Page 55 of The Bittersweet Bond

"Do you think so? But if I’d said that, it would’ve been too much. He’d have felt trapped again and then…"

"That’s why I said he doesn’t deserve you. You two are doomed, and to be honest, you don’t even appreciate each other. All you do is hurt one another."

Evin paused, letting Milka’s words sink in. Was that true?

Milka nudged her, breaking the silence. "Ben."

"That’s completely different!"

"Oh, really? Just because Bas’s an ass doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a heart."

"Bas doesn’t have a heart," Evin groaned, thinking about how he left the room without even looking back.

"Then he has a massive ego and just as much pride. How’s he supposed to reconcile that? You complicated everything."

"First, it was just a kiss. Second, he said I could do whatever I wanted. Third, before I complicated anything, he’d already screwed me over ten timesand made it clear he doesn’t want me."

"You said it yourself. It doesn’t make sense with you two. Don’t get me wrong, babe. It was a worthy reality check. Bas more than deserved it. But I still don’t think he digested this easily."

Chapter 15

The Aftermath

Evin

"Fuck!" The loud ringing of the third-period bell jolted Evin from her thoughts. The first break had just ended, and she had spent it catching up with her friends in the cafeteria. Her curls bounced with each step, but the ease she had felt earlier was quickly fading.

As always, she had applied mascara to accentuate her long, curled lashes, and a faint blush added a soft glow to her cheeks. Not that it mattered. Not today. She felt exposed. Vulnerable. But she refused to let it show.

Every step through the cafeteria felt like stepping onto a stage, though she kept up her usual unbothered facade. Bas was nowhere to be found, but she had expected that.

Of course he was avoiding her.

And of course he had run the second things got real.

It wasn’t the first time. It wouldn’t be the last.

A part of her wanted to be furious.

Another part—one she hated—almost admired how committed he was to this stupid game. She was sick of it. Sick of the push and pull, sick of the way he kept retreating only to come back when he felt like it. And yet, despite all of that, despite knowing exactly how this worked, last night had still gotten to her.

Hannah suddenly grabbed her arm, pulling her along abruptly. "Don’t even think about sitting down. We have literature class now."

Evin let herself be dragged toward the stairs, though her mind was still stuck on Bas. All night, she had gone over the same resolution again and again: she had to stop ignoring him. She had to set her pride aside and talk to him.

Because this game? It was getting old.

What was the point of all this—hurting each other, surrounding themselves with others just to prove a point? It had only made things worse.

Milka had been right. She couldn’t stay stuck in this toxic cycle forever.Maybe, she thought,Bas just needs a little push.

Then, a deep voice behind her. "Evin, hey... can I talk to you for a second?"

Evin stopped abruptly and turned around to face Ben. His expression was serious, almost worried. "Yeah, sure," she said. Hannah shot them a curious glance, raising her eyebrows, but continued up the stairs without a word. What was going on?

Ben hesitated, his gaze flickering nervously before he spoke. "I'm not sure how to say this... but I overheard something. Bas said something about you. About the party."

Evin’s heart skipped a beat, her mouth instantly dry. "What did he say?" Her voice barely escaped her lips, but she had to know. Even though she already knew it would hurt.

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