Page 183 of The Bittersweet Bond

She took her seat, keeping her eyes forward, refusing to look at him again. But she felt him. She felt his gaze on her as if he had reached out and touched her.

And despite everything, that feeling gave her the smallest flicker of safety.

The teacher walked in, and class began, but Evin couldn’t hear a single word. Her heart pounded, her mind a chaotic whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.

Bas was here, so close—yet he had never felt so far away.

__________

Evin was the first to leave the classroom, but she didn’t get far before she heard his footsteps behind her.

“Birdie.”

His rough voice stopped her cold.

Her fingertips dug into the straps of her backpack, her breath caught in her throat. But she didn’t turn around. She could feel him behind her—the hesitation in his stance, the weight of his presence pressing down on her shoulders.

A few seconds of silence stretched between them. The hallway was quiet except for the distant murmur of students. She heard him inhale softly, like he was about to say something. But he didn’t.

Before the tension could snap, another voice cut through.

“Bas.”

Dominic rounded the corner, a stack of books balanced in his arms. His gaze flickered to Evin—a brief nod, barely more than an acknowledgment—before shifting back to Bas. “I’ve been looking for you,” he said, tone deliberately casual. But Evin heard the unspoken questions beneath it. “We still need to sort out that thing. Remember?”

Bas hesitated. Then: “Yeah… right.”

And just like that, Evin started walking again, her pulse hammering in her ears.

Before she turned the corner, she risked one last glance over her shoulder. Just enough to see Bas walking away, following Dominic down the hall.

She waited forhim to look back. To turn to her. Just once.

But he didn’t.

Dominic shot her a fleeting glance, his expression unreadable. It felt like a silent decision—his choice to stay out of it. To let her handle this alone.

Evin swallowed against the tightness in her throat, her grip tightening on her backpack straps. As their footsteps faded, she leaned back against the wall, lowering her head.

The lump in her throat grew heavier. And guilt clawed at her, hot and relentless.

Why don’t I feel relieved? Why does everything feel even heavier?

She pulled out her phone, scrolling mindlessly through social media, desperate for something—anything—to drown out the silence.

Because the hallway was too quiet.

Just her, her thoughts, and the truth she still wasn’t ready to face.

__________

Sebastian

Without a word, he followed the path downward, aware of Dominic’s gaze but unwilling to meet it.

“What was that just now?” Dominic finally broke the silence, his voice calm but laced with an edge.

“What do you mean?” Bas shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, his jaw tightening. This was the last conversation he wanted to have—especially with Dominic.

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