Page 31 of The Bittersweet Bond

But what stunned him more than the flood of messages was the quiet realization of how many people had known.

How many knew about them and how many had seen the video.

She fucking played me…And that thought made his jaw clench so hard it ached.

Even her name had popped up again and again.

Message after message—unopened, unread.

He refused to give her even the satisfaction of knowing she got to him.

As if there was anything left to say.

As if there was still a version of this where her words could matter.

She really thought I’d give her a reaction?

But he knew the hate would only last as long as he didn’t look at her.

So he wouldn’t.

He’d avoid her—every hallway, and every lesson—if that’s what it took to erase her.

Chapter 8

Trending Consequences

Evin

The morning felt worse than expected.

On her way to school, with the wind tugging at her hair, the events of the trip played out in Evin’s mind. The Video. The Comments.

She hadn't hesitated for long—her anger and disappointment had driven her straight to the boys’ room, ignoring her friends, ignoring everyone else’s reactions. She had stormed in, chest heaving, tears threatening to spill.

“Damn it!” She tried to think about how she would explain it to Bas. What was there to explain to him, anyway, after everything that had happened last weekend and their fight at school?

“This was the last thing I needed.”

What others thought about her didn’t matter much, but this? This pushed her and Bas further back, undoing any progress they might have made. She felt like she’d been thrown back into middle school.

Sitting alone at lunch while Bas and his friends whispered about her across the cafeteria, their laughter ringing in her ears. She wasn’t part of their world then, and clearly, she wasn’t part of it now.

Her heart raced as she knocked on the door to the room. She didn’t know what to expect, but her fingers trembled with fury. The door opened, and there he was—Dominic, looking guilty.

“Actually... I can explain.”

“Fuck, can you? I knew it was you!” Her voice shook, her face displaying all the rage she had bottled up. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“Sorry, but Bas is my friend. He has a right to know.” Evin shook her head in disbelief, the memory replaying itself as she walked. “A right to what? And that’s why it ended up in the group chat?”

Ben had stood frozen in the doorway, just as she had stormed past him when he opened it.

“How did Cat get the video?” Her gaze darted from Dominic to Ben. Just as Ben opened his mouth to speak, Evin’s anger redirected itself at Dominic.

“And this is what a good friend does? Sends it to his fling so she can post it everywhere? Great friend you are, Dom!”

"Depends on who you think the fling is, Evin. ‘Cause from where I’m standing, you’re the one swapping out Bas for the next guy in line. So don’t act so shocked when people start talking."

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