CHAPTER 271: CHAPTER 271: A CHOICE BETWEEN FIRE AND HEART

~Zayn’s POV~

I drove home on autopilot, the echo of Meera’s ultimatum, choose between your son and him, throbbing in time with the sting on my cheek. I pulled into the driveway, exhausted and still sticky, the realization that Saturday was the last day for both Evric and Meera settling like a stone in my gut.

When I opened my house door, I wasn’t surprised. Meera hadn’t prepared dinner; the kitchen was dark. She was curled up on the couch, facing the back of the cushions, looking small and defeated. She lifted her head when I entered.

"Hi, Zayn," she murmured, her greeting barely audible.

I knew she would be angry, resentful, and stubborn, so I had already brought dinner along from my restaurant, two containers of her favorite pasta.

I went inside, changed out of my clothes, and came back to the living room. I quietly set up the dining table, laying out plates and the steaming food.

"Meera," I called gently. "Come and eat. I brought the pasta you like."

She didn’t move. "I’m not hungry."

I called her again, more firmly. "Meera, you need to eat."

"I said I’m not hungry, Zayn!" she snapped, pulling her knees closer to her chest.

I walked over to the couch and gently helped her sit up, pulling her around to face me. "Tell me what I did wrong to you," I asked, my voice flat with fatigue.

She poured out her pain, describing how agonizing it was to be in my restaurant, to see me so easily reach out to protect Evric, only to be attacked and slapped by a stranger while I froze. She kept repeating that she had stood by me when I was struggling with my identity, only for me to openly choose someone else over her, exposing her to public shame.

I listened until she was done, then I took a deep breath. I needed to be the voice of reason.

"Meera, I will firstly accept the fact that I froze and I am sorry for that," I admitted, my voice calm. "But you need to accept that you were wrong, too. Evric doesn’t even know you. Look how openly you were embarrassing him and calling him names, not only him, but me also."

I softened my tone. "Even though you are hurt because I was with him, what happened to talking to me calmly and being patient, Meera? The lady who slapped you back is Evric’s sister, Nuala. If you were in her shoes, would you allow someone to treat your brother like that and insult him? And trust me, Meera, if you had not created a scene, she wouldn’t have acted like that towards you. Can you please not act like that again?"

She sniffled, pulling out of the confrontation. "I’m sorry," she whispered, "I just don’t want our child to grow up confused about his father’s sexuality."

"I understand," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "And I apologize. I’m sorry for not reacting at all and not protecting you. You need to stop thinking I don’t care."

Then, she looked up, her expression vulnerable. "If you care about me, then... do you still love me, Zayn?"

The question was a trap. I stared at the steaming food on the table, desperate to avoid the truth.

"Meera," I said softly, "you know I’m not the type to lie. And you also know you won’t like the answer. So please... stand up. Let’s eat first. We’ll talk about everything tomorrow."

She frowned, but then shifted again. "I want to hug you first. I’m hurt, Zayn."

I sighed and forced a smile. "Okay, let me hug you."

I held her close, a comforting, platonic embrace. We stayed like that for a while, the silence heavy but peaceful. Then I felt her lean in, tilting her head, attempting to kiss me.

I immediately stopped her, turning my head slightly. "Hey. Let’s eat now, Meera, before the food gets cold."

I gently guided her toward the dining table. The boundary was set, for now. I had avoided a lie and a complication, but the deadline was still Saturday, and the need for the truth was paramount.

After we finished eating the pasta, I told Meera I needed to check on the restaurant accounts and also grab something I’d left in my car. I watched as she yawned dramatically.

"I’m feeling sleepy already," she mumbled, and without waiting for me, she headed straight for my room.

I didn’t say anything; I let her go. I was avoiding any further stress or argument that might jeopardize the fragile peace, or worse, my chance to get a DNA sample and my chance to get a peaceful sleep.

Once I heard the door click shut, I slipped outside and into my car. I needed to talk to Evric.

