LONDON
PRESENT DAY
“Jay? Is that a short form for Jayden? Cool, isn’t it? I can’t believe that he actually did that with her.” Vanessa curled her hands into a fist and shoves it to Ayla’s face who is turning the steering wheel with her eyes fixed on the road, brain thinking about the truck that has always haunted her and the ears hearing the same word, ‘Jay.’ What is it about that word that is so familiar? Why is she feeling odd and thinking about the accident? She is in a driver seat. She is not supposed to have another panic attack or any visions of her forgotten memory.
But, “Watch out.” That piercing scream of her friend made her foot press the break and her car stopped amidst a lonely street with a taxi before their car, which Ayla almost crashed into. The driver cursed something while Vanessa is stroking Ayla’s back. All the time, “I am sorry.” Is all Ayla managed to let out.
“We almost got hit.” Vanessa bent her
LONDON PRESENT DAY “He probably thought that you are not fit here. After all, you are not the employee of Knight & Gray. So, you were put at the copy machine and coffee machine. I wonder what you offered him.” “He is taking your side and praised your work.” The least Mr. Cliff made the world believe is that Ayla is totally unfit to work there and has offered something to the CEO in order to keep her job. A few hours at canteen is all it takes for unbelievably believing gossip. “I have seen her go to that floor many times. I never thought she is fucking the” They didn’t pronounce that name instead show the word with their fingers C E O. “The secretary of Mr. Knight herself fetched her once.” “No wonder they kept her. She dares to speak against Mr. Cliff’s words.” “She thinks so highly of herself.” “I think she copied my work. She once asked me about it. She was
Ayla’s breath became quicker when she found herself in her boss’s dainty office once again. What is so intimidating about this room- Nothing but being alone with Jayden Knight behind the closed doors. Momentarily she lost the anger she held before he dragged her here as her eyes started to appreciate how masculine he smelled and seemed confident behind the sumptuous black suit. Unlike last time, this fabric looked like it is worth of her one month salary. His gaze is deep, intense and mesmerizing that she thought one could easily get lost in them. All the time, she didn’t realize that she is gawking at him, he scrutinized her enough to allow a lazy smirk swept across his beautiful face. She quickly averted her gaze. The little action made himself knock him mentally. He is not supposed to be proud by the fact that this girl, the girl who betrayed him in the name of love, is fascinated by his charm. They both shared an awkward moment for another eternity seconds. “Sargin.
PRESENT-DAYLONDON "Why is a traitor assigned to work with me on the new project?" Mason battered the ball with much force with his bat. The next ball is thrown at Jayden which he missed. "You are losing it. Ain't you?" Mason hit another ball. "You are going back to those days. What were you thinking?" Jayden kept his bat in position. When the ball is thrown, he struck it hard. "I didn't lose it. I was being professional." He wipes the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. "It has been six years anyway." "Exactly, Jayden. It has been six years. You still didn't get over her. And if I am right, you never stopped loving her." "You don't know a shit about me." "If anyone knows any shit about you, it's me." Jayden tossed his bat
She wished it was a spam call whenever her phone rang. Being an introvert and surviving high school in a different country is one of the hard things one could endure. She always sat on a bench that was far away from the pupils and quietly had her sandwich with her headsets on. It was another passing day, another boring day, and another day in Nottingham. Ayla observed a silhouette of a girl walking towards her from the corner of her eye. She has no friends there and the mess Blake has created has slowly cooled down, so no one bothered her. And no one will. But she couldn’t help but pray that whoever was coming shouldn’t be for her. To her misfortunes, the pair of legs stood exactly beside the bench she sat on. She removed one of her earbuds slowly when she heard a vague female voice. The girl who approached was the girl who didn’t show up at the presentation before. Everyone knows that she came from Korea and even if they don’t, one can easily tell that she hailed from an As
PRESENT-DAY LONDON “How’s your over boring work?” Blake shouted amidst the loud music playing around them. “As awful as a work can be,” Ayla replied with the same loud voice. “What did your boss say?” Ayla shook her head while looking at the crowd gathered on the dance floor. She wondered if they are really happy and peaceful like they seem or if this pub is their only escape? Do they carry voids, unsettling feelings, and an unknown homesick as she does? If they do, would they find an answer? The only answer she once had is her job which was now become the biggest question in her life.
PRESENT-DAY, LONDON He had many reasons to justify why he did what he did. He was angry that his rare peaceful moments were once again, invaded by Blake and Ayla. It wasn’t fair for him that they are sitting together and enjoying while he was left with so much emptiness. His plan for an uninterrupted evening had failed. So he walked out containing all pain and anger for feeling that hurt even after all these years. And again, there she was stumbling on her own feet. He didn’t like how Blake left her like that on her own. She was rolling drunk. And again, he wasn’t supposed to be upset about how Blake was treating her. He has to get into his car and leave for his home. He couldn’t. His heart pounded wildly when he saw the truck. If he was a second away, she could have hit and possibly died. That very thought made him cringe. He succeeded in pulling her away. At least once in our lives, people encounter the moment of wanting to let go and keep captivated at the same time. It was
SEVEN YEARS AGO NOTTINGHAM It had been two days since Yeona met the two most handsome people in the world (according to her) after her Lee Min Ho Oppa. Ever since then, she had blabbered about how Ayla had feelings for Jayden that she saw her blushing when he waved at her. “It is not like that.” Ayla would say. “He is the first person who’s kind to me after coming here. So I respect him.” Yeona would pout at that statement and snap her head away. “Tamam(okay).” Ayla would say. “Mason and Jayden are the persons who are kind to me and helped me before you came.” Those words instantly cheered her up. But Yeona didn't stop her chatter. Both of them agreed to explore a new place in Nottingham and go home befor
A FEW YEARS BACKNOTTINGHAM Her life was like a wave. Sometimes calm, sometimes agitated, sometimes dangerous, sometimes dancing, sometimes low, sometimes alone and most times never stayed at the shore. It was her life- rising and falling. She used to feel like an odd man out whenever she sat for dinner with Noah, Evelyn, and Jack. As long as Evelyn tried to make her include in the conversation, asking typical questions about school, studies and friends, as long as Jack ignored her while burying himself in his phone and her dad not even once looked at her as if it’s a sin to even raise his head, Ayla could quietly finish the little that was kept on her plate. They never starved her and she knew that they will never do that. She is free to eat as much as she likes. But how to ask the strangers who are polite enough to make her stay at their place when her mom was sick, for food of her taste? She missed Adena Kebab her mom made, she missed the most painful waiting time when her m