❝ PERİ KOÇAK

The pieces came together at the brunette’s clarification. Explained why he found her practically collapsed on the ground from chasing after the animal in question. “They can be real clever. And fast.” He’d definitely seen some strays aimlessly roaming around the area. “But you’d think he’d want to have a home. Try any food as bait?” She’d might not need to keep sprinting a marathon each time she spotted it then.

“I’ll let you off the hook, since you guys met over in France. That must’ve been fun.” Small world, apparently. Vanna probably would like seeing someone from her globe-trotting days around town. “I’m one of her two brothers. She clearly didn’t talk about us as much as she should’ve.” His tone light hearted, yet would still get on her case later. Just because. He couldn't remember every finite detail of all the stores she'd share with him either while away.

“You sure? Swear there's stuff on the house in here." Jackson nodded back at the restaurant’s staff entrance he initially emerged from. "Unless you were feeling something different."

Which was probably why, all this time later, she still hadn't caught the orange cat. "I haven't. Mostly because I always forget to put some treats in my bag until I'm three blocks from where I started and entirely out of breath again."

Lithe shoulders shrugged—she really wasn't that concerned about yet another jaunt across town in pursuit of her newest, reluctant furry friend—before Peri detoured to the more important matter at hand. Lunch. "If I ever turn down Vim's I've probably been body snatched, but I guess you probably eat here all the time, huh?" Not the worst problem to have, except she could imagine it got old after awhile. "So why don't you pick? What's your second favorite place around town?"

fae closed her eyes for a beat, the words hanging in the air like a fragile chime. " no, you didn't, " she sighed, her voice soft and laced with tested patience. she rubbed the side of her temple, the pad of her finger tracing a delicate circle where she could already feel the insistent throb of an oncoming migraine. it was a familiar unwelcome guest, often arriving hand-in-hand with frustrating conversations.

then, she backtracked, a faint smile playing on her lips as she attempted to soften the blow. " or ... maybe you did, and i just didn't see it. " fae admits, attempting to sound casual and not like her parents scolding their eldest daughter. she gestured towards greg, " regardless, " fae continued, a genuine note of relief in her voice, " i'm glad greg is safe, and that she didn't end up as shark bait. " as flat as her tone came out, the way her dark hues lingered on greg was a silent testament to her affection for the sleeping feline.

fahriye glanced down at the handful of trinkets and discarded wrappers she'd collected from her sister's chaotic realm. a sudden, defiant thought sparked within her. was this really unnecessary? the answer, resounding and immediate, was no. but the that's the thing when it comes to bad habits. they're hard to break.

with a decisive exhale, she strode toward the cat, and unceremoniously deposited the small pile of clutter. dusting her hands as if physically shaking off the chore, she sought refuge on the other side of the couch. there, perihan's cat had her eyes fixed on fahriye with an unnerving intensity. it was the same judgmental, unflinching gaze she often reserved for peri and her messy habits.

"Sorry." A small, crooked smile dangled off the edge of her mouth, impish and playful yet never quite reaching her eyes. "Guess I just... got distracted." Again. "I'm glad you're here, though. After all these years we finally live in the same town, and it still feels like I rarely see you."

Partially, that had a lot to do with her little sister's busy schedule, but she'd be lying if she said she hadn't kept a bit of distance, herself. Call her crazy, but Peri couldn't help but feel as if her return was somehow encroaching on the life Fae built without her chaos around.

"Water? Tea? Tequila?" Having moved the few short feet into the kitchen space of the airstream she flung open cabinet and fridge doors alike, scouring each for what little remained of her last grocery trip. "Or I could brew coffee if you want? Are you hungry?" She had—Well, nothing on that front, really, but the box of pop tarts on the counter probably had at least have a sleeve left.

Sebastian couldn’t hide his growing expression. He was humored by her struggle to grasp his way of thinking, which seemed worlds apart from hers. As she rambled through a series of examples, he found himself nodding along, laughter bubbling up despite the disbelief written all over her features.

"I think it depends on the situation," he chuckles, scratching his head thoughtfully as he prepares himself for her hypotheticals. "But unless I've been desperately craving a swim, unplanned, or a slice of cheesecake and have been denied both for… maybe... months, then sure," he shrugged, trying to convince himself. "I’d swim without shorts or eat cheesecake with my hands." The thought sent a small shiver down his spine, but Sebastian prided himself on not being too uptight. He realized that he had been quite tense since moving here, but he figured it might've been a form of compensation for living in a hole for so long.

As her follow-up question hung in the air, he felt his expression shift, momentarily clouded by a flicker of nostalgia. He squinted as he pondered the last time he had acted impulsively, simply for the hell of it.

"It's been a long time," he finally admitted, the weight of five years settling around him like a heavy blanket. His passion for life had dimmed after his heart was shattered, and he had since found himself in the comforting embrace of routine. The act of keeping busy carried him long enough to get through it. Sebastian had long for gone the idea of him ever doing something spontaneous again.

Sebastian felt a twinge of guilt as he noticed the flicker in her eye when she was caught off guard by his question. He hadn’t meant to make her uncomfortable; he only wanted to keep the conversation light-hearted. But when she answered that she’d like to be ..., as she put it, "something, Seb", he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, a curious grin spreading across his face.

