Page 107 of The Bittersweet Bond

But he saw it in her eyes—that pull.

The one she tried so hard to hide.

There was a flicker of something darker.

Not shock. Not judgment.

Something closer to curiosity.

Maybe even approval.

She tried to hide it, of course. But it was there.

That tiny spark that told him she didn’t hate that he watched her.

"Why now?" she whispered.

Bas stepped closer—so close, the space between them barely existed.

"Because I don’t want you to think I didn’t want you," he said. "Even when I ignored you… you were always there."

His words hung heavy in the air.

And he saw it—the way she struggled to process it.

Her eyes flickered to his lips—but she held herself back.

"I don’t think there’s a way back," she murmured, voice barely above a whisper. "It’s too much. Too much has happened."

The words hit harder than he had expected.

He knew he had hurt her. But hearing her say it—made it real.

"I know," he said softly. "And I’m sorry. But this time, I want to do it right."

Hetook a breath, held it—like the rest of his words were trapped in his chest.

"I want to show you that I mean it."

Evin searched his eyes, looking for the uncertainty she was used to seeing in him.

But this time—there was none.

"Let’s not talk about it anymore."

His voice was steady. Determined.

And she felt it. He could see it.

Slowly, she let her hand slip into his.

A silent sign. A chance.

"So…" she said, her voice quiet but soft. "What do we do now?"

A small smile played on his lips.

"Let’s dance," he said, never taking his eyes off her.

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