The Hate Game

Chapter 15

Eda woke up late in the morning. After her talk with Fifi, she spent most of the night crying, closed in her room, and fell asleep at dawn. Eda got up from the bed and dressed in random items she found in her wardrobe. She couldn't even look at herself in the mirror. She was too ashamed of her behavior and what she had caused.

She stopped by the window and saw Ceren sitting on the ground. For the first time in her life, Eda didn't want to be alone. She couldn't be with the person whose presence she craved the most but realized that she needed her friends and family. She wasn't sure if they needed her. She never gave them anything from herself. She only took from them.

Eda quickly left her room and ran downstairs to the door, hoping her cousin still will be outside. She smiled faintly, seeing that Ceren didn't move. Eda walked over to her and greeted her shyly, but to her surprise, Ceren looked at her coldly. That wasn't what Eda expected, but what she probably deserved. During the two months, she's been here, she never accepted any of her cousin's invitations to go out with her and spend time together, just the two of them. She was ditching her every time.

Eda wanted to start with a small talk when she saw her uncle passing the inner gate and quickly walking towards them.

"Hello, girls." He greeted them with a kiss on the forehead. "Where is Serkan?"

Eda made round eyes on him. Her uncle was tense and stressed out. She never saw him in that state. What was even more shocking, Ceren didn't look surprised. Before her cousin could even answer, Eda heard a voice behind them.

"I'm here."

She quickly turned to look at Serkan. He was ignoring her presence but looked equally upset as her uncle.

"We are going to the dean's office. We will have privacy there." Serkan nodded, and Murat turned to his daughter. "Ceren, call the rest of the kids and be there in twenty minutes. When Demir arrives, you can start."

Eda looked at everybody's serious faces. She had no idea what was happening, but she had an awful feeling that it was something bad, and concerned Serkan. She looked as Serkan followed her uncle to the Main Hall. Ceren got up from the bench and wanted to leave when Eda called after her.

"What is happening?"

Ceren looked at her with a sad gaze. "Serkan didn't tell you what happened and asked to testify?"

"We're not really on talking terms right now." Eda admitted reluctantly.

"If he didn't tell you, I can't."

"Can't you even tell me in general?"

"Eda, this is Serkan's private business. If he didn't include you, you have no right to ask."

Eda looked at her, taken aback not only by her cousin's words but also by her cold tone.

"So you are telling me to back off?" Eda said grumpily.

"I don't know what happened between you two, but you broke up with him."

"Why do you think it was me?" Eda started being defensive. She was never told no in her life, especially not by her cousin, who always complied with whatever she wanted, not to make her angry.

Ceren looked at her intently and sighed. Eda couldn't help but notice that her cousin really didn't want to talk with her right now. It was new too. 

"I saw you, we all saw you. And I know Serkan longer than you. He would never break up with you."

"You know him so well." Eda grumbled.

"I know him for years."

Eda opened her mouth to voice her doubts, but Ceren cut her. "Eda, better leave him alone. He already has serious problems, doesn't add to them."