20. Chapter 15 #2
But now? Now, there was nothing left to say. Thirty centimeters that separated them completely.
"Hey, Bas!" a voice suddenly called. Dominic. She recognized his deep tone but didn't bother turning around—that asshole.
Bas, however, glanced over his shoulder, waiting for Dominic to explain the interruption.
"Chris and Jonas were looking for you. You coming inside?" Dominic asked, his voice casual—too casual.
Evin let out a sharp snort. Of course, they were looking for him. The same boys who had turned her into the latest joke.
Dominic, at lea st, she was certain of. She had heard it from others—his voice, his words, dripping with mockery as he spread the filth.
But the others?
Chris, she couldn’t say for sure.
And Jonas… Jonas was the one that stung the most. She had once thought of him as a friend, someone who had her back—always. Instead, his silence had been louder than any rumor.
Why?
"No, I'm staying out here, and tell everyone else to leave us alone!" Bas commanded, nodding for Dominic to go back inside.
What was all of this about?
"I should go," Evin stated stiffly, surprising even herself.
She grabbed her bag with mechanical precision, unsure of her next move.
Then he said her name again. "Evin." She froze.
Her skin tingled as her name slipped from his lips like a betrayal.
How dare he address her after everything, as if a few words could erase all that had happened?
"It wasn’t my intention," Bas said. His words hung in the air, as if he really believed they could mend something.
She felt his gaze on her and resented him for it.
Yet, she hated herself even more for not meeting his eyes.
If she did, he would see everything—her pain, her disappointment, her anger.
It enraged her how her body betrayed her, responding to him despite everything. God , she wanted to despise him.
"Not your intention?" Evin scoffed bitterly, her laugh sharp enough to cut deeper than any words.She forced herself to meet his gaze, refusing to back down
"What then, Bas? Was it all just a mistake? A little joke that you think you can just take back?"—her thoughts drifting to Dominic.
His lips parted slightly, as if he had something to say. But, as always, nothing came. He never had the right words when it actually counted.
Evin exhaled sharply. His face was a mask, but she thought she caught a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. Or was she imagining it? How many times had she trusted him only to be let down?
Heat flushed her face with frustration.
“ Of course not,” she added with a sneer. Her heart raced, and her voice turned icy. “Of course not,” she repeated, her words dripping with scorn.
“Big balls yesterday. No balls today.”
Evin shook her head, the weight of disappointment pressing heavily on her shoulders. Enough. This was enough.
Her legs felt heavy, unmovable. "You knew exactly what you were doing."
Bas’s jaw clenched. "They asked," he blurted suddenly, "and my words got twisted. I didn’t say any of that."
His voice faltered, like he barely believed it himself. Was this supposed to be his justification?
"Twisted?" Evin let out a bitter laugh. "As if it wasn’t bad enough that you talked about it at all."
Her anger boiled over, the words spilling out before she could stop them.
"What did you think would happen, Sebastian? That it’d just stay a harmless joke?"
Her eyes blazed with rage. "You told them. You invited them to see me this way! You, with your shitty comments, turned me into something for them to laugh about. Like I’m some kind of object!"
That creeping itch had spread, crawling under her skin, unbearable now.
"I thought…" Her voice cracked. I thought I meant something to you.
Her breathing quickened as she locked eyes with him, her anger and disappointment a wildfire between them.
"Do you know what the worst part is?" Her voice was low, almost flat, but it struck harder than any accusation ever could.
"It’s not just what you said about me. It’s the fact that you didn’t even have the decency to treat me like a person. You never even tried to respect me. Couldn’t have made it any clearer."
Bas flinched—almost imperceptibly—but his jaw remained tight.
For a fleeting moment, his eyes wavered.
Then his expression hardened as footsteps approached.
For a second, she thought he might explode.
Instead, someone else entered the scene.
"He y, Evin, everything okay here?"
Ben. Of course. Always with his perfect timing.
His face was open, his gaze calm. But when his eyes landed on Bas, he immediately sensed the tension.
"Ben… good thing you're here!" Evin forced herself to look at him and managed a small smile, though it took everything she had.
Bas didn’t turn around. His stare stayed fixed on the ground.
"About the tutoring… I think I’ll take you up on your offer."
Ben raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. He flicked a glance at Bas before a grin spread across his face.
"Yeah, sure, no problem. Just let me know when."
Bas remained silent, his shoulders visibly tense beside her. The moment felt fragile, like a ticking bomb ready to detonate. "Okay, see you then," Ben said, taking a step back. But before he left, his gaze lingered on Bas. "If you need anything else, Evin... just let me know."
A flicker of something crossed Bas’s face—so faint it was almost imperceptible.
But still, he stayed silent.
Ben nodded at Evin one last time before walking away.
The silence that followed was deafening, but Evin wasn’t about to let it crush her.
She shot up, brushing off her clothes as if shaking off his presence.
"I get it now, Bas," she began, her voice sharp, each word slicing through the tension. "You always need an audience to feel big. But you know what? You’re so fucking small."
Her lips moved into a cold smile as his brows furrowed in response.
"And me? I’m done being the fool in your little shit show."
Enjoy your empty stage.
With that, she turned on her heel and walked away. Each step she took felt like liberation, like she was shedding the weight of his disdain.
This time, there would be no comeback. No reaction from him that could pull her back. She was done with him.
Some mistakes don’t leave bruises, but they linger.
And now, he’d have to live with that.