I untied the ribbon and slowly lifted the lid of the box. The moment the color of the shimmering satin fabric caught my eyes, my heart climbed up into my throat.
My mind froze in that instant.
Time stopped.
Because inside the box, along with a sexy, lace lingerie set, there was a satin, strappy nightgown.
When my fingertips touched the fabric, a shiver spread across my skin. But I pulled myself together immediately and snapped the lid shut as if I'd touched fire.
"S-such a nice… the packaging is very elegant," I stammered, certain my face had turned bright red.
Ela leaned in curiously. "So? Open it properly. Let us see what he got you."
My eyes darted to Alp in panic. He was leaning back in his chair, a teasing smile playing at the corner of his lips. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes, as if he were saying, Go on, Ada. Open it. Let everyone see.
I immediately pressed the box to my chest. "Um… I'll look at it later, okay? I mean… it's probably something private."
Işıl laughed. "Oh, it must be something really romantic! You can tell from your face, Ada. Come on, show us a little!"
I felt Melih's gaze on me, fixed on my face. There was no curiosity in his eyes—only jealousy.
Holding my breath, I shook my head. "No! Really… I'll look later."
Alp bit his lip and took a sip of his drink. Then, in a low voice meant only for me, he whispered:
"It would suit you, pajama girl."
My heart felt like it was about to leap out of my chest.
Ela must have sensed the strange tension in the air because she clapped her hands right away.
"Alright, alright, let's change the subject! There are desserts—who's serving me ice cream?"
Işıl and Eren immediately jumped up. Melih, as if trying to shift the mood, started clearing the table. I, meanwhile, was still clutching the box tightly, on edge as if someone might grab it and spill its contents at any moment.
Thankfully, the conversation drifted back to laughter. Cake, ice cream, old memories—time passed. One by one, they said their goodbyes and left. Melih was the last to linger at the door. He looked at me and smiled faintly.
"See you, Ada," he said. The jealous look in his eyes still hadn't faded.
When the door closed, I let out a deep breath. The apartment fell silent. It felt like a weight had been lifted off me… until I turned toward the door and Alp stood up too, saying, "I'm heading out as well," and moved toward the door.
When we reached the entrance, we had no choice but to walk downstairs together.
Our footsteps echoed in the stairwell. My heart was beating loudly enough to drown out the silence. Alp was the first to break it.
"You were pretty embarrassed, weren't you?" he said with a teasing smile.
I avoided his gaze. "What a ridiculous gift… weren't you ashamed to make me open it in front of everyone?"
Alp leaned closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper.
"I wasn't ashamed. Because I thought it would look amazing on you."
His words hit my heart like a stone. I swallowed, bit my lip, shrugged—unable to find the right response.
"Don't be so sure," I managed to say.
The corner of Alp's lips curled again. "We'll see, Ada. One day, we'll see."
"Here," I said sharply. "I don't want something like this."
Alp raised his eyebrows first, then a small smile appeared. He didn't take the box. My hands were still brushing the edge of his palms.
"That's rude," he said, looking straight into my eyes. "Who refuses a birthday gift?"
"Alp, this… this isn't a normal gift," I whispered, my voice trembling.
Out of pure stubbornness, he stepped even closer. "So what if it's not normal? I chose it carefully for you. You can't say you didn't like it. Because you did—you're just afraid to admit it."
His words knotted in my throat. I clutched the box tighter against my chest and looked away.
"I… I can't accept this," I said, but even my own voice didn't convince me.
Alp tilted his head slightly, caught the vulnerability in my eyes, and widened his smile.
"You will, Ada. Because it's for you. And trust me, there couldn't have been a more perfect gift."
The silence in the stairwell grew heavy. My heart felt like it might burst.
For a moment, neither of us spoke. I held the box tightly to my chest, staring at the floor. Anything I said would feel either insufficient or too much.
"Alp… please," I said, almost pleading. "Don't do this. I'm not ready for things like this."
He took a deep breath. His eyes didn't leave mine; instead, he leaned in closer. His fingers brushed the edge of the box.
"You're not ready because you're always running away, Ada," he said softly, but his words echoed inside me. "From yourself. From me."
I swallowed. My lips parted, but no words came out. The sharp corner of the box dug painfully into my palms.
Alp stepped back, composing his smile.
"Fine," he said calmly, confidently. "You won't give it back to me now. But tomorrow morning, that box will still be in your room. Because deep down, you don't really want to reject it."
I snapped my head up and stared at him. "You're… unbelievably arrogant!" I said angrily.
He took it as a compliment. That mischievous glint returned to his eyes.
"I am arrogant, yes. But I know you better than you know yourself, young lady."
He turned, unlocked his door, and went inside. My heart was still racing. I looked at the box in my hands—no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't bring myself to drop it and throw it after him.
"Ugh…" I groaned to myself. "This man is going to drive me insane."
I pressed the box to my chest, opened my door, and closed it quietly behind me. Fear, anger, and a strange excitement tangled together inside me.
I walked into the living room. After all that noise, the silence felt soothing.
Alp's gift was still in my hands… a small, elegant box. I placed it on the coffee table. My eyes wanted to flee, to stay away. But my fingers stubbornly reached for the lid.
Don't look, Ada. Don't you dare.
But I did.
I slowly opened the box. The red satin nightgown gleamed under the light. I don't even want to describe the black lace lingerie set—it was so bold I didn't dare reach out and touch it. Alp's look suddenly flashed in my mind. That mischievous smile at the corner of his lips, his relaxed confidence, the way he'd said, "You're not ready because you're running away."
My throat went dry. I shut my eyes and quickly closed the box. But the image of the nightgown still lingered in my mind. I even imagined Alp handing it to me himself, and my heart started pounding uncontrollably.
"I'm losing my mind," I whispered.
I took the box to my bedroom. My hands were shaking as I placed it in the bedside drawer. I closed it, but it was as if I could still feel its presence in the room.
I quickly changed and lay down on the bed. Staring at the ceiling, my inner voice wouldn't quiet down.
Why do I feel like this about him? Why am I thinking about him so much?
I pulled the blanket over my head. My eyes closed, but Alp's eyes, his voice, that burning smile kept circling in my mind.
I tossed and turned in bed. Every time I tried to sleep, the same image returned: the contents of the box… the satin nightgown, the lace lingerie.
I buried my face in the pillow, but it was useless. My thoughts refused to leave me alone.
I pictured Alp again. His teasing smile, his confident gaze—but this time not at the door in the morning. This was different. More serious. More intense. In my imagination, he was handing me the gift, his eyes fixed on me, his voice a low whisper:
"I'd love to see you wearing this."
My throat tightened, my cheeks burned. My hand went to my chest on its own, feeling my heart racing wildly.
"What was he thinking when he bought this gift?" I whispered to myself. "Does he… want to see me like this?"
For a moment, I imagined Alp's gaze traveling over me. The thin straps of the nightgown slipping off my shoulders, his eyes locking onto that moment… I opened my eyes quickly, as if I'd been caught, trying to scatter my thoughts.
But no matter how much I objected, the same thought kept circling in the back of my mind: Alp was incredibly handsome. And with this gift, he was making it clear that he stirred feelings in me far deeper than I ever wanted to admit.
I hugged the pillow tightly. This won't end well, I told myself. Not well at all…
Yet I couldn't stop the tiny, involuntary smile that formed on my lips.