He smiled, chuckling softly as Peri elaborated on the reality behind her unusual purchases and questions. He felt a growing affection for her efforts, touched by her various attempts to get to know him better. There had been a time when Sebastian thought Peri might have a crush on him, particularly when she came in two days in a row for seemingly no real reason. However, she didn't visit all the time, and the idea was fleeting.

Sebastian thought that Peri was quite good at straddling the line between seeming innocent and being straightforward. He found it hard to read her and her intentions, deciding that while they were on the subject, he'd hold it out between them like a fresh hunt.

Unbidden, at least a dozen ideas of how to tempt Sebastian into a bit of spontaneity began flirting and teasing their way through Peri's thoughts.

Pizza on the beach, no blanket, no plates, just them and the box. Jumping off Kingston Bridge into the creek. The drop was only twenty or so feet. Playing hooky for a day to go on a mini road trip, no GPS to guide them and no plan for where it'd end. Ghost hunting in the old Bishop house that'd sat abandoned for decades, karaoke night at the bar, but they picked each others songs.

Even she had to admit each one sounded like... a date. Except Peri didn't do dates. Not in the traditional sense of the word.

In her world, the word 'date' was synonymous with one thing. One goal. One outcome for the evening. Some drinks or some food, probably, and then heading back to one house or another to scratch an itch and then never see each other again. If they did it wasn't to get to know each other better. With that first night down all pretenses were dropped and. If she went back for seconds, it was strictly in bed.

It was, simply put, the antithesis of what she aimed for with him. If her only interest was in getting him undressed things would've been far less confusing on her end, too.

The truth was, she had no idea what she meant with her confession. It was vague but honest, not something she calculated or really gave much forethought. He intrigued her and he made her laugh, so she kept gravitating back. That was it. Until now, put on the spot, she never needed to understand why or figure out what it was she actually sought.

To know him, obviously, but beyond that—Her focus remained fixed on Sebastian's face, trailing over his features with little sweeps of her gaze. Meanwhile, her thoughts continued to race. What did she want? To be friends? Genuine friends? To actually go out on a real date that ended at her door instead of in abandoned piles of clothes?

She hadn't had one of those in years. Not since Cem.

Deep down she knew why, knew what stopped her, but he'd moved on with his life and it hadn't been in her direction. Maybe it was time she did, too. Maybe it was time she stopped letting the fear of attachments and getting hurt guide her through life. Maybe she didn't need to know what she wanted from Seb yet, because jumping feet first and figuring it out on the fly was half the fun.

He reached for the next handhold, steadying himself with the same ease he had when he’d first started climbing, but his attention lingered on her for a moment longer to make sure that she was doing alright. He admired her determination, the way she was pushing through the struggle, even if they came with what could only be considered fighting words in his general direction.

"I won't tell a soul about anything that happened fifteen minutes ago," he tossed her way with a chuckle. They were different people at the bottom of the climb compared to who they would be at the top, something that he knew in the back of his mind even if it was going to be a struggle to get there for both of them. "I think ‘committer, not a spitter’ is a pretty solid mantra. Whatever the hell it actually means."

His grin didn’t waver as he made the final push to the next ledge, feeling the weight of the moment shift. There was something grounding about climbing, something simple and real that made all the noise of the outside world seem so far away.

When people looked at Peri they tended to see only what she displayed on the surface. The ridiculous antics. The inappropriate remarks. The irreverent attitude even when facing the most serious situations. Rarely did they see the doubts and insecurities that hid below. Rarely did they see how much her mother's ridicule and criticism warped her own perceptions.

If she wasn't doing something perfectly, she was doing it wrong. She was wrong.

No matter how much she loved to claim she'd shed that mindset as soon as she left town after graduation, Sevda Kocak's voice in the back of her head wasn't quite that easy to drop. Colt probably didn't realize how much his simple words—you've already made it this far, that counts for something—helped drown it all out.

"Damn right I did," she quipped with a crooked smirk. "Because I'm amazing." It wasn't arrogance that birthed those words, but a reminder to herself. She'd been holding her own hand and hyping herself up since she was a kid. Hard not to when nobody else did.

"I'm gonna make this cliff my bitch," she continued, fingers stretching to reach the same ledge, "and then I'm gonna show you want a gentleman I can be. I'll even open the door for you and pull out your chair." Laughter bounced off against the rocks, followed by a quiet grunt of exertion, as she heaved herself up beside him. "I'll be the best not-a-date date you've ever had."

It was with that same level of teasing confidence that she kept after him when he continued their climb, all the way to the very top. Who knew if it was ten, fifteen, or thirty minutes later, but when Peri pulled herself over that last lip of cliff and planted her feet back on solid ground she did so with a whoop of victory.

She almost tackled Colt, too, from the sheer excitement of it all but thought better of it at the last second. They were at the edge of a sheer drop, after all. She wasn't that reckless.

Instead, she beamed at him, letting the span of her smile say it all, then turned to look out at the world below. It wasn't the same as scaling Mount Everest, but to her it might as well have been. Eyes wide, she drank in the sight and searched for the point at which they'd started. "Really makes all your shitty problems feel so... small, doesn't it?"

fahriye, keys already in hand, didn't bother with the formalities of ringing the doorbell or knocking. her entry was immediate and unceremonious. the lock clicked open, the door swung inward, and she stepped into her sister's shared apartment. " perihan, you better be bleeding everywhere, and profusely, " she called out, her voice a mix of urgency and exasperation. the statement was delivered with a dramatic flair, the kind only a sibling could get away with. she pushed her rayban sunglasses up onto the crown of her head, the gesture revealing a flash of irritation in her eyes as she moved further into the space.

the emergency call she'd received from perihan less than eight minutes ago, had triggered immense concern. but the predominant emotion bubbling beneath the surface was definitely annoyance seeing as this wouldn't be the first ( or last, if fae had to guess ) accidental emergency butt dial.

