Then his expression softened completely. "But the moment I looked into your eyes..." he stopped for a second, "Those innocent eyes of yours melted me completely. "
Doruk lowered his gaze slightly before finishing softly, "And suddenly... I couldn't bring myself to do anything that would hurt you."
Nayza kept staring at Doruk silently. Her eyes slowly filled with tears. Everything he was saying felt too heavy for her heart to process at once.
The way he spoke, the way he looked at her, the honesty in his voice... non of it felt fake.
Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.
She tried to say something, but before any words could leave her lips, Doruk softly spoke again.
"Nayza..."
His eyes stayed fixed on hers. "I love you so much."
Doruk slowly stepped closer to her.
His voice carried warmth and pain at the same time. "I kept waiting for the old Nayza to come back."
Then he added, "And last night... when you looked at me with those innocent eyes, I realized I didn't just want to protect you anymore. I wanted to stay beside you."
Nayza quietly listen to everything Doruk said.
[ She was the kind of person who believed everyone deserves a chance to explain themselves. She never liked judging someone or getting angry after hearing only her own side of things ]
That was why she listened to him completely first.
Tried to understand him.
But even after hearing all this, the pain inside her heart still remained.
"Just like you said... you wanted to see me old Nayza again," Nayza said quietly.
She looked at him with teary eyes, "But I'm the old Nayza, Doruk. This is how I really am."
Doruk looked confused. "What do you mean...? How can you be like this?"
Nayza slowly lowered her gaze. "You know what happened that day?"
Doruk immediately answered softly. "Yes... tell me. I've wanted to know for so long."
Nayza took a shaky breath before speaking, "That day... my parents left me."
Doruk froze.
"They suddenly called me and said they wouldn't be able to pay for my expenses anymore."
Her voice trembled badly. "Before I could even ask what happened, they ended the call... and blocked my number."
Doruk silently listened to her.
"I thought something bad had happened to them, so I immediately went back home to see them..."
Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks again.
"But when I reached there... I found out they had already sold that mansion."
Her breathing became heavier.
"And not only that..."
She paused for a second.
"I found out I had a two-year-old brother too. My aunt was the one who told me."
Doruk's eyes widened slightly in shock.
Nayza placed her hand over her chest as if trying to endure the pain inside her heart while continuing to speak.
"I already knew my parents hated me... but I never thought they hated me this much."
The room became silent after her words.
Doruk looked completely broken listening to her.
"Nayza... I didn't know any of this," he said painfully. "Not even a little."
Then he stepped closer to her again.
"Please forgive me..."
His voice sounded desperate now.
"And stay with me. I'll make you happy, I promise." Eyes full with tears, "I don't want to leave you alone like this."
She looked at him emotionally. "I always considered you my friend, Doruk," she said weakly. "I respected you so much. I never looked at you that way... not the way you looked at me."
Her voice trembled badly. "I felt safe with you..."
She stopped for a second, trying to control herself. "But now... I don't have anything left to say."
Then finally, with tears streaming down her face, she said, "Please leave. I don't want you here anymore."
Nayza lowered her eyes for a moment.
Someone already loves you before I ever could, Doruk, she thought silently to herself.
Then she looked back at him and spoke softly,
"No. I'm saying this while respecting your feelings. I never thought about loving you that way."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"I know hearing this must hurt you... but a person should love someone who loves them back."
Doruk looked at her helplessly.
"But I do love you, Nayza."
Nayza slowly shook her head.
"But I can't love you, Doruk."
Doruk's eyes slowly filled with tears.
"Why...?" he asked quietly.
Nayza finally lost control and answered emotionally,
"I already told you... I never loved you that way!"
Tears fell from her eyes as she spoke.
At the same time, Doruk's eyes became teary too.
But this time, he didn't say anything back.
He simply stood there silently for a few seconds before turning around and leaving the apartment without another word.
And now, Nayza felt even more alone.
The person who had become so important to her had also walked away.
But Doruk had not left because he wanted to stay away from her. The moment between them had simply become too painful for either of them to continue talking.
Nayza sat on her bed and cried for hours.
After such a long time, she cried properly for the first time.
She cried until her chest felt lighter.
By the time she finally stopped, it was already evening.
After calming herself down a little, Nayza called Leera.
"I want to talk," she said quietly. "Let's meet somewhere."
The moment Leera heard her speaking normally again, she became happy immediately.
"Yes, my girl. I'm coming."
Later, both of them sat together in a restaurant.
Leera looked at her carefully before smiling softly.
"Today you finally look like the old Nayza again."
Hearing that, Nayza slowly told her everything that had happened that day.
She told her about Doruk.
About her family.
About all the things she had been hiding inside herself this whole time.
After hearing everything, Leera became emotional.
"Nayza... you never truly considered me your friend, did you?" she asked quietly.
Nayza immediately shook her head.
"No, it's not like that, Leera. I just thought I would tell you everything when the right time came."
Then she looked down sadly.
"And I think today was that right time."
Her voice softened.
"I'm sorry. I should've told you earlier."
Leera sighed emotionally.
"I can't even scold you. Your condition is already bad enough."
Nayza gave a weak smile.
"Now you and Doruk know everything about me. If possible, tell Yesir too... otherwise he'll think I don't consider him my friend either."
Leera nodded slowly.
Then after a few seconds, she asked seriously,
"Forget all this for now. Tell me what you're going to do next."
Nayza quietly looked outside the restaurant window.
"Only a few days are left before exams start. I'll try finding a job somewhere and only come to university for exams."
Leera immediately frowned.
"What kind of job?"
Then she held Nayza's hand.
"Listen to me. Don't do all this alone. Come stay with me. We'll live together like sisters."
Nayza's eyes softened hearing those words.
"To be honest... hearing that made me really happy."
Then she slowly shook her head.
"But I don't want to become a burden on my friend."
Leera instantly replied,
"Don't say things like that. You're my friend. How are you a burden?"
Nayza looked at her helplessly.
"Leera... please understand what I'm trying to say."
Leera stayed quiet for a moment before sighing softly.
"Hm... I understand."
Then she asked again,
"So tell me. What are you going to do now?"
Nayza leaned back tiredly.
"I'm thinking about it too... but I seriously don't understand where I should even start looking for a job."
"Okay then," Leera said. "We'll both look for jobs. If I find something, I'll tell you, alright?"
Nayza nodded softly.
"Okay. I'll search online too."
Then after a small pause, she said,
"And from now on... I'm not going to drink anymore."
Leera suddenly burst out laughing.
"Oh really? No no, keep drinking if you want. Now Doruk probably won't even come to pick you up anymore."
Nayza looked at her helplessly before laughing lightly too.
"Yeah, okay."
Days passed like that.
Doruk still went to university every day, but Nayza never came anymore. Sometimes he would quietly stare at the empty seat beside him for a few seconds before looking away again.
On the other side, Nayza kept applying for jobs in different places while Leera continued helping her too.
Then finally, exam days arrived, and Nayza only came to university for her exams.
Time passed like that until graduation party season finally came.
"You know graduation parties don't happen again and again," Leera said on call. "And this time I'm not listening to you. You have to come."
Nayza sighed tiredly.
"How am I supposed to come? I really don't feel like it. And I don't even want to drink anymore, understand, Leera?"
Then she spoke more quietly.
"I don't even have enough money to buy a prom dress."
Leera immediately replied,
"Stop worrying about all that. You just need to say yes. I'll handle everything else."
"But I won't feel good going to the party like this..."
"Nayza," Leera said seriously, "if you don't listen to me this time, I'll genuinely get angry. And I'm not joking."