Page 26 of The Bittersweet Bond

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Evin hesitated briefly.

After such a long day, she was exhausted, but something about Ben’s message intrigued her.

She wanted to get to know him better, so she picked up her phone and typed back: "Sure, be there in a sec."

As she made her way downstairs, Milka’s words lingered in her mind. Her friend had her doubts about Ben, but Evin didn’t want to let them get to her. For once, she just wanted to go with the flow

She just wanted to have fun with Ben. With him, everything felt easy. Uncomplicated.

In the lounge, he was sitting on a couch, a book in hand. When he noticed her, he smiled and closed it.

"There you are. I was starting to think you’d let me rot here alone."

Evin chuckled softly and sat next to him. "No, I’m not that cruel."

"Good to know," Ben replied with a grin. "It’s been a long day, huh? But a nice one. I think the mission really impressed you."

Evin nodded. "Yeah, it did. It was… kind of magical."

She leaned back, reflecting on the day. "So, how do you like our group? Settling in well?"

Ben shrugged. "I’m trying. It’s only been a month. Most people are nice, but… you know how it is. New school, new faces. Sometimes it just takes a bit."

Evin looked at him. "How are things between you and Bas now?" They had sort of become friends, and Evin didn’t want to be the reason things got weird between them.

"He seemed fine today. Gave me a fist bump and said, 'We’re cool, bro. Sorry about the whole thing.' And that was it." He paused, as if debating whether to say more.

Evin barely shook her head. "He told me before the weekend to keep my hands off his girls." A brief smile flickered across his face, but Evin noticed his fingers fidgeting at his wrist. Her brow furrowed.

"What?" Evin closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled deeply.

"Yeah, just like I said." Ben nodded and looked her directly in the eyes.

His gaze was slightly sheepish. "Right before, he told me to stay away from you. Bro code and all. I thought it was kind of…unnecessary."

Evin let out a dry laugh.

"I didn’t even know there was anything going on between you two."

"There’s nothing going on anymore," Evin murmured.

His expression softened. Kind. Caring."That much is clear to me now. But I wanted to talk to you about it. That’s actually why I asked you to meet me here."

Evin looked down at her hands and sighed. "It’s complicated. He’s... we’re...ugh, I don’t even know myself. You’ve probably heard about our fight." She pushed the images from her mind. "We’re nothing."

Ben leaned in slightly, his fingers just grazing her shoulder "He is cool, but you deserve someone who doesn’t hold you back, Evin."

She stayed silent.

Bas’s jealousy touched her less than she had expected. Or was she lying to herself?

The fight in front of Cat and the other smug onlookers still weighed heavily on her.

Was now the right time to draw a line?

He clearly didn’t care about her anymore. He’d made that clear.

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