Adam Yilmaz POV

I looked at the happy couples around me, some of them were going on honeymoons, some of them were just travelling for fun, they mostly looked in love. Something I wouldn't be able to have.

I knew I shouldn't have gone through with it, I shouldn't have agreed to be hers for a night. Now she hates me even more. Maybe she thought I took advantage of her? But I didn't, I told her we shouldn't. I shook my head taking my phone out of my jeans pocket. I had made my mind.

She wanted me out of her life for good? Well I'll do just that.

I sent a voice message to Zachary and Elise, I wanted to at least thank them for everything.

"Mom, dad, I want you to know that I love you both deeply. I could have asked you to let me live with my family in Turkey on many occasions, and I know you would have said yes. But I didn't want to. You'll always be my home, my happiness and my everything. Without the both of you I'm nothing. I was planning on staying for a couple months, but... things happened. I'm sorry mom, I won't be able to bring you the things you asked for, maybe I'll send them over by post or something. Dad, I know you counted on me to take on the construction company, we made a great team you and I. I'm sorry I won't be able to do that. I'll come back, when I'm ready. When I'm healed. I just need a fresh start, and this time to really move on. I promise the both of you to call every day, and to always be good to people just like you taught me. Don't be mad at me, I just need time. I love you both".

I send the message and turned my phone off as I heard my flight number being called to the gates. I had already phoned Johnny D telling him about my decision. He was against it of course, but promised he would come visit.

I stepped on the plane leaving everything behind. I was ready for the new chapter in my life. I would stay a little with my grandparents and then move into my parents' villa. I'd have to do some renovations which was perfect, it was going to take my mind off of everything. I planned on calling Columbia and having them transfer my files so I can finish my studies there.

When the plane touched down, I was excited to see my family again. I had missed them, and was happy I decided to live around them.

I saw my grandpa waiting for me and grinned widely when I saw Karam my uncle, he was my mother's little brother and was only four years older than me and we got along very well.

"Hoşgeldin evlat" my grandpa said hugging me.

I hugged him back smiling "Hoş bulduk dede, özledim sana"

"Bende seni, hadi gel"

"Karam! My man"

"Adam, welcome home, have you been crying?"I shook my head giving him a wink letting him know i didn't want to talk about it in front of grandpa.

It wasn't a long ride until we got home. Everyone was there. My father was a lonely child and his parents lived in a village far from Istanbul, they lived in Rize. I never got to meet them, and only saw a few pictures of them when i was younger. They didn't bother asking about me so I did the same. It was like a paradise for those who loved nature. My mother on the other hand had two brothers and a sister, Karam was the youngest, Sanem was my mom's twin and she looked really like her in everything it felt nice looking at her. And there was Burak, the eldest.

He was the one taking care of the family business which was booming. He was a very serious man who only wanted his kids to be perfect. But who are we kidding? No one's perfect right?

Uncle Burak has two daughters Kayra who was my age and Elif who was 16. He has a son, Kemal, twenty-two years old. He was never home though, always out of the country for business, or so he said.

My uncle Karam wasn't married yet, and Sanem has a boy my age who looked a lot like me.

Everyone warmly welcomed me very happy to have me among them. And everyone was trying to get me to live with them for the next couple months, and that's when I broke it to them. Thankfully they all spoke English very well, since my Turkish was a little rusty.

"I'm renovating our house"

"You mean Leyla's house?" Grandma asked me and I could see the sadness in her eyes.

"Yes Annane, you know how much I love that house."

"But it needs a lot of work, no one stayed there since..."

"I'll do everything with my own hands. I owed them that much"

Karam smiled "I'm proud of you, and I'll help you" He was also an architect just like my parents.

"I'll be going to Laleli universitisi"

"Wait, you're not going back?" this time it was Kayra who spoke, clearly happy with my decision.

"I'm staying for as long as it takes"

"Everything okay with the Waltons?" Grandpa asked while drinking his cup of tea.

"Evet dedem, everything is fine. I'll be right back I need to call them"

I dialed dad's number and he was furious, kept asking what happened and what was going on. But I kept telling him I just needed a break and that I'll come back.

"What about starting to work before you even graduate? Did you forget about that?"

"I... I haven't. I'll work with Karam I promise you dad"

"Fine. Your mom wants to talk to you, say hello to everyone"

"Baby! That was such a surprise, what happened"

"Mom I'm fine really I just needed to spend some time here. Maybe I won't last and come back early and maybe I'll stay more I don't know, just please don't be mad at me"

"I'm not, I promise as long as you're coming back"

"Of course I am. As if I could live without you" I smiled and knew she was smiling as well.

I heard dad ask Mason in the background "Is your sister still locked up in her room?"

"Yeah... what's up with her?"

Elise and I chatted for a while and then I let her go to check on Lena and went back to my family.

That summer was good, yet I always had a feeling of emptiness. I missed Zachary and Elise deeply, even Mason and Lena. Actually I never had Lena out of my system, she was the first person I thought about when I woke and the last person I thought of before going to bed. But she made her choice, and I loved her too much to ignore her wishes. And I knew that if I stayed back home, I'll always come face to face with her and it would only make things worse.

Now the fun was over" I thought looking at the university building. It was my first day and I chose my courses in English but was still a little stressing out. Good thing Kayra and Chloe were also studying to be an architect, so we chose the same classes so they could help me around.

