YES, LET'S JUST BE FRIENDS

CHAPTER TEN

TANER LED HER DOWN A TRAIL THAT NONE OF THE OTHER PEOPLE WERE ON. HE TOLD HER HE KNEW WHERE THE BEST OBJECTS WERE HIDDEN AND THEY  WOULD GET THEM FIRST.  AFTER QUITE A HIKE INTO THE WOODS, THEY CAME TO A CLEARING THAT HAD BEAUTIFUL WHITE LIGHTS STRUNG FROM TREE TO TREE AND A TABLE WITH ELABORATE DECORATION. THERE WAS A FULL COURSE DINNER ALL LAID OUT FOR THEM.  HE HAD WINE ON ICE AND BIG PILLOWS LAYING IN A PILE. SANEM WAS SURPRISED AND EMBARRASSED, SHE WASN'T SURE WHY HE WOULD HAVE DONE SUCH A THINK. " DO YOU LIKE IT? " HE ASKED WITH A SMILE. " I WORKED ALL DAY ON THIS, NOT THAT I'M COMPLAINING OR ANYTHING "  HE LAUGHED.  

SANEM WAS SPEECHLESS, IT WAS BEAUTIFUL BUT TOTALLY UNEXPECTED. SHE THANKED HIM,        " YOU SOULDN'T HAVE GONE TO SO MUCH TROUBLE, TANER. IT REALLY WASN'T NECESSARY. "  SHE MUMBLED.  HER THOUGHTS WERE IMMEDIATELY OF CAN, KNOWING HE MUST HAVE BEEN WORRIED ABOUT HER SO SHE SUGGESSTED TO TANER THEY NEEDED TO MAKE THEIR WAY BACK TO CAMP BECAUSE HER FRIENDS WOULD BE WONDERING WHERE SHE WAS.. HE EXPLAINED TO HER THAT HIS EMPLOYEES KNEW WHERE THEY WERE AND THEY WOULD ASSURE EVERYONE THAT THEY WERE OK. " DON'T WORRY SANEM, LETS JUST ENJOY THIS TIME ALONE." HE SAID, REACHING FOR HER HAND.

SHE FELT NERVOUS AND SHE WAS READY TO GO BACK,  BUT SHE WENT ALONG WITH WHAT HE HAD PLANNED. HE POURED THE WINE AND THEY SAT DOWN TO EAT THEIR MEAL. SANEM WAS BEGINNING TO REMEMBER THAT THIS WAS WHAT HAD BEEN THERE PROBLEM BEFORE WHEN THEY WERE AT THE UNIVERSITY.  TANER ALWAYS RUSHED THINGS, HE HAD DONE IT THEN AND HE WAS DOING IT NOW.. THATS WHY HE THOUGHT THAT HE WAS HER BOYFRIEND, EVEN BACK THEN, WHEN THAT WASNT HOW SHE THOUGHT OF HIM AT ALL..... " WE'LL JUST EAT AND HIKE BACK TO CAMP. " SHE THOUGHT NERVOUSLY.....

SHE WAS TRYING TO MAKE CONVERSATION WITHOUT SEEMING TENSE, BUT IT WAS BECOMING HARDER TO DO THE LONGER HE INSISTED THEY STAY.. FINALLY SHE JUST HAD TO TELL HIM THAT SHE WAS READY TO GO BACK.  HE ACTED OFFENDED, WANTING TO KNOW THE REASON WHY SHE WANTED TO GO BACK..." TANER, THIS IS JUST NOT WHAT I HAD EXPECTED TONIGHT. " SHE BLURTED. " I APPRECIATE THE GESTURE, BUT THIS IS ALL A BIT MUCH. "...

" SO YOU DON'T FEEL THE SAME AS I DO? "  HE QUESTIONED WITH A DROP OF SARCASM. "  LET ME GUESS, YOU'RE INFATUATED WITH CAN DIVIT, RIGHT.  I HAD A SUSPICION THAT MIGHT BE THE CASE. " HE STATED.  " OK, WE CAN HEAD BACK BUT DON'T THINK I'M GIVING UP ON YOU, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A MISTAKE." HE SAID DEFIANTLY.  SANEM WAS STUNNED AT HIS CONCLUSION, AND THE INSINUATION.  THEY GRABBED THEIR LIGHTS AND HEADED BACK. THE HIKE WAS LONG AND  SHE WAS TIRED AND SCARED. WHEN THEY MADE IT BACK TO THE CAMP SHE REALIZED EVERYONE HAD TURNED IN FOR THE NIGHT, OR SO SHE THOUGHT.  SHE STARTED TO HER TENT WHEN SHE HEARD CAN CALL HER NAME. HE WAS SITTING BY THE CAMPFIRE WAITING FOR HER. TANER TURNED SUDDENLY AND WAVED HIS ARMS SAYING, " THERE'S CAN WAITING FOR YOU, HOW NICE....SANEM SHOT HIM A LOOK OF DISGUST AND WALKED TOWARDS CAN. HE STOOD AND PUT HIS ARM AROUND HER, " ARE YOU OK, I WAS WORRIED ABOUT YOU." HE ASKED.  

