always like that between us; time and place lost all meaning when we were together.

Zayn started laughing at us, "We figured."

The tension eased.

"I thought you didn't know how to swim," Zerrin raised her brow.

"I said I had a problem with the water, not that I couldn't swim," I hated having to explain myself like this and to the acidic Zerrin of all people.

"A problem with the water, huh? I guess Emre solved that for you." She was straight up attacking me now.

"Yeah, Emre is a regular miracle worker..." I laughed, "He did teach me a few things though. Maybe he could teach you too." I wished her mother had taught her some manners.

Melisa gave me a what were you doing expression, which I tried to ignore.

"We were so slow, we wound up on the wrong side of the shore," Emre spoke up, his tone final. He took over from Mert at handling the fire.

"You could've come with us Sarah, I would've been happy to teach you," Eric started to get up, but Pelin, who had been silent up till now, pulled his hand and tugged him back down.

"You have that cut on your foot. Let me look at it," She said to him.

Luckily Ashton came back in time to hear the end of the conversation, "Sarah would've hated to slow us down. She's just not a pro at swimming. It's not a crime, is it? So Emre, are you going to make us your famous charcoal burgers or what?" Ashton tilted his head, signaling for me to come with him.

I walked away towards the water, knowing he would follow me.

"Your still wet, Sarah," he said as he came up to me, "You want me to get you a towel?"

I realized looking down that my clothes were sticking to me, but the weather wasn't cold enough for me to feel it. It was uncomfortable now that Ashton had pointed it out. 

"No, they'll dry soon, don't worry," I shot a look back at the fire, "Worry about what all of them will think now."

"What do you mean?" He put his arm around me.

"Now Zerrin will say, 'Oh look, now she's with the other brother.'"

Ashton started laughing so hard, I pushed him away from me.

"You know what? She's just jealous. I think she was born jealous, but..."

"but?"

"But she might just be right. The Evans are crazy for you," he laughed as he made a silly face with his hand over his heart. "So, did you two make up?"

I stopped walking and looked at him. What was he implying?

"Why are you like this?" I asked him, "And how much do you know about Emre and me?"

"So there is an Emre and you now?" He ignored my question and raised both his brows at me.

"Ashton! You are so frustrating. There is nothing between us."

"Not for lack of his trying. You still won't forgive him, right?" His tone was abruptly serious.

"So you do know all of it? How?" I was confused, I didn't even know Ashton was Emre's half-brother, and I'd been pretending I didn't care for most of this trip, "Why did you never tell me Emre was your brother?"

"I know more than you can imagine," His tone became sad, "It's complicated, our family. I guess like most families. Emre doesn't live with us—with my mom and me. He never has. He used to live with his mom before she died. He was young then, but my mom never accepted him. I was young too, and I never realized it. By the time I did, it was too late. He isn't even close to us—you could even say he hates my mom. You probably know that. He has a tiny soft spot for me though, and I love him. He's the only brother I have ever known, even though mom kept us apart through most of childhood. It really hurt me when I found out about you and that you didn't know that Emre even had a brother."

"No, I knew he had a half-brother, I just didn't know it was you. He never said your name. He didn't talk about you and your mom much, and I guessed it was because it hurt him. He once said to me that he never got to see you. He didn't mention you a lot, but it wasn't because he didn't care. It was because he cared too much," I explained.

"You'll defend him, but you won't forgive him?"

"I'll answer your question when you answer mine," with that answer, I turned to go back.