Helena Walton's POV

The day he left, I hated my apartment, I hated everything that lead us here, to this point. I packed my things and called Serena, asked her to come pick me up as I was in no state to drive. She took me home and I barely got through the front doors when my mom ambushed me and hugged me tightly making me burst in tears.

I missed her, I missed being home, I missed feeling loved. We both went to my bedroom and I told her what happened with Damon but left the part about Adam thinking she might disapprove.

It wasn't until a week after Adam left that I heard my parents talk to him on the phone, he was showing them his parents house and was telling them about the renovations he was going to start in a few days. I got curious as usual and sat up on the stairs listening to them.

I missed his voice, too bad I couldn't see his face from here. I would stalk him sometimes on instagram to see what he was up to, but the last post was when he landed in Istanbul, it was a photo of him and a young man and probably his grandpa.

"So I take it you're still not coming back for college?" I heard my mom and my hand flew to my mouth, he wasn't coming back?

"No, I'm staying mom, I told you. Karam has already gotten me enrolled in school and don't worry it's a good school" he chuckled.

Oh how I missed his chuckle. I could hear a lot of voices in the background, girls too. But they were speaking in Turkish so I couldn't know who they were.

"Met any hottie?" leave it to my dad to ask questions like these, but I was glad he did, I wanted to know if he had.

"No, well yeah but she's just a friend. Her mother is Turkish but her dad is American. Her name is Celine"

"Do you want it to be more than friends" there was a long pause.

"No." he snapped and my dad just chuckled "Anyway the house looks like it could use a lot of work. If you need advice let me know"

"Sure, thanks dad, how are Mason and Helena?"

"They are good, Helena has been staying here, she didn't make it to her final exam she'll have to ask for a redo for personal matters. We hope they'll agree to it or she'll loose her year. Mason took your new number this morning he said he was going to call"

"The dean is a very understanding man, I'm sure he'll understand. Tell them I say hi mom, and I'll call you again tomorrow because I have a feeling the girls are going to destroy what's left of the garden" I heard them laugh and bid their goodbyes then rushed up to my bedroom locking myself in again.

I was feeling like crap, was it possible he wasn't coming back because of me? But I always told him I hated him before, so why leave now? I cried myself to sleep that night, like every other night.

That summer was the worst I've ever had. Serena, Jason and even my little cousin Eliana, Amelia and Mike's daughter were trying to lift up my mood. They organized many picnics, many parties in our house with everyone but nothing could bring back my smile.

I had pressed charges against Damon, and he was in prison. That would teach him not to force himself on anyone. As Adam said, the Dean let me redo my exam which lead me to this precise moment.

I looked at Mason and Jason who were both freshmen now "Are you guys ready?"

"Hell yeah!" I rolled my eyes at Jason and looked at mason who seemed a little worried.

"Well I'm not" I sighed and walked through the gates as they followed me. I gave them a brief tour and left to meet Sarah and Mariah. They were sitting in the school's garden ogling the hot guys which made me smile a little.

"Isn't that Johnny D?" Sarah asked after they saw me and hugged me and everything.

"Yes, it is" I said sitting next to them.

"They say he's a heart breaker"

I looked at Mariah as she said so and shrugged. "I don't really know him honestly" I saw that guy who had his foot up my couch when they came over. And suddenly got up.

My brain had 0rdered my body to walk up to the group of young men standing not so far.

"What the hell am I doing" I whispered to myself as I reached them. "Johnny D"

"Helena?" he smiled and came to me "How have you been? You look nice"

"Thank you. How have you been?"

"Good I guess, I worked with your dad this summer it was awesome. But it wasn't the summer I had planned"

"Mine either. So ummm"

"He's fine"

I looked up at him surprised, how did he know what I was going to ask?

"So, he's not coming back is he?"

Johnny D scratched the back of his head and shook it slightly "He needs space I guess"

"He was away for two months already, isn't that enough?"

"Now you want him around?" when I said nothing he kept going "You told him you wanted him out of your life. He walked out of it. He wanted to be with you Helena, he really did. But then you made it clear you wanted him for just one night, and when he tried to act normal not to spook you away you went crazy and kicked him out of yours and your parents house. So he left"

"He wanted to..." I felt a pang in my heart. "If I had known..."

"Doesn't matter now, he started college yesterday, he likes it there. He's living with his uncle for now but he'll be moving to his house next week."

"Has he met someone?"

"well there's this girl..."

"Celine?"

"yeah... but he says there's nothing between them, and maybe there isn't. But that girl is a bombshell! And she's always with him. Look that's them"

Johnny D showed me a picture of Adam with a girl, who was clinging to him. The infamous Celine.

"He's starting over" I whispered and saw Johnny nod his head. looking at the photo I couldn't feel anything but hurt and hatred.  Hatred to myself this time. I hated that I drove him away to her, whoever she was.

"You should too"

*****************************************************

"Hoşgeldin evlat" : Welcome son

"Hoş bulduk dede: not an accurate translation because i didn't know ho to say it in english but it's something like" happy to be back grandpa"

özledim sana": I missed you

"Bende seni, hadi gel: Missed you too, come on (let's go)

Annane: grandma

Evet dedem: yes grandpa