Page 28 of The Bittersweet Bond

Her heart skipped a beat. Her fingers were already trembling as she unlocked her phone.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“You haven't seen the video?” Milka’s tone was urgent.

Before Evin could respond, another notification popped up.

“Wait!”

A message from the group chat. A video had been shared. Her chest tightened as her shaky hands opened the chat.

The first few seconds of the clip played:

Ben and her.

Kissing.

__________

Sebastian

He had only watched the video once.

Once was enough.

Ben.

Evin.

Their quiet, burning stares between them.

Their kiss.

His hand touching her skin.

For a second he had forgotten to breathe.

The screen eventually dimmed, fading to black on its own. Just like something inside him.

Quiet and brutal.

Bas had just come back from practice. He sat at the edge of his bed, muscles sore, clothes damp, but the heat in his chest had nothing to do with training. Training had gone well—just like always. He’d never let his thoughts mess with his game. Self-control. Discipline. No excuses. That’s how he’d been taught. By his coaches. And by his father.

The AC was blasting, and still, the air felt thick.

His temples pulsed so hard it felt like something was drilling into his skull. The pressure behind his eyes grew until he had to shut them.

But shutting them just made the images sharper.

Ben and Evin. Evin and Ben.

That look she gave right before she leaned in.

He bent forward, elbows on his knees, forehead nearly resting on his fists.The longer he sat there, the faster his breathing got.

Like each thought was pulling oxygen from his lungs.

Like his chest was caught in a vice of memories, rage, and…disappointment.

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