Chapter 153: Chapter 153: When Love Sets Sail
~Zayn’s POV~
Then Evans looked at me and said, "Come on, let’s go."
Everyone went silent the moment Evans appeared, and the whispers began almost immediately.
"Wow, Evans..." someone gasped.
"Zayn is so lucky," another murmured. "He actually knows the richest young man around."
"God, I’m jealous," a voice sighed from the crowd.
I kept my focus on Evans and followed as we walked away from the noise. Once we were a little further, he glanced sideways at me. "That guy earlier... is he your friend?"
"Yes," I answered quietly. "More like... he’s my best friend’s brother."
Evans arched a brow. "Which of your friends?"
I replied. "The one who invited you here?"
"Oh, Nantam," Evans said, nodding.
"Yes," I confirmed.
"He’s a kind person. But... how come he has someone like that as a brother?" He chuckled faintly before his expression softened. "By the way, happy birthday, Zayn."
"Thank you, bro," I said sincerely.
He smiled. "You’re welcome."
Something tugged at me, and before I could stop myself, I turned to him quickly. "How did you know I was here?"
Evans laughed, a short, easy sound. "Pure luck. My car was parked nearby. Before I headed inside, I decided to check around... just in case. And there you were."
I hesitated, then sighed, lowering my voice. "I don’t know how this will sound to you, bro... but Evric is around. And he seriously doesn’t..."
Evans didn’t let me finish. He nodded knowingly. "I understand. I came around this area and tried calling you, but you weren’t picking up. So I thought I should check on you directly. Is everything okay?"
I gave a small nod. "Yeah... everything is fine. It’s just... when you were calling earlier, I was standing right in front of my man."
"My man," Evans repeated, dragging the words out with a teasing smirk.
"Yes," I replied firmly, a smile tugging at my lips despite everything. "My man. He’s... a damn jealous person. And we had a little misunderstanding at that time, and I didn’t want to answer the phone in front of him."
Evans chuckled, shaking his head. But there was no judgment in his tone, only amusement, and maybe a little understanding.
He glanced at me, his brows furrowed. "So... what happened?"
I exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of my neck. How do I even begin to explain this? "Actually... it’s something personal," I admitted. "But we’ve already talked about it, so... it’s fine."
Evans studied me for a moment, then nodded. "That’s good then," he said calmly.
Before I could reply, my phone suddenly rang. I glanced down at the screen... Rogan. My chest constricted, but I let it ring out without answering.
Then we reached the spot where Evans had parked his car, the silence between us was heavy. Evans leaned casually against the car and asked, "You’re not picking up? Hope it’s not Evric calling you."
I shook my head quickly. "No."
"Then why do you look so... sad all of a sudden?" he pressed.
I forced a slight smile, "It’s nothing. Thanks for coming, Evans."
"You’re welcome, bro," he replied with a faint smile.
That word bro made me laugh. "Finally, you agreed," I teased, my laughter breaking through the tension.
Evans smirked, shaking his head. "I got no choice. You love that boy so much..."
"Evans!" I cut him off sharply, my voice louder than I intended.
He laughed at my reaction, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. Sorry. You love that man so much."
I smiled to myself, because he was right, and we both knew it. Evans gave me one last pat on the shoulder before slipping into his car. "Take care, Zayn."
"Thanks for coming," I said softly again.
I watched Evans drive off, still smiling at the absurdity of it, at the way he’d stepped in like it was nothing. The warm little bubble of amusement faded when I turned back, my breath caught in my throat.
There, a short distance away, Evric stood on the path. He was watching me. He raised one hand and waved a slow, casual motion.
I walked toward him quickly, my heart racing at the sight of him. "Babe, when did you get here?" I asked, trying to sound casual though my pulse betrayed me.
"Not too long," Evric replied, his voice calm but his eyes sharp, scanning me in that way he always did when he was silently questioning everything.
Before he could speak further, I rushed to explain. "That was Evans. He only came because he was around this area and..."
But before I could get another word out, Evric’s hand slid around my waist, pulling me closer, cutting me off with that quiet, commanding presence of his. His lips brushed close to my ear as he murmured, "I’m not asking you questions."
The tension in my chest swelled, and I whispered quickly, "Baby, trust me. He’s just a friend to me now... more like a brother."
Evric sighed deeply, his thumb brushing along my side as though to soothe himself more than me. "Evans is an influential person, babe. I trust you, but... why would someone like him want to be close to you in the first place?"
His words hit me wrong, sharp and heavy. I frowned, my voice intense. "What do you mean, Evric? Are you saying my standard doesn’t fit in Evans’ circle?"
"No, babe." His tone softened instantly, pained that I even thought it. "I will never think less of you. But you... do you really make friends with people that easily?"
I exhaled hard, shaking my head. "Let’s not talk about this anymore. Just... drop it, okay?"
He stared at me for a long moment, his silence stretching, his gaze steady and indistinct. Finally, he said quietly, "Let’s leave here tomorrow morning."
I nodded. "Okay. I’ll talk to Dean and Nantam about it."
"Okay," Evric’s eyes chilled as his thumb lingered against my skin. Then, he leaned closer, his voice low and steady.
"Come on. Let’s go." Evric said suddenly, tugging at my hand.
I tilted my head, curious. "Where are we going?"
His lips curved into a sly smile. "Boat cruise."
"Boat cruise?" I blinked, my voice caught between shock and excitement. A laugh slipped from me, soft and disbelieving. "Are you for real?"
"For you, baby," he replied simply, like that explained everything.
My heart swelled at his words, and I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face. But then my gaze drifted toward my friends lounging nearby. "Then let me invite them along," I said quickly.
I saw the flicker in his expression, hesitation, the kind he always had when it came to sharing me with the world. He wanted me all to himself, I could feel it. But it was my birthday, and he could never say no to me. With a quiet sigh, he exhaled through his nose and nodded. "Okay."
The joy bubbled up inside me, almost too big to contain. I laced my fingers with his and tugged him toward the group, grinning so wide.
I walked back toward my friends, Evric’s hand locked tightly with mine. I didn’t even try to hide it, if anything, I held him closer, letting them all see the way his thumb stroked lazily across my knuckles.
"Hey, guys," I called out, my grin spreading as their eyes lifted to us. "My man just said I should invite you all to join us for a boat cruise. So..." I let the words hang, playful and deliberate. "You better go get ready."
Dean whistled low, his eyes flicking between me and Evric. "Damn, Zayn... your man just casually plans a whole boat cruise like it’s nothing? Some of us can’t even get a text back." He laughed, shaking his head.
A ripple of excitement ran through the group, murmurs breaking out, everyone already imagining the sea breeze, the pictures, the thrill.
But then I caught Nicki’s expression. His lips pressed into a tight line, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stared at Evric’s hand still tangled with mine. I leaned closer into Evric on purpose, tilting my head against his shoulder, my smile widening.
"Come on," I teased, looking straight at Nicki for just a beat too long. "When your man loves you like mine does... he makes birthdays and every day unforgettable."
Nicki scoffed under his breath...