Chapter 140: Chapter 140: Surprises and Unspoken Fears
~Zayn’s POV~
Without thinking twice, I turned and pulled Nantam into a hug. He chuckled, patting my back, but I could feel the pride radiating off him.
Deep down, I knew he was the one who had poured his heart into making all of this happen, and for a moment, words weren’t enough, I just held on, hoping he understood what it meant to me.
When I finally pulled away, I approached Dean, thanking him and then moving around to greet everyone who had shown up. Some faces were familiar, others not so much, but each smile and handshake reminded me that they were here for my birthday.
The tables were already laid out, and once the laughter had settled a little, the party officially began. Plates of food made their way around, drinks flowed easily, and the music blended with chatter and bursts of laughter. I tried to soak it all in, the warmth, the joy, the simple fact that my friends had gone to such lengths to make me feel celebrated.
I sat at the head of the table as the birthday boy, with Nantam and Dean sliding into the seats beside me.
Nantam leaned closer, grinning. "I didn’t plan much. Just wanted people to eat, drink, and enjoy the view of this resort. Do you like it?"
"Like?" I chuckled. "That’s an understatement. This is perfect."
He looked satisfied, then scratched the back of his neck. "I don’t know what else to add. Maybe we should do a game later to make it fun."
Dean waved a hand. "Sure, we can do that. But let people eat first."
Nantam nodded and stood. "Alright, I’ll be back."
When he left, it was just me and Dean.
Dean tilted his head, his voice softer. "Happy birthday, man."
"Thanks," I said, smiling faintly.
He leaned back in his chair. "I’ve been busy helping Nantam put this together. He was really happy doing all this for you."
"Yeah," I nodded, my smile warmer this time. "I really appreciate him."
But then Dean’s expression shifted. Serious. His eyes stayed on me. "Is everything okay, Zayn?"
"Of course," I replied quickly. "Everything’s perfectly fine."
He shook his head. "No. Nothing is fine. Even if you’re trying to hide it, it’s obvious. You don’t look like yourself. You should be happy, but you look... sad. What’s wrong?"
I managed a smile, but it felt empty.
"Is it because Evric didn’t make it back for your birthday?" Dean asked.
I turned toward him. "If it were just that, I wouldn’t be this worried."
His brows drew together. "Then what is it?"
I exhaled, leaning back in my chair. "Evric has been ignoring me since yesterday. I understood, he was angry. But today? It’s my birthday, Dean. He hasn’t called, hasn’t texted, nothing. I even sent him a message, and he didn’t reply."
Dean frowned. "Did you guys argue or something?"
I shook my head. "No, we didn’t fight. I can’t think of anything. My mind’s a mess right now."
"It’s okay," he said quietly.
But the words spilled out of me. "I’m scared, Dean. He’s never stayed this quiet on me for this long before."
Dean nodded slowly. "I get that, but..."
I cut him off, my chest narrowed. "What if he’s losing interest? What if he doesn’t love me anymore?"
Dean gave me a slight, reassuring smile. "Zayn, that’s not possible. Not with him. Not for someone like Evric."
I leaned closer, my voice dropping. "Then why hasn’t he wished me happy birthday? Why is he mad at me, Dean?" I whispered.
"Take it easy," Dean said firmly. "I’m not Evric, but I can promise you, he’ll calm down."
"You don’t get it, Dean..." My voice shaking.
"I do," he said. "But listen, don’t make it so obvious. If Nantam notices, you’ll have to answer a lot of questions you’re not ready for. Get yourself together."
I nodded faintly. "Okay."
"Keep texting him," Dean added. "Call him. Be patient. Ask what’s wrong, but don’t stop trying until he finally talks to you."
I sat there quietly, his words lingering. Patient. That was all I could do now.
Dean’s phone buzzed, and he excused himself to take the call. I was left alone, staring at the table, torn between picking up my phone and calling Evric.
My fingers itched to dial his number, but I held back. Maybe Dean was right, maybe I should be patient. Still, patience wasn’t easy when all I wanted was to hear his voice.
I sighed, trying to calm the storm inside me. That’s when it hit me, Nuala and Liana weren’t around. I hadn’t seen them since I got here.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Liana. She picked up quickly, her voice carrying a smile.
"Where are you?" I asked.
She chuckled softly. "With Nuala. She’s been feeding me gist after gist, you know how she is. I got carried away listening."
I sat waiting for Liana and Nuala, but they were taking too long. The longer I waited, the more restless I felt. Finally, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I grabbed my phone and called Evric.
He picked up on the third ring.
"Hello, baby," I said softly.
"Hello," he replied, his tone flat.
My chest tensed. "Baby... you haven’t wished me happy birthday since morning."
"I’ve been busy with important things," he said.
The words hit me hard. I swallowed, forcing out, "Are you saying I’m not important to you?"
"Maybe."
My breath caught. That one word broke something inside me. I tried again, my voice trembling. "Is your interest in me fading?"
"Maybe."
The world seemed to tilt. Fear crawled over me, tightening around my chest. "Are you... are you thinking of breaking up with me?"
Another pause. Then... "Maybe."
"Babe, stop." My voice cracked now, shaking with panic. "Why are you being so mean to me? Don’t treat me this way. Don’t you love me anymore?"
"Maybe."
I pressed the phone tighter to my ear. "Maybe what?" My words were desperate, but before I could say more, Nantam and Dean walked back toward me.
I tried to tell Evric, I’ll call you later, but the line was already dead. He had hung up.
I sighed, staring at the screen, refusing to believe what I’d just heard. It can’t be true. He can’t mean it.
After the call ended, Nantam was saying something to me, but I barely heard him. My chest was heavy, my thoughts tangled. I realized Liana and Nuala still hadn’t shown up, even though I had already called them. The longer they delayed, the more uneasy I became.
I tried to hide my change of mood from Nantam, forcing myself to stay calm. Just as I was about to call Nuala again, a loud, cheerful voice cut through my storm of thoughts.
"Cutie!" Nuala’s voice rang out, full of excitement. "I have a surprise for you!"
Her tone was so loud that almost everyone at the table turned to look at her when she mentioned surprise.
I lifted my head, still shaken, my heart unsteady. "What surprise?"