30. Chapter 25 #2
Bas shrugged, as if everything he said was just common sense. “Apparently better than you do.”
She let out a bitter laugh and suddenly stood up.
Evin’s breath hitched as Bas’s words sliced through the air. For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. She couldn’t believe he’d actually said it.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her fingers gripping the edge of the table, but she forced herself to stay calm. She shot him a look of disbelief, her wide eyes betraying the weight of his statement.
“Seriously, Bas?”
Her voice was quiet but sharp, as if she didn’t trust herself to speak louder, afraid she might explode.
Without another word, she grabbed her bag and stood. “You always find a way to surprise me!”
He gave her a questioning look, as if he didn’t understand what she meant. When he opened his mouth to say something, she turned away, grabbing her phone and glancing at Sergej’s message.
Anger flared in her chest, propelling her toward Sergej—though she didn’t quite know why.
She could feel Bas’ gaze burning into her back as she moved away, but the adrenaline pounding through her veins kept her moving. She knew the conversation shouldn’t have ended like that, but she couldn’t take it anymore.
A quick glance at her phone showed Sergej’s message:
Sergej
I’ll pick you up whenever you’re ready.
Don’t keep me waiting.
And maybe, just maybe, that was exactly what she needed right now.
_________
Sebastia n
H e shoved his way through the crowd, his movements quick and deliberate, until he was close enough for her to hear him.
“Can you at least stop and listen to me?” His voice carried, and he noticed the slight flinch in her posture. But she didn’t stop.
“Evin!” This time, his voice was calmer, but it held the kind of insistence he reserved for rare moments when he demanded her attention.
She finally paused in an empty hallway, though she didn’t fully turn to face him. When she did, there was something flickering in her eyes—unease, hesitation, something raw she couldn’t quite mask. And he caught it. It almost made him smirk. He’d struck a nerve.
“What do you want, Bas?” Her voice was sharp, her words a calculated defense. Oh, I love this.
He stepped closer, the space between them shrinking just enough for her to feel the faint warmth of his breath. “You know exactly what I want.” His voice was low, edged with something unreadable. No retreat. Not this time.
Evin rolled her eyes, but her cracking facade betrayed her. She wasn’t as unaffected as she wanted to seem.
“What do you want to talk about? The way you acted like an idiot? I got the message. Let it go.”
A crooked grin tugged at his lips. He planted a hand on the wall beside her head, leaning in even closer. “Is that really why you’re so pissed? Or does it bother you more that I’m right?”
Her eyes burned with anger. Good. Be mad. As long as you feel something.
“Arrogance always suited you,” she shot back.
He let out a short, dry laugh. “Maybe. But don’t think for a second that this doesn’t matter to me.”
She scoffed and made to turn away, but his hand remained firm against the wall. No escape.
“That guy? Seriously, Evin? Is that who you’re replacing me with?”
Her gaze dropped for a moment, hesitation flickering across her face before she masked it again.
“ That’s my business, Bas.” Her voice was calm, almost provocative, but he caught the faint tremor she couldn’t quite suppress.
“Of course, it is. But I know you—better than you think.” His voice softened, low and intense. That was the only thing that truly frustrated him. That she didn’t see it.
His eyes flickered to her lips, and suddenly, the tension between them became something tangible. Every unconscious movement—the quickening of her breath, the way her fingers curled into her palm—told him she felt it too.
Evin took a slow breath and forced a mocking smile, but her gaze wavered. “Stop it. One minute you want me, the next you don’t. This has to end.”
She had every right not to trust him. But he deserved a chance.
For a moment, her gaze lingered on his lips. He struggled against the pull of the moment, and when he leaned in just a fraction closer, she whispered, barely audible, “Don’t.”
A flicker of triumph surged through him. She wasn’t as cold as she pretended to be.
“Don’t what?” His voice was dangerously calm, almost teasing. “Don’t tell the truth? That I’m standing here while you run away, pretending this is all just a game to me?” His tone was quiet but insistent. He wanted to pull her out of her shell.
She shook her head, trying to suppress the longing he could see flicker in her eyes. “You’re talking nonsense. You don’t even know what you want, Bas. I’m not—” She stopped herself, biting her lip as if she’d said too much.
“Say it.” His voice dropped to something rougher, more demanding. “What aren’t you?”
She hesitated, then met his gaze head-on. “I’m not just someone you can hold onto because it’s convenient.”
Bas let out a low, dry laugh, dropping his hand from the wall. Instead, he reached for a strand of her hair, twirling it between his fingers as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Convenient? You’ve got to be kidding me.
“ This?” His voice dropped, deep and smooth. “This is anything but convenient, Evin.”
She stepped back slightly, but he saw how his words had landed. Just for a second, the heat in his gaze cracked through her defenses. But then she recovered, fast.
“You’re good at this,” she muttered. “At what you do. What you say. You’ll never stop."
He moved even closer, his face now just inches from hers. “If I’m so awful, then why are you still here?”
Her throat worked, but she said nothing. Then, just like that, she turned on her heel and walked away.
No. Fuck. That came out wrong.
But he wasn’t about to let her go. Not like this.
Bas followed her, his pulse spiking as she pushed through the door toward the parking lot. No way out this time, Evin. Not this time.
He reached the entrance just in time to see a black car pulling up. And standing next to it—Sergej.
A smug grin spread across his face as Evin walked toward him, and something inside Bas snapped.
Fine. Let him see. This is far from over.
He raised his voice, letting the words hit like a punch.
“Go ahead, Evin—run to him!”
The second the words left his mouth, she faltered, hesitating just slightly before continuing toward the car.
That’s right. "Keep walking. But remember where you always end up." Back with me.
Her fingers twitched at her sides. Even from here, he could tell she’d heard him. She wanted to turn around. Wanted to say something. But instead, she reached for the car door.
Bas crossed his arms, his expression unreadable as he leaned against the doorway, watching. Sergej looked at him through the windshield, his forced casualness betraying his irritation. Good. Let him be uncomfortable.
Bas smirked and called out one last time, voice drenched in dark amusement.
“ We’re not done.”
And with that, Evin climbed into the car.
He didn’t move, didn’t look away as the vehicle pulled out of the lot. His jaw clenched, hands tightening into fists.
Sergej could have his moment.
But this? This wasn’t over. Not even close.
“Enjoy your moment, buddy,” he muttered under his breath, his tone dripping with venom.
She’s mine, and she knows it.
Sooner or later she'll have to face me.