SANEM SMILED AND TOLD HIM THINGS  WERE FINE. KNOWING NOT TO LET CAN SEE THAT TANER HAD RATTLED HER NERVES A LITTLE..  " HE HAD A NICE PICNIC SET UP JUST A  WAYS DOWN THE TRAIL"  SHE TOLD HIM.  " NOTHING SPECIAL, BUT I'M REALLY TIRED SO I THINK I'LL TURN IN. "  SHE SAID.  HE WAS GLAD SHE WAS BACK AND SAFE, BUT  FELT LIKE THERE WAS MORE TO THIS INCIDENT THAN SHE WAS TELLING...SHE STOOD ON HER TIPTOES TO GIVE HIM A QUICK HUG AND HE SMOOTHED DOWN HER HAIR, WHICH WAS SOMETHING HE ALWAYS DID.  SHE HURRIED TO HER TENT AND SNUGGLED INTO HER SLEEPING BAG..

CAN DIDN'T SLEEP, HE SAT BY THE CAMPFIRE GOING OVER ALL THE THINGS HE AND SANEM HAD TALKED ABOUT THAT EVENING IN HIS OFFICE.  THE TRUTH OF WHAT SHE SAID TO HIM STILL PIERCED HIS MIND. SHE WAS RIGHT,  HE HAD EXPECTED A LOT FROM HER,  HE PUNISHED HER FOR TELLING THE LIES AND HE PUNISHED HER FOR TELLING THE TRUTH.  IT'S NO WONDER SHE SOUGHT  ACCEPTANCE FROM SOMEONE ELSE.  THIS TANER GUY HAPPENED TO SHOW UP AT THE WRONG TIME,  OR WAS IT THE RIGHT TIME.  MAYBE THATS WHAT I NEEDED TO CLEAR MY HEAD,  TO WIPE OUT THE FEAR OF HAVING TO FORGIVE, HE THOUGHT. IT IS HARD, BUT LIVING THIS HELL I'VE BEEN LIVING THE PAST WEEKS HAS BEEN HARDER.. I HAVE FORGIVEN HER FOR THE THINGS THAT MY BROTHER FORCED HER TO DO..  I KNOW THAT ISN'T IN HER NATURE TO DECEIVE,  BUT IT WAS IN EMRES'. WE HAVE TO MOVE PAST THIS, HE THOUGHT,  AS HE FELT HIS HEART TIGHTEN AT THE THOUGHT OF LOSING HER...

SANEM TOSSED AND TURNED ALL NIGHT FRETTING ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF TANERS' ACTIONS... SHE REMEMBERED THE TIMES AT SCHOOL, WHEN SHE HAD FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH HIM, BUT DIDN'T RECOGNIZE WHAT IT WAS AT THE TIME.  THE DEMANDING POSITIONS HE HAD PUT HER IN AT TIMES..AND NOW,  WITH HIM BEING EVEN MORE CONFIDENT,  THE SITUATIONS SEEMED TO BE EVEN MORE INTENSE.  

EVERYONE WAS OUT AND ABOUT EARLY.  SHE CLIMBED OUT OF THE TENT, LOOKING AROUND FOR CEYCEY AND GULIZE. SPOTTING CEYCEY TALKING WITH CAN BY THE FIRE, SHE WALKED THAT WAY.  SHE WAS STARTLED WHEN TANER RAN UP BEHIND HER,  PICKED HER UP AND SWIMG HER AROUND.  PUTTING HER DOWN AND LAUGHING HE SAID, " DID I SCARE YOU,  SORRY I WAS JUST PLAYING."   SHE PUNCHED HIS ARM AND YELLED AT HIM, " YES YOU SCARED ME, YOU KNOW  I'M JUMPY. "   HE LEANED DOWN OVER HER, CLOSE ENOUGH FOR HER TO FEEL HIS BREATH ON HER FACE, MAKING HER UNCOMFORTABLE, AND HE  STATED, " YEP, I DO KNOW YOUR JUMPY, I KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU, REMEMBER. " HE WHISPERED EERIELY TO HER.....SHE MOVED AWAY IN A HURRY AND CONTINUED TOWARDS CAN AND CEYCEY.  TANER YELLED AS SHE WALKED AWAY,  "SEE YOU AT BREAKFAST. "  SHE CLOSED HER EYES WONDERING  HOW THIS WAS ALL HAPPENING AGAIN.........

CAN WATCHED THE ENCOUNTER CLOSELY,  LOOKING AT THE EXPRESSIONS ON HER FACE.  SOMETHING HAD CHANGED IN HER DEMEANOR,  SHE WAS GUARDED AND EDGY,  ALMOST AS IF SHE WAS AFRAID OF TANER.

HIS INSTINCT TO PROTECT HER BECAME HIS PRIORITY...........

HE WOULD NEVER LET ANYONE HURT HER....