" i had to leave a property meeting, perihan, " she warned, her voice echoing slightly in the quiet apartment. " a very important property meeting. so whatever is going on better be a legitimate, life - or - death situation. blood, ambulances, maybe even a faint whiff of impending doom — i need to see serious commitment to chaos here. "

The voice was low and dulled, from a distance, yet insistent and just frequent enough that it yanked Peri out of her focus. Slowly, she unfolded her body from 'flying pigeon pose' and glanced in the direction of home—Otherwise known as Mari's airstream.

Call her crazy, but she could've swore it sounded like it was coming from there. Which made no sense because, last time she checked, cats didn't possess vocal chords. "What the hell?" Grumbling under her breath, she left her things were they sprawled across the sand, only having enough decency to toss a flimsy silk robe over her otherwise naked frame.

If this was some misguided fool at her door, or someone who'd rented it out as an airbnb before Mari handed over the keys...

Well, she wasn't entirely sure what she'd do if it was the latter, because contracts were inconveniently binding like that, but by the time she crested the tiny dune between where she'd been and where she was staying, she realized it was neither.

"Fae?" That was her little sister's car parked right up to the door, almost as if she'd bolted out of the driver's side in a hurry. "What are you doing here?" It only took a few seconds, and the tail end of Fae's rant, for her to understand.

Oh. "Oh... that." Her face split with a sheepish smile. She had called her, hadn't she? In the little time since she'd already forgotten about that.

Moving through the little trailer, absently shifting the magazines back out of their newly neatened stack, she alleged, "I did have an emergency. Or, at least, I thought I did. I couldn't find Greg and thought she'd escaped, probably halfway to becoming shark bait." Her dark gray, long haired cat lifted her head from where she'd been in the midst of a second nap on the couch and glared at the audacity of such an assumption.

While she didn't like to pry too much into the Koçaks current situation, she did at least try to check in and ask how her friends' mom was doing, though she mostly only talked to Fae about it. She knew Peri wasn't super close with their parents, or more so their mom, but she didn't dare ask about it since that felt a little too personal to push her into talking to. But as she insisted that she was at least trying to help Fae out under these circumstances, she smiled softly. "That's really sweet of you. And if you guys need anything, whether it's help with the house or just someone to bring over some food or something, just say the word." Liv offered, and she was sure that even her mom would probably offer to feed them or come over and help if they needed anything at all. Clearly it was just a Harris trait, and they wouldn't just stand by and not offer their assistance since Fae had been there for her when her father had passed.

Given that Peri was prone to taking off at any given moment, whether for work or because she wanted to, Liv figured it was best to take advantage of her time sticking around, hence her invite to hang out with her and Fae. She wasn't sure how her bestie would feel about her older sister intruding on their girls' nights, but she would've felt bad not extending an invite anyway. But when Peri only gave her a one word response, she took that as an answer itself. Luckily it was being followed up by an offer she could never refuse, and even an alternative was better than nothing. "I'm in, but you're paying. How does The Anchor sound?" She asked, since she hadn't been there in what felt like ages.

"I kind of need to do better at actually checking in with Fae, if I'm being honest. I've gone over a few times to pack up my old room—" that is, whatever was left of it after Sevda opted to throw most of her things out some sixteen odd years ago— "but I'm not sure where we're at, overall, on the never ending list of things to tackle before she can stick a shiny 'FOR SALE' sign in the yard."

It was intentional, albeit selfish, on her part. Much like visiting her mom at the facility, being back in that house did things to Peri. It dredged up memories and reopened barely healed wounds. The same ones she'd spent those sixteen years running from.

Still, helping was why she'd finally come home. Being there to shoulder the burden was kind of pointless if Fae was still left to handle all of the work alone.

"Maybe one of these weekends we can all go over and have a packing party or something." Before any repairs and renovations could be done, it'd have to be empty, right? "Three hands are better than one, and I'll even bring the pizza and beers so it doesn't feel like the massive, soul sucking chore that it actually is."

Again, she flashed Liv a cheeky, lopsided grin. Without comment her feet automatically started in the direction of The Anchor, though she did clear her throat and mention, "Just so we're both aware... I did kind of, sort of, pull a little bit of a hit and run with the owner my first night back." Peri snickered, mostly to herself, before she added, "Pretty sure that's exactly what he hoped for, but just in case he had a change of heart and is feeling a little jilted these days... we may need to get our food to go and run."

Instead of responding, she simply shot Peri a look, one that was half amused and half annoyed, clearly conveying her faux surprise that no one had ever resorted to whatever was on hand to quiet the vivacious woman.

But Lakshmi must have been on her side today, as her gaze locked on the couple behind Peri's shoulder when they glanced around, checking their surrounding and not noticing the pair hidden behind the corner, before leaning in and their lips meeting. She had to stifle a cheer, a wide grin coming to her lips as she ignored everything her surprise companion had said and instead turned her around and pointed. A silent 'look!' as her mark and the woman who was very much not his husband began making out.

