Page 46 of The Bittersweet Bond

“Hey! Trying to sneak away? Not happening.” Jonas grinned mischievously, immediately picking up on her restlessness. “Not a chance. I need you. We’re playing beer pong.”

Chapter 12

Let The Games Begin

Evin

Evin hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Why not?” She needed a distraction, and what better way than a game where she could either win or drink enough to forget about Bas for a while? Jonas clapped his hands together, announcing loudly, “Teams have just been decided. You’re with Bas. The dream team is back together!”

Wait... what?Jonas's gaze sparkled with amusement as he grabbed her arm and began leading her toward the makeshift beer pong tables. Evin’s stomach churned.

Of course!Of course, she’d end up on a team with him.

She could hardly believe she was being thrown into this situation.Five weeks of silence, and now we are beer pong partners?She wasn’t ready to be that close to him.

But Jonas was already dragging her along, oblivious to her resistance. When they reached the table, she spotted Bas standing there. A cup in his hand,with that slightly provocative look on his face, he turned to her as their eyes met. “Ready to be the best team ever?” he asked calmly, a hint of humor in his tone as he casually rolled the ball in his hand.

Time to show him what I’m made of.

“Ready to lose?” Jonas interjected with a crooked grin. Evin laughed, placing her hands on her hips. “Keep dreaming. I’m going to dominate this table.”

Evin could feel the tension in the air like a ticking time bomb. They hadn’t truly spoken since the incident in the girls' bathroom, and now they were side by side as if nothing had happened. The electricity between them was undeniable, and Bas, of course, couldn’t resist a cheeky grin.

It was almost too easy. Too natural.

No sharp remarks, no cold glances, no lingering silence between them. Just teasing words, as if the last few weeks had never happened. As if he hadn’t spent all that time making her feel like she didn’t exist.

Maybe she should have questioned it. Maybe another time, she would have.

But she just wanted to enjoy the peace.

She had missed this—missed him.

She tried to focus on the game.

Every throw, every movement felt like part of their unspoken dynamic. Every time Evin landed a cup, Bas cheered and high-fived her, his hand lingering on hers just a moment too long. When Bas missed, she teased him, and he responded with a wry shake of his head and a smile. Evin rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the faint smile tugging at her lips.

“Are you ready to disappoint me again?” she quipped, crossing her arms.

“Ha!Medisappointingyou? Maybe you should stop letting certain people orbit around you if you want to win,” he murmured, his eyes sparkling mischievously. But there was a sharpness beneath his teasing tone, something unspoken simmering just beneath the surface.

Evin raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. “Certain people?”

Bas’s jaw tightened slightly. “Oh, come on. You know exactly what I mean.” His fingers spun the ball between them.

Evin mirrored his smirk, tilting her head slightly. “Funny. I was just about to say the same to you,” she said, her voice dripping with faux sweetness. “She’s been keeping a tight orbit, don’t you think?”

Bas let out a breathy chuckle, shaking his head. “That’s different.”

“Is it?”

Their gazes locked, the air between them thickening for a fraction of a second.

Bas stepped closer, his voice dropping lower. “I don’t get distracted.”

“Oh, really?” Evin felt the heat creeping up her neck but forced herself to hold his gaze. “Are you sure you wouldn’t have been the one too distracted?”

Bas took a step back, raising an eyebrow. “You think I’m that easy to shake?” His voice carried that infuriating mix of arrogance and amusement.

---