Love for Rent - The Remix Remixed

Pressure

Omer opened the door and stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Fikret, a confused expression replacing the small smile he'd been wearing, when he'd been thinking about Defne's reaction to the flowers that he had bought for her.

"Fikret! Hi."

"Hi."

"Come and sit down? We were just about to have breakfast." Omer strode past Defne and Fikret and into the kitchen, placing the flowers down on the counter alongside the mail. Starting to unpack the groceries, he was unaware of the tension in the hallway. Fikret followed him slowly, looking between him and Defne, trying to understand this strange twist of circumstances. Defne's eyes met hers nervously, begging her to remain quiet. Sensing Fikret's presence, Omer looked up from washing the vegetables. "Do you like basil omelette?" Not getting a response, he walked over to Fikret, leaning against the wall. "What do you say? Will you stay?"

"No! I have to go. You have breakfast together. Enjoy your meal." Fikret didn't miss the look of relief on Defne's face.

"Wait a minute! Why are you here and why're you leaving so soon?"

"Ece called to say we're starting work today. She said I had to be at Passionis at 10 am."

"Okay. But you can't get to the company on bike."

As they conversed, Defne was trying to prevent the churning in her stomach from turning into a need to be violently sick, the panic was starting to take over her, the unexpected and confusing turn of events. Fikret was the girl that Omer had been searching for, the girl that had completely changed his life. That girl now held Defne in the palm of her hand, could crush her if she so chose.

Fikret nodded. "Right."

"So... stay."

"No, I should go. We'll meet up at 10."

"Fine, if that's what you want." Omer watched, confused by Fikret's behaviour, she seemed to be on the verge of tears, and there was something else in her expression that he couldn't interpret that unsettled him.

Lifting her bag, Fikret turned to Defne and the door, eyes meeting. One was full of fear, the other full of shock. Fikret was blown away by the revelation, and Defne was paralysed with fear by it. As Fikret left, Omer frowned, Defne stood frozen to the spot, her expression and eyes vacant, as though she were a million miles away. "Defne?" When she didn't respond, he walked to her. "Defne..." Only when he touched her arm, rubbing it soothingly did she seem to register his presence.

"Huh?"

"Is there something I should know?" The atmosphere in the room was thick, tense.

"Something you should know? No, there isn't. I guess not..." She was feeling faint, as though the universe was playing the cruellest of tricks on her.

Omer cupped her face gently. "Defne, are you okay? You've turned terribly pale."

Walking into his arms, she wound hers around him. "Hold me! All I need right now, is for you to give me a hug."

Omer tightened his arms around her, feeling the racing of her heart against his chest, like a frightened wild bird caught in a cage. He felt the sigh that escaped from her lips as though it had come from his own lungs. Frowning, he stroked her hair. Something had happened, something had set Defne on edge, but he was trying his best not to push her when she told him things were fine, despite how much he wanted to.

Sitting at the table after he'd made their breakfast, Omer noticed that Defne seemed distracted. He watched for a couple of minutes as she absently pushed some of the food around her plate, not a single forkful making it to her mouth.

"Don't you like it?"

Her eyes shot up to his. "What?"

"The omelette. You haven't even touched it."

"No, no. I'm eating it. It's really good." She made a show of cutting a piece of the omelette and popping it into her mouth. Her eyes drifted to the framed Phoenix patch on the wall. "Omer?"

"Hmm?"

"The Phoenix." His eyes followed hers to the frame. "How important is it to you?"

"Where's this coming from? I already told you."

"That's right, you told me, but ... The girl who gave you that Simurgh, the girl with the blue hair ... You've never seen her again, have you?"

"I haven't seen her. I looked for her, but I couldn't find her. I've already told you this, Defne."

"And if you had found her..."