"Well, I think he's going to cut his losses after this video." She replied, not willing to go into the possible reasons someone would stick around in a relationship despite being miserable. She, herself, had never been one to do it but she'd also never been in a relationship where she loved someone with that ferocity, that completely. Instead, she simply reached into the other woman's robe once as she continued to record, and grabbed her own small handful of gummy bears and popped them into her mouth as she replied to the text on her phone, telling the client to meet her at Alvaro's in two hours... which should give her and Peri enough time to celebrate being rid of him.

Swallowing the bite of bears she'd stolen, Tanvi pocketed her phone and grabbed Peri's hand to lead them back to the locker rooms. "Let's go get changed. We're going to celebrate." Pausing outside of locker room door, Tanvi's brow furrowed. "To be clear, celebrate closing this case and getting rid of McNeedy. Not that his husband was actually cheating on him with a co-worker. Which is so unoriginal."

"Hey, I'd be just as game if you said we were going out to celebrate it being Thursday." Her eyes glanced one last time down the hall, despite not being able to see the adulterer in action any more, and then she slipped inside of the changing room. "It's always tequila-o-clock if you ask me."

It was a few minutes later that she slipped around the bank of lockers, freshly dressed and still clutching her contraband robe. Were they meant to be left behind? Yes. Was it coming home with her anyway? Also yes.

Peri stuffed the fluffy white prize into what little room remained in her bag, studying first her own reflection in one of the mirrors, then Tanvi's. "You know, it's actually a little funny I ran into you today. I was just thinking about you the other night." Namely, the one where she had a slap-to-the-face run in with her ex. "I, uh, I heard you're less solo crusader, more tag team these days."

Usually she had no qualms about just spitting out whatever thoughts danced through her mind, but now—Now she paused, exercising a rare but of caution. She had no idea what the deal was with Tanvi and Cem. Did she know about their history? Had he mentioned her? Ever? Even once? Were they really just co-workers and friends, or were they... business and pleasure rolled into one?

"You sure have come far from those high school days." Somehow managing to dig out a wand of clear lip gloss from her full to the brim bag, she swiped it over her lips, once more pausing to flash a smile. "I'm happy for you. You deserve the business. And the help." Another second passed before she hedged, "How, uh, how is it having someone else in on all of this? Legitimately, I mean."

"You really are all talk, aren’t you?" he teased, pulling himself up to the next ledge with a smooth motion. "First the Oscar-worthy performance, now you're backing out on strippers and lunch? You can't just dangle those rewards and then snatch 'em away like that."

He pushed through the fatigue in his muscles, but the climb had become less about the physical effort and more about the company. The thought of reaching the top didn’t seem quite as important as it had earlier—maybe it was the distraction. "You know, I might just take you up on that beer at the Spur," he said with a wink as he kept his attention on the climb ahead to make it to the top but at a slightly slower speed. He paused for a moment, catching his breath, and glanced over at her with a genuine smile. "You’ve definitely earned that beer, though. Hell, I might even let you off the hook with the strippers."

Peri’s resolve to keep the mood light had kept him from spiraling into his head for a while now. And for the first time in what felt like forever, he felt... present. Like maybe he could let go of the weight for a little while longer. As they both continued the climb, each movement seemed less like a chore and more like a celebration of simply being in the moment—together.

Because she was about as beginner level as beginner could get and had some questions for whoever decided that designator fit. Namely: what the fuck, dude?!

For all her grousing, though, it really wasn't that bad. In fact, even if the pauses in conversation were filled with little grunts and shallow pants, she was enjoying herself. She'd enjoy it even more if she made it to the top without going 'splat!'.

"But I'll tell you what," Peri initiated moments later, having just cleared her newest foothold and onto the next. "If I make it up there without falling or perspiring to death, I'll uphold my promise of burritos and beers so long as you promise me one thing in return..."

Fingers screaming, she lugged her body up, up, up another few inches. "Don't tell anyone, even me, about fifteen minutes ago when I sworn on Greg I was just gonna give up and quit." Teasingly, or as best as she could joke in her current state, Peri breathed, "I have a reputation of always being down for anything, you know? For bein' a committer, not a spitter, or... however the hell that saying goes."

Despite the way she left him, and the way his heart shattered as a result reading over every letter she had sketched into her note — Cem was still elated to see her. To trace every soft outline of her features, and admire her very, bold choice in lipstick.

In the same breath, he couldn't help wondering who it was for. This Blake person? Who was he to her? A friend? A boyfriend? She wasn't married - he checked for a ring the second his eyes clocked that, it was her standing across from him.

Peri had always been beautiful, sweet, witty, and kind. Loud, wild, and untamed the next. There was no doubt in his mind, she had men beating down her door, clamoring to win over every inch of her warm, seductive heart.

Green smoke clogs his throat, making it harder for him to breathe as he sifts through the endless possbilities. It was probably naive and unfair of him to expect or rather hope — that Peri would remain single and celibate all these years — it wasn't like he had — but, he still wanted to tear the head off any asshole who'd touched her or so much as breathed in her direction since him.

Irrational? Yes. Did he care? Fuck no.

Although, asking her about her love life right now would definitely cross a line and boundaries better left in tact. Not so much for her heart's sake but his own, too.

