17. Chapter 12
Let The Games Begin
Evin
E vin 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! Me disappointing you ? 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.
Evi n 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.
“Absolutely.” Evin released the ball, sending it arcing over the table—and it landed perfectly in a cup. Cheers and applause erupted around them, but Evin only focused on Bas, who regarded her with an impressed expression.
“Okay, that was lucky.” He picked up the ball, twirling it lazily between his fingers before stepping closer to her again. “How about we make this interesting?”
Evin pursed her lips. “All right. What do you have in mind?”
“Simple.” His gaze briefly flicked to her lips before meeting her eyes again. “If I make this shot, the next dance is mine.”
Evin laughed softly, her heart beating faster. “And if you miss?” Bas grinned, tossing the ball in the air and catching it again.
“Then I owe you a secret.” Oh, now this could be fun.
“A secret, huh?” Evin raised her brows in mock curiosity. “I thought you didn’t have any.”
There was a part of her that knew better—that recognized the shift, the ease, the way he slipped right back into place like he’d never left. But maybe that part of her was tired. Maybe, just for tonight, she wanted to let herself sink into the illusion that nothing had changed.
“ You’ll never know.” He released the ball and—missed. Evin clapped her hands, laughing triumphantly.
“So, Bas, what’s your big secret?” He laughed, stepping closer again and leaning toward her.
“Maybe I’ll tell you later,” he murmured, his voice rough as his gaze lingered on her lips.
“Maybe not,” Evin countered back, feeling the growing spark between them but refusing to back down. Before she could press him further, her next shot landed in a cup. In a burst of drunken excitement, Bas lifted her up, spinning her around before setting her down with a triumphant grin.
“Okay, that was impressive,” he admitted as cheers erupted around them.
Evin laughed, patting his chest. “You still owe me a secret.” Slowly, she let her hand glide across his chest before pulling it away.
As she turned to leave, her heart raced, and the tension between them threatened to consume her.
Suddenly Bas caught her hand, tugging her back—gentle, yet unmistakably firm." Pressed close to his body, he leaned in and buried his face in her hair.
“Do you really wanna know my secret?” he whispered, his other hand sliding to the back of her neck. “I’m fucking jealous of Ben. Every time I see you talking, laughing with him—it eats me alive. I don’t want to share you. I want you to be mine. Only mine.”
It might’ve been reckless, and the thought of heartbreak loomed large—but as his breath warmed her skin, she didn’t care.
Bas held her a moment longer than necessary, his fingers softly tracing her cheek before finally letting her go. Still slightly dazed by the intensity of his words, Evin scanned the crowd for Milka.