Chapter 134: Chapter 134: Only for My Man
~Zayn’s POV~
Evans smirked again, but there was something darker in his eyes this time, a shadow that made my chest tense. "We’ll see, Zayn. We’ll see."
I turned away, forcing myself not to react, refusing to give his words the power he clearly wanted them to have. But inside, my mind wouldn’t stop spinning.
Did he mean it as a warning? Or worse, as a plan?
For a second, I wondered if there was more to this, maybe some history between him and Evric, something I didn’t know about. Or maybe he was just bitter because I’d made it clear where my heart belonged. Either way, one thing was certain: Evans wasn’t harmless.
The way he looked at me, the way he spoke about Evric... there’s no kindness in it. No friendship. Just danger.
And the most unsettling part? He hadn’t even tried to hide it.
Didn’t bother following Evans back inside his house. Instead, I told him flatly, "I’ll take my leave from here. Please ask your driver to drop me off at my restaurant."
He gave me one of his sly smiles. "At least let me buy you dinner."
"Not today," I shook my head. "Maybe some other time."
"Alright," he said easily, though his eyes lingered longer than I liked. "Thank you for coming. I’d love for you to visit again."
I forced a polite smile. "Sure... anytime I feel like riding a horse, I’ll come."
He chuckled, leaning closer. "Doesn’t have to be just the horse. I can be a horse too." Then he burst out laughing at his own joke.
I sighed, shaking my head. "Your jokes are... kind of too expensive, you know."
He only smiled wider. "Extend my greetings to your friends."
"Okay," I muttered, eager to end the conversation.
Just then, his driver pulled up. I slid into the car, gave Evans one last half-hearted wave, and left him standing there with his games and his drama.
But the ride back didn’t give me the relief I hoped for. My phone screen was still dark, no call, no reply, no "seen." Evric hadn’t come online at all.
He told me he’d be shooting today, but... my chest narrowed. Why hasn’t he even read my message?
I caught myself before the thought spiraled. He’s just busy, Zayn. That’s all. He’s just busy.
Still, the silence gnawed at me.
By the time I got back to the restaurant, the sky was already dimming. I busied myself with a few tasks, but my mind was elsewhere. Hours slipped by, and just as the night settled in, Evric’s driver arrived to pick me up.
On the way, my phone buzzed with a call from Liana. She said she’d be coming over to my side tomorrow. I agreed quickly, already thinking, Perfect, now I have an excuse to go home.
When I reached Evric’s place, I went straight to the shower, hoping the water would wash away the unease Evans had left me with earlier. Still, when I came out, a towel wrapped around my shoulders, my phone screen was blank. No message from Evric.
I gave in and typed quickly: Babe, are you that busy that you can’t even reply to me since?
Minutes ticked by. Nothing.
I sighed and lay down, deciding maybe sleep was better than waiting. I had just started drifting when my phone rang. My heart leapt. I scrambled upright and picked up immediately.
"Hey, baby," Evric’s tired voice came through, rough around the edges.
"Hello, babe," I breathed, relief flooding me.
"I’m sorry," he said gently. "I’ve been so busy since morning. I just managed to steal a little free time to call you."
I softened at his words. "Are you still working?"
"Yes," he admitted. "But I might be done in a few hours."
"Okay," I murmured, not wanting to burden him with my worry.
He changed the subject. "So, how was the horse riding?"
I hesitated, then gave a subtle laugh. "Nothing much to talk about."
"Why?" he pressed.
"Because..." I teased, lowering my voice, "riding a horse is nothing like riding you."
There was a pause, then a strained groan. "Babe, I’m at work. Don’t get me hard right now."
I laughed softly, smiling into the phone. "Okay, baby."
Gathering courage, I told him, "I’ll be going back to my place tomorrow. Liana is coming."
But his reply caught me off guard. ’Why go back? Nuala already told me yesterday that Liana’s coming, and I told her it’s fine for her to stay in my house. I’d never say no to my sister-in-law.’"
I blinked, then burst out laughing. "We’re not even married yet, and you’re already calling her that?"
Without missing a beat, his voice dropped low and certain. "I’ll marry you eventually. So she is my in-law."
My chest warmed, and I couldn’t help but smile. "You’re unbelievable."
"So don’t leave," he insisted gently. "Let Liana come to my place instead, okay?"
"Okay, baby," I agreed softly.
"And tomorrow, Nuala will go with the driver to pick her up," he added, always thinking ahead.
"Alright. Thank you."
"No," his voice turned tender, breaking through the distance. "Thank you... for loving me and for completing me."
I pressed the phone closer, whispering, "The same goes for me, Evric."
We stayed on the line, talking about little things until the minutes blurred together. And when he finally hung up, the quiet in the room didn’t feel empty anymore. My heart was still full of his voice as I drifted into sleep.
The next morning, sunlight barely streaming through the curtains, I reached for my phone and found a new message waiting. It was from Evans.
A friend of mine invited me to his movie premiere tomorrow night. If you’re not too busy, can we go together?
I sighed, dragging a hand over my face. Without hesitation, I typed back: I’ll be busy. And Evans, please, can you limit the way you just send me random messages and invites?
I paused, then added firmly: My boyfriend will be back anytime. I wouldn’t like it if one of your random calls or texts came in and he saw it. He won’t like it, and I don’t want anything that could bring misunderstanding between us.
A few moments later, his reply buzzed in.
You’re acting like both of you are married. He’s just your boyfriend. You’re allowed to be close to someone else.
I stared at the screen, my jaw constricted. Just your boyfriend? The words made something twist inside me, but not in the way Evans might have wanted. He clearly didn’t get it, Evric wasn’t just anything to me.
I set the phone down, refusing to continue the conversation. Giving Evans more attention would only make him think I cared, and I didn’t. The truth was simple: all I cared about was my man.
From that moment, I decided, I would limit my replies, if any, and stop picking up his calls. The less room Evans had in my life, the less chance there was for him to wedge himself between me and Evric.