"I'm meeting someone," he manages to choke out. Before, instantly regretting it and needing to backtrack lest he give her the wrong idea. Even if it would benefit him to possibly, test the strains of her own jealousy, he decided not to torture her or put her through that same turmoil he was feeling. For one, she didn't deserve that. And for two, it's not in his nature when it comes to her. Hurting her has never brought him any pleasure. No matter what she might think of him now or otherwise. Knowing that after she left, he didn't bother to chase her. To track her down to the ends of the earth when he so easily could.

"A client, rather. Not a date." Granted, that's not what she was looking for was it? Because she didn't mean what he was doing here, as in the bar. But as in here, in Briar Ridge. A town he was vaguely familiar was familiar to her. It's the place she grew up in. The place, she may have called a home once upon a time prior to meeting him. And perhaps realizing that homes weren't places they were people.

"But, I'm beginning to think I've been stood up. Or Mrs. Graymark got cold feet." It was no skin off his back, admitting his client's name. Normally, he didn't make a habit out of sharing his cases with other people. Particularly strangers. But, Peri was no stranger. And she wasn't just anyone. She was, still is the only girl he's ever truly loved. He could trust her. Not just to keep his client's name close to her chest but to offer up any possible leads she might have herself, should she choose to help him out or guide him in the right direction.

"As for South Carolina.... or Briar Ridge to be more precise," because he assumes that's what she truly means. "I live a few blocks away from here. Ditched Turkiye after tying up a few more loose ends. Was talked into a job, by a now reluctant friend of mine, at her P.I. firm. She can be irritatingly persistent. It keeps me busy for the most part, and the end result is usually rewarding. Enough that I've decided, for now, to stick around."

His business aside, what was her excuse? "What about you?" He doesn't want to know. Really, he doesn't. Because, he suspects he can't quite handle the truth — he still asks anyway. "I'm assuming, hot date?" For his sake, he sure hopes he's wrong. He hopes whoever this Blake person is, he's hideous and boring, and wouldn't know how to find that pressure point between her legs if it were a neon sign beckoning him to come hither and explore it.

Three worlds that shouldn't have held any power over her emotions after two years, no calls, but they did. Twice now, Peri felt her chest cramp and threaten to cave in.

There'd been a foolish little part of her, even if only for a second, that thought maybe—just maybe—he was there for her. That he'd spent all this silent time apart fixing his life and pulling all the fraying threads back together again so that they could... something.

When it became clear his position there at the bar wasn't a dream, or a joke, she'd thought he'd gotten on a plane and headed straight for the only place he could hope to find her, even against all odds and promises she'd made against ever returning home.

She thought. Maybe. But he was meeting someone. This wasn't a grand gesture, or even a serendipitous twist of fate.

"Oh." More breath than response, Peri blinked away the bitterness and the pang of heartache that settled in from the explanation that still hung in the air between them. "That's ni—" Wait. What? "A client? You're here to meet a client?" What client? How the hell did he even have a client in Briar Ridge?

Her mouth popped shut, sealing off any chance for her to continue parroting back his words. And with so little information, that was probably for the best.

She eased closer to the bar's edge, if only to be out of the way, and committed herself to actually letting him finish, and to actually listen. By the time Cem finished she wasn't sure if she felt any better for the extended version, or if the truth of it still hurt.

Maybe he wasn't there with a date, but it was clear he also wasn't suddenly there, in her hometown, for her.

Not that she should've assumed he was, considering the fact that he'd also clearly been for a while and never, not once, picked up the phone to call.

It was so strange—unsettling, almost—to face him now, two years after the end, and question if she'd ever meant as much to him as he'd meant to her. Peri knew how she felt about Cem. She knew he'd been the first and only person to ever get through her walls and decide to stay regardless of what he saw behind them. She knew she'd loved him, knew she wanted an entire lifetime, or ten, with him.

But he'd had an entire purpose outside of their relationship and, even when that was apparently put to rest, he still hadn't come back to her.

Maybe that was expecting too much. Maybe she couldn't blame him after the way she left. Both might be true, but it didn't change the churn of deflated disappointment in her gut.

Although, she had no right feeling more and more out of sorts with each revelation spilled from Cem's lips when she, herself, was there for a date. Inconveniently, or conveniently, she'd kind of forgotten all about him. Or maybe it was the other way around? A quick glance at her phone proved Blake still hadn't called, or answered a single one of her 'here, where are you?' texts.

"Uh—" Peri sucked back a breath, fidgeting with the device still in her hands. "Yeah. I mean, sort of. I don't... know?" Way to clear that up. "I mean, I am here on a date, but I can't really say how hot he is considering I've never met him."

An official passenger on a runaway train to rambling, if only to push through how awkward it felt to admit as much to the man she thought she might marry someday, Peri rushed out, "It's stupid, really. My friend Mari set me up on a blind date with this guy she met in Nashville who just moved to town. He's some kind of musician, I guess. Or, at least, he plays the guitar...? I haven't seen any pictures of him, 'cause that sounded a little fun, but I know that much. Mari, uh, she thought we might... get along."

Lush lips tucked around teeth. Grateful for the full stop it put on her word vomit, Peri tried (a little unsuccessfully) to breathe. "I'm not so sure he's coming, though. We were— Well, I got here twenty minutes ago, and that was already running at least five minutes late."

Sebastian could've sworn he caught a fleeting flicker of nerves dance across Peri's features as he leaned back, trying to delicately brush the sand from her hair. A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips; he was pleasantly surprised by her reaction. For someone as vibrant, headstrong, and lost in her own imaginative world, it was unexpected to see her blush over such a simple touch. Although he wasn’t typically a touchy person, he felt a twinge of nervousness at the intimacy of the moment.

