Moonlit Scars

The Kartal mansion

10 years ago...

Melek Yagiz hated the Kartal mansion.

She hated that she had to return here during the holidays. She hated that the place was so dull even among its grandeur. There seemed to be a lot of people in the house but everyone lived in their own little world. Her brother-in-law was a book nerd through and through. Melek didn't know how Emine, being so vivacious and active could stand him. Altan and Bahar were disgustingly in love, so they were entirely wrapped around each other. And Ayleen was never home. Even when she was, she kept herself locked up in her room. Melek suspected that she had a secret boyfriend.

Little did she know she was going to fall in love this summer.

She first saw him kneeling at the front door, next to several traveling bags, gaze focused on their tags. Levent stood next to him, a lit cigarette tucked between his fingers. None of them heard her approach.

"Hello!" She said.

Levent looked up and smiled his easy smile. She liked Levent Kartal. He had the sort of rumpled, careless appearance that girls found endearing. And he was the only one who even made the holidays here unbearable. His idea of fun aligned better with Melek's.

"What are you guys doing?"

The guy on the ground stood up. She caught her breath. She remembered him, of course. Demir Kartal- her brother-in-law's youngest sibling. She only had faded memories of him from the wedding- a flash of gray eyes here and a sharp scowl there. He always went abroad during holidays- always traveling to exotic places like caves in Indonesia and old castles in Scotland. Or so she'd heard.

She smiled.

"Oh, I remember you. Do you know me? I'm Melek"

"I know you", he said shortly. Melek had his first real appearance etched into her mind. Clad in a black polo shirt and jeans, shades tucked into his sun bleached hair, tanned hands pushed deep into his pockets... She had been impressed.

Those three words were the only words he'd said to her during the whole summer- not even a greeting in passing. He'd just graduated from college and he was spending his first summer at home after a long time. All of them went fishing and camping and by the end of the summer, Melek was in love.

It was one of those unexplainable attractions. He didn't so much as glance at her. Emine had warned her about Demir- how something that happened to him when he was a child had shaped him into a different man- someone unattainable. His smiles were so rare, Melek always thought she'd imagined them. But this difference of him was what became alluring to her. He was so far from such mundane things like love and intimacy and even smiling- she was sure that if she broke even one of those walls, it would be worth the struggle. He was completely... other.

As the years passed, Melek was convinced that she'd gotten over this strange infatuation. It sometimes came to her in flashes- when his eyes caught the light and became luminous, when he leaned over her to reach for a dish and she caught a waft of his scent at the dinner table... Her friends told her that she only wanted him because he didn't pay attention to her, that he'd be boring once he started to respond to her advances. Melek wasn't so sure about that.

Now she watched from the balcony as Demir got off from the car with Seray and Lalam in tow. Maybe he saw them on the road and picked them up? The girl scurried into the house without even a backward glance at him. So they were still at odds?

Melek brushed her hair and went downstairs for dinner. She took her usual seat in between Levent and Ferit. She somewhat hated this established order of sitting. Demir was almost invisible to her and she had to watch her brother-in-law distractedly putting his sweater clad elbow in his soup or Seray cutting up Lalam and Burak's food like she was an angel summoned to earth. That girl was so fake.

Demir came inside, deep in conversation with Levent. Melek clenched her fingers around her spoon, watching the beads of moisture still clinging to his hair and his nape.

Please look at me, She thought desperately. Just for once, please look at me and see how I look at you...

But he passed her without a glance and took his place at the left side of Cahil. She had to crane her neck to even look at his profile. Melek sighed.

Ferit nudged her and gave her a questioning look.

"What's up? You look pensive"

Melek shook her head, averting her eyes. Ferit had an uncanny ability to interpret her emotions- it irritated her to no end.

"What? WHAT?"

Levent's raised voice suddenly pulled her out of her thoughts. She looked up.

"Is this a bite mark?" He barked out a laugh. "What kind of roleplaying do you do in your spare time, Demir? Who bit you?"

Melek craned her neck, feeling stunned. Demir was pulling down the sleeve of his t-shirt over his bicep angrily, his eyes hardened. Before he could cover it, Melek noticed the raised mark on his bicep, in the shape of teeth. She swallowed.

What?

"Not everything has to be a deprived lewd act, you moron", he said, calmly. "It's nothing"

"Yes, but who bit you?" Levent asked, still sounding excited. "You're so... closed off about this stuff. At least tell me it was a woman..."

Demir made an angry noise. Altan looked heaven ward.

"Do we have to discuss this at the dinner table..."

"Auntie bit uncle", Lalam said suddenly.

The spoon dropped from Seray's hand and clattered on to her plate. A deafening silence followed the little girl's statement. Oblivious to the bomb she dropped at the table, Lalam kept on eating her salad, humming a tune under her breath.

Melek tried to gather her thoughts. She looked at Seray. The girl was staring at Demir across the table, eyes wide, cheeks stained red.

"It's not..." She started. "Nothing happened. It was nothing!"

Demir seemed to get hold of a sudden fit of coughing. Levent hit his back repeatedly, a lazy grin curving his mouth.

"So you bit Demir for the sake of it?"

"Of...of course not!" She sputtered.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Demir pushed away Levent's hand.

"They were fighting", Lalam said through a mouthful of greens. "Then uncle grabbed auntie. So she bit him"

Emine gasped. Even Cahil looked up, his bushy eyebrows raised. Altan put down his cutlery slowly, glaring at his brother.

"It was a self-defense session. I was teaching her how to protect herself!" Demir grit out. He looked at Lalam. "You kid, keep silent and eat your dinner!"

Lalam bowed her head to hide a grin. Seray picked up her spoon, avoiding everyone's eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that", she said at the general direction of Demir but her eyes seemed to be focused on somewhere over his head.

"Did you get carried away?" Levent asked grinning. "And is that your art of seduction, Demir? Teaching a girl self-defense?"

"DROP IT!" Demir said in a menacing voice.

Levent snickered.

Melek leaned over him to peer at Demir's scowling face. But as he looked away from Levent, just for a moment his gaze seemed to focus on Seray. Melek watched with horrified fascination as his eyes softened just a little bit and the hint of a smile seemed to tug at the corner of his mouth.

Seray held his gaze and dropped her eyes, brushing her hair over her shoulder nervously. Her cheeks were bright red.

Melek looked around. Nobody else seemed to notice this small interaction between them.

Pushing the chair back she stood up, a sick feeling spreading through the pit of her stomach. Emine glanced sharply at her and she attempted for a smile.

"Excuse me, I'm a bit tired", she said, avoiding her sister's eyes. "I'm retiring. Enjoy your meal!"

She couldn't wait to get out of there.