Page 84 of The Bittersweet Bond

“Are you serious right now?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Relax.” He ran a hand through his buzzed hair, the picture of exasperated amusement. “I just mean… you kinda like the game more than you admit, don’t you?”

She froze.

It was the way he said it. Like he had figured something out about her, like he thought he understood her better than she understood herself. Like he was doing her a favor by saying it out loud.

And just like that, everything clicked into place.

“Wow,” she muttered, her voice flat. “That’s a new low.”

“Evin.” His smirk faded just enough to make her second-guess herself, to make her wonder if she was overreacting. “I didn’t mean it like that.” He reached for her hand, and in that moment, the touch seemed both tender and invasive. She hesitated for a split second before letting him take it. “I just—I can’t help it. How can you blame me for wanting you?”

Her throat tightened. The words sounded sweet, like something she was supposed to be flattered by. But she wasn’t.

She was tired.

“Maybe you should learn some self-control.”

Something flickered in his eyes, brief but unmistakable. His jaw clenched, but just as quickly, he smoothed his expression over. “You’re impossible.”

She exhaled, her body tense, her pulse drumming in her ears. She wanted to leave. Wanted to stand up, grab her jacket, and go.

But she didn’t.

Because his fingers were still loosely intertwined with hers, his thumb brushing absently against her palm. Because his voice softened, barely above a whisper.

“You know I’d never force you, right?”

It was a question he didn’t actually expect an answer to. It was meant to be reassuring, meant to pull her back in.

And it worked.

Evin swallowed, forcing herself to nod. “I know.”

Sergej smiled, and this time, it wasn’t sharp or teasing. It was warm. Gentle. Almost enough to make her forget what had just been said.

Almost.

__________

The days after her last encounter with Sergej flew by in a blur. Evin barely had time to dwell on what had transpired between them. School, ballet, and her friends demanded her full attention. Upcoming exams stole her sleep, grueling training sessions kept her occupied, and chats with her girlfriends helped her forget the mounting pressure.

It was as if her life was finally falling back into its usual rhythm.

Yet, even as she focused on the important things in her life, Sergej still lingered at the edges of her mind—but not in the way he used to. The constant thrill, the overwhelming pull he once had over her, had faded. Now, he was just a memory, slowly losing its grip.

Evin had come to realize that her priorities had shifted. Her friends were present, her exams loomed ahead, and ballet had become her anchor in this chaotic world.

And then, there was Bas.

No matter how much she tried to push him out of her thoughts, he crept back in.

Deep down, she knew it was Bas, not Sergej, who truly made her feel something real.

And no matter how many times Sergej reached out to her, she knew now that he wasn’t what she wanted. Sure, Sergej had been exciting, no doubt about that. But what she craved now was clarity, peace. She was tired of being trapped in a game with rules she didn’t understand—or like.

It was time to draw a line, to end things on her terms.

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