Her next few words prompted a genuine laugh from him, leaving him curious about the whirlwind of thoughts swirling in her mind. He hummed thoughtfully, nodding slowly as he squinted up at the sky, crossing his arms over his chest. In his mind’s eye, he didn’t envision dinosaurs, playful dogs, or cooing babies forming against the backdrop of clouds—only the gentle, soft expanse of a clouded sky stretched above him.

Turning his gaze back to her, he noted how her expression shifted, brows knit in a mix of irritation and amusement, and he felt a grin spreading across his face. “Yes,” he finally replied, his amusement broadening, the stark contrast in their preferences clear as day.

"Are you really telling me you'd deny yourself the sweetest, fattest slice of cheesecake just because you forget to pack a fork? Or that you wouldn't go running off into that water because you didn't bring your bathing suit?" Eyes the size of saucers, she continued to gape.

It wasn't clear if Seb was actually being serious or just trying to rile her up but, if it was the latter, it worked.

"When's the last time you did something just for the hell of it, because you could, no matter how risky or foolish or unplanned for? Swear on Greg, if you tell me never..." Well, then she'd be dead set on changing that. Even more so than she already was now that he'd put the idea in her head.

Peri scoffed, equally amused and baffled by their differences. All that fire in her eyes and incredulous laughter in her voice simmer, though, with the smallest stoop of his shoulders and tilt of his head. He just had to go and ask questions, didn't he? Couldn't just pluck her thoughts right from the source and spare her the embarrassment of admitting her hopes out loud.

Because what it he laughed, not with her but at her? What if, secretly, he dreaded the times they crossed paths? What if he didn't like her being around at all? Wouldn't be the first, or the last, time someone took one look at her and decided she was 'too much work'.

"I mean—" A little scowl indented the space between her brows. Peri let her gaze drop to the sand, her toes beginning to dig out a tiny trench as she muttered, "I'm trying to be something, Seb" It didn't necessarily have to be best friends; it went against her nature to operate with such a specific, limited goal in mind.

"Did you really think I actually need that many tuna flavored treats, or that I actually care how extensively you stock a variety of cowgirl hats for those of the feline variety?" Still scowling—or perhaps pouting would be the better word—she finally returned his gaze. She would've assumed the sheer number of times she wandered through his doors was a clear enough indication on its own.

"I come into the store because you're always there, and it's the only real chance I have at getting to know you. more" In other words: she was perhaps his most frequent shopper because of him, not the random purchases she always left with. "I thought— I mean, wasn't that kinda obvious? Who really needs that many outfits for their cat?" Technically, Greg wore the hell out of all the little costumes Peri picked out, and she even found a few coordinating pieces for herself just for the laughs, but that wasn't the point.

It was just—Britt had been at odds with Ulla for 17 years. Ever since she'd asked her to do unspeakable things and hold onto secrets that were destroying her from the inside out.

How did someone take their parent and supposed role model seriously after that?

Now, as a full fledged adult, somehow, Britt knew she could no longer blame her mother or even her father for how dysfunctional she was as an adult. She'd had more than a decade into adulthood where she could've been reshaping her life, but she'd let past trauma and current mistakes that were glaring red flags disrupt and derail whatever progress she'd managed.

What she studied gave her the answers yet somehow Britt consequently thought she was separate from it. Subconsciously, at least. The rules applied to everyone but her.

❝ I appreciate that but I could use some tact. I clearly can read a room. I suppose it's a good thing I'm not a nurse like you, ❞ a smirk played on her lips as she spoke the last bit into a nearly empty glass. Once she'd swallowed her second drink down, having decided she clearly needed to take whatever edge off, Britt caught Peri's eyes. ❝ I have a shit beside manner. Guess I have some work to do before I get my doctorate and start treating people. ❞ If that would even happen at this rate with her track record.

❝ If you wanna talk about it I'm a good sounding board. I promise I won't throw some psych at you. ❞ The thing was Britt was an excellent listener she just didn't ask people what was wrong because she didn't like to pry. 

The saying Peri introduced wasn't one she'd heard but felt fully in her heart. Britt nodded regardless, hopeful that the woman in front of her would elaborate, and watched her drink. For a moment she was mesmerized. She loved Peri's jawline. ❝ Not sure where you heard that but it sure as fuck sounds like the first line in my biography. ❞ The girl was a walking, talking cliché. Her past traumas were due to her parents and brother. Benny counts as a boy, right? Then her current traumas, the ones she seem to so easily create for herself, were due to those past traumas and not resolving them and attracting the worst of boys as partners as a result. 

❝ Shit, ❞ Britt began making Peri another drink, ❝ both in one day? Here... ❞ Once Peri's usual was poured she'd placed it in front of her. ❝ Have another. Which one do you wanna unpack first? If at all... ❞

Mostly, because she'd already tried that once. Had the t-shirt and another failure, among many, added to her mother's list to prove it. By that point in life she'd come to accept that they'd never see eye to eye. That no matter how much she dimmed herself or contorted to fit into a tiny, rigid box she'd still never be the daughter Sevda hoped for.

Wasn't it so lucky her parents went on to have one more?

At least in her little sister, Fae, they finally got all they'd ever hoped for—A thought which saw Peri slugging back the remnants of her drink. Honestly, some days she wondered why she even came back. It's not like anyone, least of all her parents or her sister, needed her around.

