Chapter 25: Happy Birthday

I came back to the present, realizing both Emre and Ashton were staring at me. 

"Okay, explain," I told him, "How are you to blame for Emre firing me?"

"I didn't fire you," Emre retorted, "You resigned!"

"You didn't trust me!" I replied, "You didn't believe that I was not involved in the funds that ad disappeared from the company account."

"I believed you!" 

"You didn't, you had doubts, and that's why you told me to take a few weeks' vacation."

"I wanted to investigate what had happened without you in all of it."

"So, you took me out of it—out of my office, out of my position, and out of everything that was going on. Do you know how that looked? How that felt?" I asked Emre.

"It was only to protect you until I'd found who'd actually done it," Emre returned, "You didn't have to leave me." 

"I had to, if I had any self-respect left," I looked down at my hands. It was painful going over the past like this.

"You didn't have to bring our relationship into it," Emre put in.

"Oh, I did. Believe me, I did. You see, I didn't like being labeled a gold digger only out for your money."

My tone was harsh.

"Who said that?" Emre demanded.

"Everyone! Behind our backs." I replied, "The sad truth was that you didn't trust me, in or out of the office."

"And you left me!"

I had no choice. "You never did follow me."

"I thought you didn't want me to. You never returned any of my calls."

"I was angry," and afraid.

"You mean you wanted me to run after you? How could I have known that?" He pulled his hair in frustration.

"If you'd loved me at all, you wouldn't have let a stupid matter of finances come between us." I flicked back.

"If? Did you doubt my love? Do you still doubt my love? What am I doing here but trying? Trying to say sorry, trying to get you to listen to me, to come back to me!"

"Did you ever find the money? Did you find who did it? I asked him instead of answering the questions his eyes were asking.

"The money just returned after you left. We couldn't trace who had done it," he replied.

"What?" That was strange, "So I'd been framed?"

Ashton cut in at this point, "I framed you…"

Emre and I looked at his face in stunned surprise.

"Mom…it was Mom at first who had been spying on Emre. She'd seen you guys together. I hadn't cared. It wasn't something I wanted to meddle in, but then she'd continued on and on about how wrong you were for him, how she'd seen you go behind Emre's back, how she thought you were a gold digger… and she'd asked me to do something, anything to help. And I'd done it, I'd hired someone to do it…" he trailed off, hanging his head in shame.

"You had no right!" Emre shouted, "No fucking right! This is why I hate her, but you're just like her, aren't you? You're just like her. Manipulations and plans and plots."

"No! I'm not. Listen to me." Ashton shouted, "Listen, as soon as I met Sarah, I realized what I'd done. I left her. I left her forever. I resolved to tell the truth to you two! Emre, Sarah, I'm sorry…please forgive me." 

I didn't know what to say, "I need time," I finally uttered and left the room so the two brothers could have it out without me. I didn't want any part of their twisted family.

I went up and out. It was cold, but I didn't feel it. I just let the hot tears fall as I leaned on the railing. 

***

I woke up covered up, cozy, warm, and in bed.

Strange. 

The last thing I remember was drifting away on the upstairs deck, too tired to walk anywhere.

I turned my head and saw Emre's head on the pillow next to mine.

Oh, it was like our first night all over again.

Had he picked me up and brought me to his bed. He must've, I realized.

I stared at him, tracing his features with my eyes. 

My hand rose as if to touch his face, and abruptly his eyes opened and I caught myself.

He looked at me, not at all confused, and caught my hand in his, "Déjà vu, huh?" 

My eyes widened. He was remembering our first night too. 

He slowly tugged me over to him, slowly until our lips were almost touching.

Almost, but not. He measured what he saw in my eyes, and it must've been encouraging because he finally leaned in and caught my lips in his.

The kiss was amazing, like rain after a long drought. His mouth demanded everything from my mouth, and I gladly gave in. He pulled me closer, his hard body pressing me into the bed. I could feel how aroused he was, and I ground myself into him. It felt blissful.

And then our bubble burst when there was a sharp knock on the door.

 "I'm coming in Emre," Ashton came into the room looking as refreshed as if the last night hadn't even happened. 

"I should just do everyone a favor and kill you," Emre muttered.

"Oops…" He looked from one of us to the other, "I'm sorry, shit. I'm happy for you, but I'm sorry! Shit, shit, shit." 

He started to back away, "Oh yeah, Melisa wants to surprise Zayn. It's his birthday. Can you guys come out?"

"Don't, let's stay here," Emre pleaded as Ashton went out.

I got up and went to get up and off the bed, "let's go. Everyone must be waiting."

Looking at Ashton, I'd remembered all the reasons I was angry.

When we both came out to the saloon, everyone was assembled there except Zayn, Pelin, and Zerrin.

Melisa had a piece of chocolate cake in her hands with a candle on top. 

"Pelin is still feeling the side effects of last night," Ashton informed us.

"We're going to surprise Zayn!" Melisa said excitedly as Zerrin came hurrying into the saloon.

"Oh, no. let's wait for Pelin first," Zerrin said, "Oh please!"

"No, let's hurry up before he wakes up," Melisa said, and we all followed her to Zayn's room.

"We could've waited," Zerrin whined.

Melisa opened the door to his room, and we all shouted, "Surprise!"

But it wasn't Zayn who was surprised. We were the ones actually surprised because Zayn wasn't alone in bed. 

Pelin was with him. 

A naked Pelin and Zayn with disheveled hair clutching the sheet between them looked back at us in horror.

"A very, very happy birthday to you, Zayn!" Ashton said as he doubled over with laughter.