Chapter 8 — Burn Down the Ship

Emre was sitting on the bed when I closed the door of the bathroom behind me. 

The cabin wasn't very big, and Emre made it seem even smaller. Emre on the bed did strange things to my insides. I could picture him on it, stretched out preferably with no shirt on. 

I tried to calm down my raging body, but when my eyes met his, I could see he was thinking the same thing. It felt like this thing between us was a living, breathing entity present in the room.

We'd deprived it for too long, we'd left it starving and shackled for too long, and now it was so strong it threatened to burn down the ship until it had consumed us. 

I looked away, speaking to the wall above Emre's head, "I need a hairbrush."

Clearly this was the last thing he was expecting because he looked a bit taken aback.

"Why? Your hair looks okay."

Yes, okay as if I'd just been ravished by my secret lover in his cabin on a ship okay, I thought.

"Can you just get me a hairbrush before someone else comes looking for me…us?"

"Okay, okay," He lifted his hands palms up, "someone's frustrated."

He leaned over and opened the side drawer and took out a wooden backed hairbrush from inside but didn't hand it over to me.

He looked at me with a curiously intense expression. I lifted a hand to take it, but he just stared at me.

Suddenly he took my outstretched hand and pulled me towards him, causing me to fall on top of him. He easily took my fall and leaned back, holding my body to his own with one hand. 

His mouth was close enough to kiss; I just had to lean forward a tiny bit, my hair a curtain around our faces. This time, it was Emre who closed the distance, claiming her mouth with a force that shook her in his arms. 

This kiss wasn't an exploration. This kiss was a possession. It was hot and wet and unbearable arousing. 

I was pulled under before I could think, my body shivering uncontrollably as it went on and on. 

I had no sense. I would have let it go on and on. I would have let him take me here, right here and right now. I would have been eager to. I would have begged him to. 

He was the one who'd initiated it, and he was the one who ended it. He pulled back and sat upright with me almost in his lap, my hands tangled around him, my body pressed against his, my lips trembling, my heart pounding, my body completely his. 

This was what he'd demonstrated right now: that I was his. Wherever I ran, whatever I did, I had always been his as he had always been mine. I could clean up, set my clothes straight and fix my hair, and go outside as if nothing had happened, but I still wouldn't be able to deny that I was completely and utterly his.

My eyes were still closed, half in the shame that my body had betrayed me and half because I knew if I opened them, I would find my feelings mirrored in his eyes.

I felt his hand leave my waist and I opened my eyes. His eyes were fierce, wild, like a warrior. He took the hairbrush, and slowly, with infinite gentleness bellying the intensity in his eyes, he brushed my hair. This moment, more than the kiss, cemented what was between us. We couldn't run away from each other.

I took a shuddering breath and disentangled myself from him, not looking at him. I stood up and decided to escape before I could embarrass myself even further.

"Stay away from the kid," Emre ordered, standing up and moving to the door. He unlocked it.

My mouth dropped open, unable to say a word to him as he closed the door behind him.

Of all the arrogant, insufferable things he could've said, he was telling me to stay away from my boyfriend. He'd called him a kid. What was that even supposed to mean?

I straightened myself up and left his cabin, looking left and right before going back up. Phew.

The party was in full swing when I returned; Zayn was dancing with Melisa and Zerrin while Mert showed Ashton a weird dance move. Pelin and Eric were talking quietly in the corner. I felt like no one had even missed me except Melisa. 

Eric, spotting me, came over to me and cupped my face in his hands, "Hey, you look peaked."

"It's just the sun," I could feel myself getting even redder.

Before he could say a word, Emre came over with an iced glass in his hand and slapped Eric on the shoulder, "Here you go," He handed him the drink. 

Eric took the drink and gave it to me, "Here, you look like you need to cool down, Sarah."

"Thanks," I replied, taking it from him.

"You know, if you feel sick, you can go lay down. Is it motion sickness?"

"I'm fine!" I said a little more forcefully than I meant to, mainly because Eric had started to get on my nerves now. I wasn't an invalid.

"Hey, you can use my room to lay down if you want," Emre piped in. I didn't have to look to know he had a smile on his face.

"No thank you," I said with super sweet acidity, "but I feel like dancing."

I handed the glass back to Eric and left both of them, staring after me as I joined Melisa and Zayn.

"Hey, hey, look who's back?" Ashton came over to me and held both my hands. He started to dance with me, smiling at me in an odd but sweet way. 

He twirled me around, making me laugh.

"I really like this song," I told him.

"It's okay, I like faster songs. This is more my brother's style."

"You're right, it is," I said, not realizing what I'd revealed.

"How would you know?" He tilted his head and looked at me.

"I… I meant it suits his personality." I was digging a hole, and I couldn't stop myself.

Abruptly, Ashton stopped dancing but left both his hands on mine.

"Are you okay?" His voice was low and his expression was serious. Did he know something? Did he suspect something?

"I'm sorry, what?" I acted confused to buy myself time and to gauge how much he knew. 

"Actually, I'm the one who should be sorry," he said to me strangely. He looked guilty.

"What do you mean?" I didn't have to act confused now "I…I should tell you…" he started to say and then was cut off by Melisa joining us.

"Everything okay?" she looked between us.

Melisa was fate's appointed guardian for me who was definitely intended to find and release me from uncomfortable situations where I simultaneously wanted to be and did not want to be. 

"What could be wrong when I have you ladies with me?" Ashton's moods change like lightning, I thought as he put an arm around each of us and led us to the bar.