Turning on the bar stool, Peri finished silencing the cruelty of her own head by checking out the man in question. And what do you know? Britt was right. Probably. "God no." No offense, but—"Small dick and big ears aside, I think I'd break a man like that long before he ever had the chance to break me, if you know what I mean." Judging by the candid nature of their conversation as a whole she was pretty sure she would.

"Besides, I'm pretty sure I'm sworn off men right now. Or always." There was the Ramadan of it all, meaning she couldn't lose herself in another one night stand even if she wanted to, but with Cem in town... A fingertip scooped up a bead of sweat dripping down her empty glass. Peri smoothed it out along the upper rim until it vanished.

When Britt replaced it with something new she took her time, only sipping. "I don't even know why I'm so frazzled seeing my ex again. I mean, I left him, you know?" When it became clear she was ready to give her all and he was still too caught up in the demons of his past to meet her there, she did what she does best. She packed her bags, wrote a note, and left. It was her choice. Her decision to call it quits after nearly three years.

She moved the hell on, and left a host of nameless men and women across Europe and the States that confirmed it. At the very least, the string of conquests had helped distance herself from memories of him, or them. In theory.

"I think it's just weird, right? The past is supposed to stay in the past. It's not supposed to show up in your hometown looking all tall and dark and bearded and... fuckable. That's so rude, and inconsiderate, and inconvenient, and—" Her mouth snapped shut, effectively halting whatever ramble was due to leave next because, jarring as it was to see him again, it'd also been nice. Somewhere in the midst of shock and suspicion there'd been a tiny spark of excitement.

Peri didn't want excitement. Not the kind that promised it'd only lead to getting hurt twice.

As soon as Peri confirmed that she hadn't really changed, she admired the honesty. Most people liked to pretend that they were doing better than they truly were, or had evolved or some shit, so she was grateful to have someone else around that she could count on to be brutally honest. "Well that's better than the alternative. But I'm sure Fae appreciates you being here to help. I can't imagine how hard it's been dealing with everything." Liv hummed, giving her friend a small smile. Anyone's loved ones being ill in any form always seemed to bring her back to the realization that her dad was gone, and cleaning out his things with her mom had been rough for them both, so she knew that having any support was crucial.

While she could understand expecting to only be back in town for a short duration, she'd learned long ago that there was always a reason to stick around BR, even for people who hated it. She knew that better than anyone, yet now she wasn't so upset about still being grounded here. "Can't you just pick up some shifts at the hospital? I don't know how the travel nurse thing works, but I'm sure they could use some help around here every now and then, if you need the work." Maybe she was off base here, but if it came to it, Liv was sure that countless businesses in town could probably use some additional help too. "But if you are gonna stick around for a bit longer, you're more than welcome to join your sister and I for our little baking dates. She's been introducing me to Turkish delicacies and it's been incredible. Plus, you can indulge in some piping hot tea...when we have some, anyway."

She started down the street, headed in the general direction Liv had already been traveling, and cast a weak smile in her direction. "Yeah, it's been... a lot." To put it mildly. "The least I can do is stick around long enough to see the house put back to rights and be there for Fae." Because it was Fae she worried most about in this entire situation, not herself.

From the time she was just a child Peri had an extremely difficult, complicated relationship with her mom. In a way, it felt like she'd already lost her (or who she should've been to her own child) years ago. Sevda's early Alzheimer's diagnosis was unfortunate, but it didn't really affect their already non-existent bond.

If she mourned anything, it was only that she'd likely never hear the apology she'd waited for all her life. That, even if she felt numb to the news, she knew her baby sister had to be hurting. She wasn't sure Fae actually wanted her around, or needed her around, but that was another issue entirely.

"Yeah?" The soft flesh of her inner cheek wedged between her teeth. It sounded like fun. Like something she could really use when her thoughts got the best of her and the only way to pull to the other side was distractions. Unfortunately, it also felt like encroaching on Fae's territory—An insecurity and fear she'd also grappled with her entire life.

"Maybe," was all she said in the end, though she hoped Liv could see how grateful she was for the invitation through the sincerity of her smile. "But even if I take up a job somewhere and lose all sense of self and free time again, I'd love to take you out for lunch now. You hungry? Because I'm pretty sure I could eat my way through all of Fourth Street."

And maybe that was for the best. Considering, the person Cem was hired to find was actually out right now, having the time of his life. With his secretary and not his wife. Cem came prepared to break the news to Mrs. Graymark. Even if he didn't know fully how to yet.

He was on the verge of combing through his options for the sixth time that evening, when a familiar voice interrupted his train of thought.

Suddenly, the chatter of the bar all around him, faded to nothing while the blood roared viciously in his ears. If his stomach plunged into a free fall as he turned around... all Cem could do was stare, stupefied, at the brunette who seemed to be looking for someone else. Someone, unfortunately named Blake. Once the shock wore off, he'd find the time to question that and be pissed about it. But for right now, all he could think was... is he hallucinating?

There was no way those chocolate-brown eyes, soft red lips, and the faint scent of orange blossoms mixed with something sweeter was standing before him now. Yet looking at her she seemed so real, so familiar. So cruel.

How many times had he dreamt of her since she left? Only to wake up and find an empty bed, the letter she left behind, and a mountain full of regrets over what could've been had he just given her what she wanted. What she needed from him at the time.

