Page 95 of The Bittersweet Bond

I should stop,she thought, but her feet kept moving.

They were supposed to be watching the highly anticipated comeback of a famous boxer, but the fight had already been going for a while.

They lay on the only sofa in his apartment. The floor lamp next to the TV cast a glare so harsh that Evin had to close her eyes, tilting her head away. Sergej was lying on top of her.

At first, Evin had sat a safe distance away. But somehow, Sergej had edged closer, shifting her into this position until she found herself beneath him.

He didn’t even notice that she was trying to shield her face from the uncomfortable light. For him, her exposed neck was a clear invitation, and he gently kissed it. His intense interest in the boxing match seemed to have vanished. Slowly, he leaned toward her lips.

His kisses, once thrilling, now repulsed her. His warmth suffocated. His closeness, once comforting, felt like a cage.

So, she turned her head toward him and kissed him back. She didn’t even want to.

Shehad fled home to escape her parents, her homework—her thoughts. Yet here she was, kissing a stranger.

They’d been together for four weeks now, and not a single day passed without Sergej reminding her how important sex was.

The attraction Evin had once felt for Sergej’s intelligence had long since faded. His quick wit and eloquence had made him seem irresistible at first. But now it all felt fake. Forced.

She had thought so many times about how to break up with him. Who was she trying to fool?

But what would it look like? Especially now that Bas was back in her life. Wouldn’t it be embarrassing? Breaking off a situationship at almost 19—after just four weeks?

Bas would lose interest immediately. At least Evin wanted to hold on for a few months. Hold on... as if a relationship were something you simply endured. Was that supposed to be the right thing? Enduring a relationship while longing for someone else? What the hell am I doing here?

While she wanted to feel Bas’s kisses, she was lying here with someone who felt almost like a stranger. Her boyfriend. And this boyfriend, as always, seemed to care only about his own needs. Her body tensed at the thought.

Sergej’s hands were under her clothes before she even registered what was happening.

Before she could react, he yanked her pants down—without even lifting himself.

Evin tried to pull her legs back, but Sergej’s hands pinned her arms in place.

Her heart raced, but her body was frozen. Her pants slipped even further.

“Where are you going?” he grinned slowly. Sergej seemed to find the whole thing exciting. His grin made her sick.

“Cut it out! Sergej!”

“Okay, okay,” he replied, but did the exact opposite, using his feet to slide her pants all the way off.

Andthere she was. In her white thong. A lump formed in her throat. What the hell was he doing?

“Get off me!” she commanded.

“Evin,” his voice sounded soft again, “I’m not doing anything you don’t want.”

“Good, because I don’t want this!” she said, this time more forcefully.

Her arms were pinned to her sides. His weight pressed down, crushing her beneath him—not just physically, but under the weight of what was happening.

She had no space, no way to move.

No way out.

In the background, the TV droned on. The boxing match was in full swing.

Sergej buried his face in her shoulder, his breath warm against her skin, carrying the sickly sweet scent of the weed he had smoked earlier. It sent an unpleasant chill down her spine.

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