Page 49 of The Bittersweet Bond

Laughter and loud voices snapped Evin out of her thoughts.

Across the table, there seemed to be a heated discussion.

“So? What do you want then?” Jonas called out, grinning.

„Definitely not someone who’s a headache,“ came the reply. Of course, it was Bas.

Who else would say something like that? Somebody pushed further.

“Oh yeah? And what does that mean?” Suddenly, the group went quiet. Everyone was waiting for his answer.

“To have fun. That’s it. I’m not really thinking about anything else right now.” Evin could immediately tell what this was about. She felt her whole body tense up, a jolt of energy running through her.

“I’m not planning on getting married in the next five years. Just live your life, people! No way am I settling down anytime soon. I don’t even see myself in a relationship right now.” A collective “Oooooh” rippled through the group.

“Evin!” someone laughed loudly.

As every eye turned to her, Evin couldn’t decide what hurt more—being called out in front of everyone, hearing those words from him, or the fact that he didn’t even glance in her direction. She was caught off guard. There was no way to come out on top in a conversation you hadn’t even been part of. For a split second, she wanted to get up and leave. Maybe that’s exactly what she should do. Stand up and walk out. No. She couldn’t give them that satisfaction. Her only choice was to stand her ground. Why wasn’t anyone asking Cat for her opinion?

“With commitment issues like that, yeah, sounds like the best approach,” she shot back, her voice steady. Another wave of “Ooooh's” rippled through the group, followed by glances at Bas.

He got to his feet casually and fired back, “Yeah, yeah, you go ahead and get married at 19. Be a housewife.”

Then he disappeared into the house. Some people laughed at his retort, while others noticed the tension had fizzled out and returned to their own conversations. Evin, however, stayed rooted in her seat, burdened by a storm of confusing emotions.

“I mean, I think Bas’s completely right. Fun should come first,” Cat chimed in with a giggle, loud enough for the boys around her to hear.

Too bad Bas wasn’t there anymore to catch it. Evin’s tension turned into a fiery anger. She was burning inside. She wasn’t about to let that slide. Her chair scraped loudly as she pushed it back, standing abruptly.

“I think he’ll be back in a minute,” Jonas whispered to her. “I’m not waiting,” Evin replied firmly.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim light inside the house as she followed the faint glow coming from the kitchen. The bathroom door was open, so that wasn’t where he had gone. The kitchen was her only option. When she got there, she saw him.

Bas stood with both hands braced against the counter, his head bowed, his back to her.

Evin stopped in her tracks and watched him. He must have heard her, because he straightened up, lifted his head, and glanced over his shoulder.

“Were you planning to cook something for me?” he asked, a dirty smirk tugging at his lips.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” she snapped.

“Not really,” he replied dryly. As Evin let her emotions spill out, Bas stayed completely unfazed.

“Is that all you see in me? Some poor girl waiting for her prince to come so she can become a housewife?”

Then Bas turned to face her at an unhurried pace, leaning back against the counter, arms crossed.. “Isn’t that what you want?” he said.

“No!” Evin’s voice rose.

"You sure act like it," he said, his disapproval slicing through her like a blade.

“What the hell are you talking about? Just because I’m not some cheap slut letting you screw me?” she fired back.

That was what this was about, wasn’t it?Wasn’t that all any of them wanted from her?

Bas grinned, letting out a laugh—the kind that made her feel small. Powerless. Every word, every reaction from him burned in her throat.

“What do you even want from life? Seriously. Isn’t it just to have some guy propose to you? You want a boyfriend, get married in two or three years, and have kids right after. Am I wrong?”

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