Everywhere Still, A Continuation of Everywhere You Are

Chapter 4

Demir put on a fake smile. "Of course you do," he said waving Arda inside. Demir slowly walked down the hall to the bottom of the steps, placed his hands on his hips and called up to Selin.

"Oh Selin, you have a visitor. A gentleman visitor from your past." Demir looked over to Arda and smiled again in his fake way. He'd always expected a different one to show up before Arda returned. He looked up the steps and back over at Arda and nodded slightly.

"I'll be right back," Demir said, placing his index finger in the air. "One minute."

Demir went upstairs to find Selin getting dressed. He leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms. "It's Arda," he said in a mocking tone.

"Arda?" Selin asked with wonder and disbelief to her expression. She squeezed by him to the top of the stairs.

"Arda, welcome! I'll be down in a few minutes," she called down to him.

Demir pulled Selin into the bathroom, and they shared the space to clean up. He looked intently in the mirror but stared back at her waiting for an explanation until he couldn't take it anymore.

"Why is he here, Selin?" he asked with a serious tone.

Selin looked back at Demir in the mirror as she began brushing her teeth. She pulled the toothbrush from her mouth and waved it in the air as she spoke. 

"Demir! How should I know? I've been away for six months, the same as you!" They continued to stare back at each other in the mirror until finally Selin gave up. She pushed him out of her way to reach over to get a glass and filled it with water from the sink.

"You refused to tell me everything about him. And now he's here, looking for another chance with you isn't he?" he reprimanded her in a hushed tone as his arm reached across her to grab his toothbrush from his black travel bag sitting on the section of the counter top closest to her.

"Demir, there's nothing to tell!" she said adamantly and rinsed her mouth. Demir angrily puffed air out of his nose. 

"Selin. There's clearly something more to be known about him. Perhaps today's date has a special meaning." Demir put toothpaste on his toothbrush and stuck it in his mouth then clasped his hands together mockingly. "Oh Arda, if neither of us are married in six years we'll meet up on today's date. For God sakes, Selin, we watched that movie together!"

"And so the jealousy happens again," Selin said as she pointed at him. "I can't believe this!"

Demir furiously brushed his teeth then took the glass she had used and rinsed with the rest of the water in it. Selin laughed to herself how Demir had abandoned some of his germ-sharing fears while on their trip together. Selin put away her toothbrush then reached across Demir to grab a towel to wipe her mouth. 

"Demir," she said firmly. "You're acting crazy."

"Oh am I?" he snapped back, grabbing the towel from her hands to wipe his mouth.

"And what's the rule when one of us acts crazy?" she asked him, standing her ground. Demir frowned to hear he was acting this way, but he obviously knew there could be only one reason Arda had returned.

Selin called down to Arda again that she'd be just another minute then closed herself and Demir into the bathroom, shutting the door.

*saxophone playing*

Selin placed her hands on his still bare chest and maneuvered Demir so his back was up against the wall, leaned in and kissed his lips because that was the rule. In fact, it was his rule. Demir wasn't satisfied when she ended the kiss so quickly and leaned back in kissing her more deeply, pulling her into his arms until she protested.