Aisha chose a pair of low-riding jeans with rips in the thighs and a black and gold bustier with a wealth of gold necklaces ringing her throat. With her long black hair falling in ringlets around her shoulders, Aisha was stunning. She paired her outfit with three-inch heeled calf boots.

“Let’s go, baby sister,” Aisha announced, locking up her apartment and leading the way down to their waiting cab.

Yasmin’s roommates met them with a chorus of shouts and waves. All except Hailey had graduated and were there to celebrate their success. They indulged in shots and danced up a storm. It was a rare night that found Yasmin in a nightclub. The sights, sounds and moving bodies were overwhelming for her, but on her graduation night, she truly enjoyed herself.

“When are you leaving for London?” Marshall shouted in her ear, dancing next to her, his body occasionally brushing against hers.

“Tomorrow morning,” she yelled back. “I have to be at the airport early.”

He made a face and placed his hands on her hips, pulling her closer to his sweaty body. “I’m going to miss you. I’ve really enjoyed being your roommate.”

His words and his touch surprised Yasmin. Their friendship had always been platonic without a hint of romance. Then again, she wasn’t one to pay attention to subtle hints when it came to boys having crushes on her.

“You’re drunk,” she said with a laugh, pushing gently against his chest to put more space between them.

“Yeah, but I’m saying what I’ve been thinking for months.”

“How come you never said anything then?” she asked impatiently. Why tell her on the eve of her departure for a new adventure?

“I knew you’d turn me down,” he admitted. “You don’t date.”

“That’s not true,” she defended herself.

She opened her mouth to say that she’d dated Volkan when suddenly he was right there in between them, shoving Marshall so hard he stumbled backwards into the crowd which immediately absorbed him. Yasmin gasped and took a quick step back as Volkan swung around to face her, his expression a mask of fury.

He dragged her off the dance floor, his steel grip bruising. Yasmin was so shocked she allowed him to pull her toward the back door of the club and out into the cool night air without resistance.

Once they were outside, the shock of cold air woke her from her stupor and she yanked her arm. “Let me go!” she snapped at him. “Volkan, what the hell are you doing?”

He turned back to her, lifting her arm and shaking it. “Şu anda üzerinde ne var,” he snarled.

Though she didn’t understand the words, the tone was spoken with derision.

“I don’t understand,” she said bewildered, tears starting in her eyes. “Volkan, you’re scaring me.”