Page 43 of The Bittersweet Bond

Evin had to endure his cold shoulder. No words. No glances. Nothing.

Only when she wasn’t looking did Milka lean in and whisper softly in her ear, "He’s looking. Over and over again watching you"

Those words had to heal her wounds. Because as much as Bas was angry, he had also hurt her. And while part of her lived off those secret glances, she needed her anger just as much—to survive this, to ignore him.

It was the only thing keeping her afloat in this emotional drought. Weeks passed, and with summer break approaching, Evin suddenly started finding small notes at her desk.

"I miss you."

"I need you."

The handwriting looked like his, but Bas had never done anything like this before. So which idiot was trying to provoke her? What kind of game was this?

The next day, just before class started, Evin was rummaging through her bag for her school supplies when a pair of large, blue-and-white sneakers stopped beside her desk.

Nikes.

And she knew exactly who they belonged to.

Her fingers froze mid-motion, caught in the strap of her bag. The air around her seemed to thicken, pressing against her lungs. She didn’t need to look up—she could already feel it. The presence she had trained herself to ignore for weeks was suddenly right there, standing so close she could see the faint scuff marks on his shoes.

Her body temperature spiraled out of control. A cold shiver ran down her spine, while heat spread through her stomach in a slow, burning wave.

Stay calm, she warned herself, gripping the edge of the desk. You have to pull yourself together.

The scent of his cologne mixed with the lingering traces of fresh air from outside, sending her mind into a tailspin. He hadn’t moved. Not a single word.

Why was he just standing there?

Seconds stretched painfully, and Evin forced herself to act like she hadn’t noticed him, like she wasn’t unraveling under the weight of his silent presence. She reached into her bag again, her movements stiff, mechanical. But it was pointless. The world had shrunk to the space between them, thick with unspoken tension..

Slowly—too slowly—she exhaled, pressing her lips together.

And then, against her better judgment, she finally looked up.

Maybe he was here to talk to someone else—someone near her. Slowly, Evin lifted her head and saw the person standing at her table, the one she had secretly hoped for. The heat in her stomach had now twisted into nausea. As her gaze traveled up to his face, she was greeted by a mischievous grin. Instinctively, she responded with one of her deep, searching looks—the kind that always seemed to reach into his soul—accompanied by a hesitant smile.

Bas held her gaze, his teeth grazing his lower lip briefly, as if he were unconsciously biting it. For a moment, it seemed as though something had flickered in his expression, something her eyes had triggered in him. But he forced himself to remain composed, revealing nothing more. His hand moved toward the table, and just as quickly as he had appeared, he was gone.

Evin’s eyes wandered to the spot he had touched, and that’s when she saw it. A note. Its color blended with the surface of the table, almost camouflaged, just like the other notes she had received before.

A tingling sensation spread through her stomach, crawling up her arms and even reaching her lips. Her breath turned erratic, and a sudden wave of nausea hit her as her mouth filled with saliva. She froze for a moment, unable to believe what she was seeing. Never—not in a million years—had she expected this.

But she forced herself to stay calm. She skimmed the note, her hands trembling just slightly, before slipping it into her pencil case with the others, her face betraying nothing. As if it were the most natural thing in the world.

She couldn’t believe what was written there.

“I love you.”

Chapter 11

Gravity

Evin

Jonas suddenly appeared right in front of Evin, pulling her out of her thoughts. He took the towel from his shoulder, gave his short hair one last rub, and stretched his arms wide to greet her. A wave of relief washed over her, and with a wide smile, she returned his hug.

Jonas gestured animatedly. “Drinks are over there. Your better half is back there,” he said, pointing toward Milka. Evin playfully smacked his shoulder, and Jonas laughed in response.

---