Chapter 137: Chapter 137: The Distance Hurts More
~Zayn’s POV~
I stood there, numb. My body refused to move, my throat burned, yet no words escaped. I didn’t even know how to react.
Just then, Liana came out, cheerful and unaware. "Good morning, bro!" she greeted warmly.
I forced a reply, "Morning," but the tightness in my voice betrayed me. She caught the look on my face and stopped, frowning. "Zayn, what happened? Why are you...?"
Before she could finish, I cut in quickly. "It’s nothing to worry about." Then I turned to Nuala, forcing a smile I didn’t feel. "I’ll head back upstairs."
Upstairs, I sank onto the edge of my bed, running both hands through my hair. What did I do wrong this time? The question clawed at me, but I refused to let it consume me. I drew a deep breath, willing myself to stay calm, and picked up my phone.
Babe, what is wrong? Are you that busy that you left my message unread all since yesterday? I typed, then stared at the screen, waiting.
Nothing.
Minutes passed, still nothing. I tried calling. Once. Twice. By the third ring, he finally picked up.
"Hello," he said. No babe. No sweetness. Just cold, distant. My chest shrank.
I forced my voice into something soft, steady. "Hello, babe... How are you?"
"Fine," he replied flatly.
That one word cut deeper than silence. "Are you busy? I could call back later."
"It’s okay. You can speak."
But with the way he sounded, I could hardly breathe. I swallowed and asked carefully, "Babe, what’s wrong? We can talk about it. Please... talk to me."
"There’s nothing to talk about," he said, his tone sharper this time.
"Babe..." I whispered.
"Yes?"
"Can you just speak to me?"
"Can you stop it already, Zayn? I told you, you did nothing wrong. Why do you keep pressing about it? If you have nothing else to say, let’s talk later."
I smiled weakly at his words, trying to hide how much it hurt. I didn’t get angry. I didn’t argue. I just asked quietly, "What day exactly are you coming back?"
"Once I come, you’ll see me," he said, dismissive.
I tried different ways, different tones, hoping he would soften, but he kept pushing me back with his coldness. The weight broke me, and my voice finally cracked.
"Is it about me going to meet my friends? If you don’t want me to go, just say it."
Then he said. "I have something more important to do. Since you have nothing more to say, I’ll hang up."
"Stop, Evric!" The words burst out before I could stop them. My voice shook. "Just stop it. Don’t hang up on me. I’ve tried so hard not to cross any line that would make you act like this toward me. If there’s anything wrong, just tell me. If you don’t want me to go to the resort my friends arranged, just say it and I will..."
He cut me off, sharp and cold. "I’m not stopping you. Do whatever you want. I’ll get busy now. Talk to you later."
Before I could respond, the line went dead.
I lowered the phone slowly, my hands trembling. For the first time in a long while, I didn’t know if my heart could carry the weight of his silence.
I stared at the screen for a long moment, my chest heavy, then finally typed out the words that pressed against my heart.
Babe, it’s unfair for you to treat me this way. I might not realize what I did wrong, but if you talk to me about it, I’ll apologize. There’s no way I won’t apologize to you. Please, babe, talk to me.
He read it.
But no reply came.
The tiny blue tick on the screen mocked me. I tried calling again, once, twice... but each time it rang, he didn’t pick up.
Defeated, I dragged myself downstairs. Nuala was in the living room, scrolling through her phone. "Can you try calling Evric for me?" I asked, my voice low.
She gave me a puzzled look but dialed his number anyway. It rang once before he picked up.
My heart clenched. He answered her, but not me.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and shook my head. "You can end the call," I told her softly. "He won’t speak to me."
Before she could say anything, I turned and went back upstairs. I didn’t bother to text him again. Didn’t bother to call. Let him be, I told myself. Maybe he’ll calm down and call me himself.
But as soon as I lay on the bed, thoughts crowded my head like shadows creeping in. Did he find out about Evans? Did something happen? The questions chased each other until my mind grew restless and unsettled. I pressed a hand against my chest, trying to quiet the storm inside me, but nothing worked.
No matter how hard I tried to convince myself, a deep, gnawing fear whispered that something was breaking.
*****************
The day slipped by faster than I expected. Before I knew it, my phone buzzed with a call from Nantam and Dean. Their voices carried excitement as they told me they were already on their way to the resort. I forced myself to sound cheerful, laughing when needed, replying with okay like everything was perfectly fine.
But the moment the call ended, my phone lit up again. Evans.
I stared at the screen, my chest narrowed, then let it ring until it died. I couldn’t bring myself to answer, not with everything else already weighing on me.
Because right now, all I could think about was Evric.
What troubled me most wasn’t just his cold voice or the way he’d hung up earlier, it was the distance. He wasn’t here, he was somewhere far away, and that made it impossible for me to reach him, to look into his eyes, to get the truth out of him the way I normally could.
Evric was never the type to speak openly. He always held his emotions close, hidden, buried under that guarded exterior. And if he were here, I could have found a way, hugging him until he softened, refusing to let go until he talked. But now? All I had was silence.
I rubbed my hair, frustration mixing with fear. Tomorrow was my birthday. Evric, don’t ruin this day for me, I thought desperately. If something happened, just tell me. Don’t shut me out. Give me the chance to apologize, if that’s what you want. Just... talk to me.
The words stayed trapped in my chest, heavy and unspoken, as the night stretched on and my heart felt more and more like it was carrying the weight of an invisible storm.