Page 173 of The Bittersweet Bond

Nothing to be ashamed of?

She has no idea.

If she knew...

Her thoughts spiraled, looping through the same images, the same words, over and over.

“But... what if it—” Her voice cracked, the words caught in her throat.

What if it was my fault? What if I wasn’t loud enough? What if I wasn’t clear enough?

Her mother didn’t move her hand, only squeezed her shoulder gently.

“It wasn’t your fault, Evin,” she said quietly, as if she had read her thoughts. “No matter what happened, no one has the right to make you believe otherwise. And you don’t have to believe it either.”

The words hit Evin deep, but she couldn’t accept them. Not now. Maybe never. Her mind was a mess, and all she wanted was for her mother to leave.

But a small part of her—a very small part—held on to the warmth in her voice.

She had wanted someone to save her, but the truth was, no one could. That chance was already gone.

She ached for comfort so badly, she would’ve let Dominic hold her if he showed up.

And maybe that was the worst part—how grateful she was, deep down, for what he’d done. Even if she’d never admit it.

Might've done something stupid. Just to feel less alone. Reckless choices weren’t that far off tonight.

Thank god, it wasn’t him sitting beside her now.

“I... I can’t,” Evin whispered at last. “It’s too much.”

She dropped her gaze, unable to meet her mother’s eyes.

What if she judges me?

What if she thinks it was my fault?

“It’s okay,” her mother said. “And you don’t have to do it now. Or tomorrow. But I want you to know you’re not alone. And that you are strong, even if you don’t feel like it right now.”

Evin nodded weakly, though she wasn’t sure she believed it.

“I don’t want to be strong anymore,” she choked out.

Evin’s fingers tingled as she gripped the fabric of her blanket. The tears spilled over now, running down her cheeks, and she let them.

Her mother’swarm hand held her steady in the darkness, an anchor that reminded her that maybe—just maybe—she wasn’t completely alone.

__________

Sebastian

The light was too bright. The sun slipped through a small gap in his thick curtains, landing directly on Bas’s face. He blinked, then immediately shut his eyes again with a quiet groan. His head was pounding, and the stale taste of alcohol still clung to his mouth.

His thoughts were sluggish, wrapped in cotton, but slowly, reality started to creep in. He rolled onto his side, reaching for his phone on the nightstand, and unlocked it. The time flashed on the screen: 2:47 PM.

Fuck.

He sat up abruptly, ignoring the uncomfortable pull in his shoulder. His gaze landed on the half-wilted red roses still lying on the table.What the hell did I do?

---