A deadly python of emotions constricted around his lungs and chest, and dripped poison into his veins, gluing his ass to the bar stool beneath him that grew more and more uncomfortable the longer he sat still and rigid.

The deafening thump, thump, thump! of his heart drowns out every other sound as he considers the best, possible way to greet her. A hello might've be nice. Simple. But, at the same time would seem extraordinarily insignificant considering who she was. Who she'd been. Who, admittedly, she still was. Because the time apart hadn't erased her memory. Nor had it absolved him of the two plus years they spent together.

"Peri." It could've been a lot worse. For instance, he could've forgotten her name. Instead, saying it loud was like having a hot poker stick plunged through his aching chest. He'd fantasized about their reunion roughly a million times, and now that it was happening, he didn't know what to do. Except sit there, stare, and gawk at her like a fucking idiot.

Just say something, anything you moron.

"You look......" there's a beat, followed by a very unnerving and anti-climatic "—good."

Then again, of course she did. She was Peri. She could make a t-shirt and a pair of boy-short panties look like the sexiest outfit known to man. Probably not the best image for him to be envisioning right now, considering the mere mention causes a stirring in his groin.

For his sake, he's grateful to be sitting down lest she might be able to see the reaction seeing her again, is having on him at this very moment. "How—" since when had lost his natural ability to speak? Now, it appears. "—How are you doing? How've you been?"

It had to be a joke, right? A prank? Her gaze struggled to peel away from his face but somehow she managed, scouring the room in a dazed pass as if she'd find the proof of hidden cameras up above, should she just search hard enough.

Because Cem couldn't be there. Shouldn't be there. He was in Turkey, still cowed at the feet of his demons and chasing phantoms up and down every street. He was supposed to be off living the life and pursuing the vendettas that inevitably tore them apart. He should've been still asleep in the bed in which she left him two years ago, slipping out the front door with packed bags and a broken heart. Not. Here.

Yet, no matter how much she scrutinized the room, waiting for that horrific 'gotcha!' moment to hit—Nothing. Bartenders kept slinging new drinks, the other patrons kept laughing or dancing or nuzzling closer to their dates, and he was still there. Staring. Saying something she hadn't had the wherewithal to completely process.

"I—" Peri swallowed, though it made little difference; the baseball sized lump in her throat refused to budge. She might've smiled. Then again, it might've been more or less a baring of teeth behind a grimace. "I'm—Thank you. I'm—" Cracks fissured through her chest the longer she stood there in the face of such an impossible reappearance. How the hell did she even answer without falling apart?

One last time she did a frantic sweep of the bar. Nobody was coming to help her get a better grasp on... this. Whatever this was.

"Good. I'm good." Despite the fact that the last two years had been hell, and the last two months even worse. Once upon a time she would've told him as much. Once upon a time, he would've already known, no need to ask.

Now, Peri just traced Cem's features with her gaze, making note of every similarity to her memories and every unfamiliar, minute change. There were a few new lines bracketing the corner of each eye and his hair was styled slightly different from before, but it was him. It was so, undeniably him, against all odds, and she didn't know what the fuck to do about it.

Instinct demanded she find a way back into his arms. Self preservation had her taking the smallest of steps back. She couldn't go there, couldn't do that. Couldn't let herself remember how it felt to be tucked so close she couldn't tell where one of them ended and the other began. Not when she'd barely walked away intact the first time.

He glanced at the cliff again, trying to focus, but the slight tension felt heavier for a moment when she asked about the station. His smile faltered for just a second, but he caught it before she could see. "Yeah, it’s fine," he said, keeping his voice steady, though the weight behind the words was there. "Same as usual—busy. You know how it is." He wasn’t exactly lying, but there was more to it than he was letting on. But with his head not in the right place, Colt hadn't been on the top of his game for the past few weeks and instead was letting rookie mistakes slip through his fingers. But he wasn’t about to dump all of that on her, though, especially not now.

Instead, he turned to her with a teasing smile. "But enough about work. I’m about to kick your ass up this mountain. Unless you’ve decided you want to change plans and go for that burrito buffet? You're buying? Not sure you can afford that with my stomach."

"If I do have to put on a show, I promise to make it Oscar worthy." And with that she winked, readying herself at the base of the cliff. He didn't want to talk about work, or life? That was fine. Honestly, she got it. Eleven out of ten times neither did she. It occurred to her, though, very briefly, that maybe—just maybe—it'd be easier to talk through the mess of her head if she weren't spilling painful truths alone.

For the briefest second she studied Colt from the corner of her eye, assessing his response about work... but then she let it go.

Forty minutes later she'd all but forgotten that little, whisper of a thought altogether.

"You know," Peri huffed, dragging her body up the cliffside to reach her next best foothold, "the fact that you didn't remind me ahead of time to get in a few arm days was really rather rude, Colton." A bead of sweat trickled from hairline to chin. Every muscle in her body screamed and quivered from the exertion. Yet, she loved it. Feigned complaints aside, there was something addictive about putting your body through the paces and conquering the seemingly unconquerable.

Still... Peri, being Peri, she had to give him a little bit of shit. "I've decided to rescind my offer of strippers and lunch on my dime. I think it's you who owes me once we make it to the top." She could see it now, not far off above them. "I'm thinking lobster, Atwater. Buckets of champagne. At the very least, a cold beer at the Spur, nachos drowning in cheese sauce, and maybe a hot dog."