I called Evric on a video call. It rang once, then twice. My chest tightened with anxiety, was he already sleeping? On the third ring, he picked up.

The image that filled my screen was breathtaking. Evric had just stepped out of the shower; his hair was damp, and he was wrapped in a simple white towel tied low on his waist. I could see the steam on the mirror behind him. But my gaze immediately fixed on the background, it was clearly not his penthouse bedroom.

"Hey, babe," Evric said, smiling slightly, though his eyes looked tired. "I was in the bathroom. Sorry."

"I see it," I replied, my voice sharpening. "But you told me you were traveling tomorrow. So why does this room look completely different from our room?"

Evric looked genuinely surprised. He blinked, a slow, deliberate movement, and asked me to repeat myself. "Our room? What did you say?"

I repeated it, stubbornly. "I said. This place looks nothing like our room."

Evric finally smiled, a slow, genuine curve of his lips that eased the tightness in my chest. "I’m home, I promise. I just switched to a guest room because I couldn’t sleep in our room. Every corner reminds me of you... and it’s making me lose my mind."

I couldn’t help but smile back, the simple affection cutting through the panic. "If you left the restaurant hours ago, why are you just showering now?" I asked, trying to sound casual, even though I was analyzing every detail.

Evric ran a hand through his damp hair. "I went to see Nuala first. I needed to talk to her about her behavior, what she did to Meera wasn’t right, Zayn. I know she was trying to defend me, but she doesn’t even know who Meera is, and she still reacted that way. I didn’t like it. After I spoke to her, I came home, had dinner, took a shower, and now... I’m here, talking to you."

I paused, my gaze lingering on his abs, on the lines of muscle beneath his towel. My smile is slipping away. My expression shifted, revealing the months of longing and aching desire I’d been holding inside.

Evric noticed instantly. He went quiet, his eyes locking on mine. "Babe... I know that look. I know exactly what that face is asking for."

"I missed you so much, Evric," I admitted, the ache in my voice unmistakable.

"I miss you more, babe," he instantly replied, his eyes softening.

I looked at the damp hair, the strong shoulders, the defined lines of his body, barely covered. "Can you put the camera down a little?" I asked, my voice barely a breath. "I just want to see you."

Evric’s breath hitched. He called my name, a husky warning. "Zayn..."

"Please, babe," I begged, the last remnants of my control dissolving. "Just remove that towel. I missed you so badly; I can’t even express how much I want you inside me."

Evric held my gaze for a moment, his expression sliding from amusement into something raw and urgent. Slowly, deliberately, he let the towel fall, revealing himself. My breath caught, my pulse racing as I saw the undeniable evidence of his desire, already hard, already waiting.

"We should do a sex video chat," I whispered.

"No, baby," Evric replied, his tone low and steady. "I want you more than you want me, but we’re not doing that. Not now. Okay?"

I nodded, swallowing the disappointment, but respecting his boundaries. "Okay," I said, even though I was absolutely in the mood. "I understand."

Evric’s smile returned, though it was still heavy with restraint. "I already decided the location," he said. "After this call ends, I’ll send you the address. You’ll meet me there Saturday night."

We talked for a few more minutes about nothing important, just listening to each other breathe, before the call finally ended.

The video call ended, but the fire he’d ignited still burned through me. I sat there, struggling to steady my racing thoughts.

Then my phone buzzed. A message from Evric. My thumb shook as I opened it. It was a single line: an address, followed by a room number.

When I processed the location, my heart slammed against my ribs. It wasn’t some remote business suite or a new, neutral location.

The address he sent was the hotel, the exact hotel where I had first met him, the first place we had ever been together. And not only that, the room number was the same room number from that first night.

He added a short, precise instruction:

Mr. Karl will hand you the card key to the room, just like the first night.

I stared at the screen, tears blurring my vision. It wasn’t just a location; it was a profound, calculated statement. Evric wasn’t just giving me a choice; he was making me revisit the very beginning of us.

"Evric, what game are you playing at?"