CHAPTER 107: CHAPTER 107: A VOICE THAT CALMS ME

As I stepped into my home, I was met by Dean, Nantam, and Nicki in the living room, talking and laughing loudly. The moment they noticed me at the door, their laughter paused, and three pairs of eyes turned my way... curious.

I raised an eyebrow, trying to act unbothered. "Why the sudden silence? Keep talking, all three of you."

Nantam leaned forward, his brows raised with concern. "Zayn, where have you been for almost five days?"

Nicki immediately cut in, scoffing. "Correction... it’s almost six days, bro."

I let out a dry laugh, shaking my head as I looked between the two of them. "Please, don’t team up on me. Both of you roasting me at once? That’s unfair. I simply went out for business. Where else could I have been?"

Dean didn’t say anything, but the way he looked at me told me everything. His knowing eyes lingered a second too long, he already guessed exactly where I had been. That silent understanding between us made me shift uncomfortably.

Nantam broke the moment with a playful smirk. "You should invite her over sometime, Zayn. We’re your friends, we want to meet her."

Before I could reply, Nicki clicked his tongue. "Please, count me out. I’m not Zayn’s friend."

I stiffened at his words but ignored them for the moment, turning back to Nantam. "Who are you even talking about?"

"You know who," Nantam pressed, still smiling as if he had me cornered. "Don’t act innocent. You can’t hide her forever. One day, you’ll end up introducing her to us."

I rolled my eyes, pretending to brush it off. "Please, don’t talk about what you’re not sure about."

That earned me silence from Nantam.

But my patience was running thin, and my eyes shifted toward Nicki. His smug expression only irritated me further. "Nicki," I said firmly, "watch the way you speak to me. The way you’ve been talking lately is getting out of hand. What do you mean you’re not my friend?"

He didn’t even flinch. "I mean exactly what I said. You’re not my friend, and I don’t see you as a brother either."

A cold silence filled the room. My jaw tightened, and I slowly nodded. "Fine. If you don’t see me as a brother or a friend, then why are you in my house? Do you think of me as your enemy now?"

Nicki met my gaze with defiance. "Exactly. That’s how I see you, Zayn."

The words struck harder than I expected, anger flaring in my chest. My voice snapped louder than I intended. "If that’s the case, if you see me as your enemy, then why not stay away from me? Why are you in my house at all?"

Nicki sneered, standing his ground. "Don’t flatter yourself. I never wanted to be here in the first place. Don’t think your house is anything special."

My patience cracked. I pointed a finger at him, my voice sharp. "Don’t make me angry, Nicki."

He leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "Get angry, then. Do you think I fear you? Your anger is as pathetic as everything else about you. I’m not afraid of you, Zayn."

That was it. My blood boiled. I moved quickly toward him, closing the distance in just a few steps. "How dare you speak to me like that..."

But before I could do anything, Dean jumped up, grabbing my arm and holding me back. "Zayn, stop. Calm down."

The tension spiked, heavy enough to suffocate the room.

That was when Nantam finally snapped, his voice thundering across the space. "Enough, Nicki! Stand up. Pick your things and leave this place right now!"

Nicki froze, and for the first time that night, his bravado wavered. He didn’t dare argue with Nantam, his older brother’s authority weighed heavier than his pride. Without a word, he grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

Silence lingered for a long moment. My chest was still heaving, my pulse racing with the anger I had barely contained.

Dean sighed, letting go of my arm. "Hey, man. Let it go. You know Nicki, he just has a bad mouth. Don’t let him get to you."

I turned to him, my voice low and rough. "But I haven’t done anything to him, Dean. Nothing. So why does he always treat me like this?"

Before Dean could answer, Nantam stepped closer, guilt shadowing his face. "Zayn... I need to apologize to you. I’m truly sorry on his behalf. He crossed the line."

I exhaled slowly, shaking my head. "Nantam, I don’t like this. I’m only holding back because of you. If it weren’t for you..." My words trailed, the weight of frustration choking me.

"I know," Nantam interrupted softly, his tone pleading. "But please, for my sake, don’t be angry. I’ll deal with him. Trust me."

The heaviness in the room lingered, my chest still tight with everything unspoken.

Just then, my phone buzzed in my pocket. The screen lit up with Evric’s name. Without another word, I excused myself, leaving Dean and Nantam behind as I slipped into my bedroom to answer the call.

I entered my room and picked up the call.

"Hey, babe," I said softly, forcing some calm into my voice.

"Hey, baby," Evric’s voice came through warm and familiar, a comfort that made my chest tighten.

I asked, "Have you gotten home yet?"

But instead of answering right away, he picked up on the strain in my tone. His voice shifted, laced with concern. "Babe... is everything okay?"

I hesitated, then exhaled. "Yes. It’s just... little things. But I’ll be fine."

"Are you sure?" he pressed gently, not fully convinced.

"Yes," I reassured him again, though my voice wasn’t as steady as I wished.

"You know you can always talk to me, right?" His words came tender, almost like a plea.

"I know, baby. I know," I murmured. "So tell me... where are you now?"

"I’m at the store," he replied. "Shopping for a few things. I already got some stuff for you, but I wanted to ask if there’s anything else you want."

I smiled faintly at his thoughtfulness, though he couldn’t see it. "Babe, you can get me anything. I don’t personally have anything I want right now."

There was a pause before he spoke again, his voice firm but caring. "Babe, take it easy, okay? And if you need me to come pick you up, do not hesitate to call me."

"I’ve heard you," I said, my tone softer, warmed by his concern.

Then, almost out of nowhere, he added, "You should move in quickly with me... so I can share your worries with mine."

I blinked, caught off guard, then let out a small laugh. "With what, Evric?"

"You know what I mean," he chuckled.

I shook my head, still smiling. "Call me when you get home."

"Okay, love. I love you, Zayn."

"I love you too, Evric," I whispered before hanging up.

The silence that followed didn’t last long. A sharp sound broke it...

Knock. Knock. Knock.

My head lifted toward the door.

"Zayn?" Dean’s voice called gently.

"Zayn, it’s us," Nantam added.