It didn’t help that Volkan hadn’t checked in yet either. It had been two hours since Defne frantically told her about the storm. Yasmin didn’t want to worry. She didn’t want to care. In fact, maybe it was better if something happened to him. Then his mother could quietly buy her a plane ticket to Canada and be rid of her.

The thought of Volkan’s demise made her cry even harder. What the heck was wrong with her? She hated him, right? Then why did it bother her so much to imagine his small airplane sitting on the bottom of the ocean, his body entombed forever in the deep icy waters?

“Hey, hey, aşkım, why are you crying?”

Yasmin was startled as Volkan rushed to her side and knelt next to the tub, reaching for her. She didn’t think twice. She launched herself into his arms and hugged him, splashing water everywhere and ruining what was likely a costly business suit.

“Will you tell me what’s disturbed you so much?” he asked, gently pushing her away so he could frame her wet cheeks with his hands. “I will kill the person who has made you suffer.”

She gave him a watery smile. “I w-was worried that you’d died in a plane crash, then I was mad at myself for caring because I’m s-supposed to hate you. Also, I don’t like the flowers your mom picked out for the wedding, but I don’t want to hurt her feelings.”

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight despite the water soaking him. “I’ve been told that my sister is to blame for some of this upset. I should’ve warned you that she can be strange when it comes to my flying or doing anything she considers dangerous. I think it’s because she’s confined to the house so much of the time that she worries about what the outside world might do to her loved ones. I was never in any danger, nor would I fly into a situation that could become dangerous.”

Yasmin nodded, glad that he was safe.

“As for my mother, I will have a word with her. I know she can be intimidating.”

Yasmin sighed and relaxed against him, turning her head into his shoulder. “Thank you, Volkan.”

“It warms me that you care enough about me to worry and that you care enough about our wedding to have an opinion on the flowers.”

“I shouldn’t,” she said, rubbing her cheek against him and wiping her tears on his sleeve. “I should hate you and want nothing to do with the wedding.”

“But you don’t,” he concluded.

“What’s wrong with me that I can give up so easily?”

“Perhaps you’re falling in love.”

“Gross, Volkan,” she said, pulling away from him. “Let’s not get carried away.”