CHAPTER 28: CHAPTER 28: JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I MOVED ON

I slid inside him slowly, and the moment I did, I looked into his eyes and didn’t look away.

Zayn gasped, his fingers tightening around my shoulders. But even then, his eyes stayed on mine, wide and unguarded. It felt like we were saying everything we hadn’t said aloud, all in that one shared look.

I moved gently, barely thrusting, just enough to stay deep, just enough to feel him clench around me. But my eyes never left his. And his never left mine.

He whispered my name once, just once, but it was enough to make my entire chest tighten.

My hand slid over his cheek, thumb brushing beneath his eye as I kept moving. Not fast. Not rough. Just the way he deserved to be touched.

This is what I want every morning and night.

Zayn arched beneath me, his breath shaking, lips parting like he wanted to say something but couldn’t. So I leaned down, kissed him slow, tongue barely slipping in, and when we broke apart, I whispered against his mouth, "I’m not doing this because I want your body."

His breath hitched. I moved again.

"I’m doing this because I want you."

A soft moan escaped him, like the words touched deeper than I did. We moved together, our rhythm slow, full, and melting into each other. His hands held me tighter, like he finally believed me. Like maybe, for once, he felt wanted and satisfied.

And I swore, right there, I could do this a thousand times over, and still not get enough.

"Zayn..." I whispered his name again, voice rough with emotion, still buried inside him, still holding his gaze like it was the only thing anchoring me. "I don’t want you to rush yourself... or feel like you have to say anything now. But can you just give me a chance, a trial of being your boyfriend?"

His brows knit slightly, lips parted but still silent. I kept moving, slow and deep, savoring the way his body welcomed me, warm, tight, trembling around me. My hand cupped his cheek again.

"I just want you to be mine," I breathed, pressing a soft kiss to his jaw, "Not because of tonight. Not because of the way we fit like this. But because everything about you... I can’t get enough of it."

I felt his legs tighten around my waist.

"I promise," I whispered, my voice shaking with truth, "I won’t put pressure on you. Not while we’re figuring this out. But I need you to know, I’m not doing this because you’re a one-night thing. I want to sleep with you because you belong with me... and to me alone."

He still didn’t say anything. No yes. No no. Just his eyes, wide and burning, like they were trying to memorize me.

And then, he moved.

He lifted his hips suddenly, meeting my thrust with one of his own, deeper, firmer. My breath hitched. He didn’t speak, but his body responded, bold and sure, guiding me closer, guiding us both into something neither of us could turn back from.

I groaned, finally giving in, letting my hips pick up pace, my hands gripping his waist as we moved together. Not rough, but stronger, more desperate now. A rhythm that spoke louder than any words could.

He gasped, his hand gripping the back of my neck, holding me close as our foreheads touched. "Evric..." he finally whispered, voice fragile.

That one word broke me open.

I kissed him again, fiercely, our mouths moving in sync with our bodies. We were breathless, wrapped around each other like the world had gone silent.

Each thrust became a confession from me.

I want you.

I need you.

Stay.

His hands slipped down to my back, fingers digging into my skin as his body tensed. I could feel him getting close, so was I. I pressed my palm to his chest, feeling the thunder of his heartbeat under my touch.

"Look at me," I said, breath ragged. "Cum with me."

And he did.

With a broken moan, he clung to me, back arching as pleasure took him, body tightening, shuddering beneath me. The sound of my name on his lips as he reached his peak pulled mine from me like a tide. I followed him into it, buried deep, both of us shaking, gasping, lost in each other.

And then... stillness.

Our chests rose and fell together, sweat-slick skin pressed close, our hearts pounding in sync. I didn’t pull away. I didn’t want to.

I just looked at him, kissed the corner of his mouth, and whispered, "Even if you never say it, I’ll keep proving it... that you’re not just someone I want to touch, you’re someone I want to love."

He stared at me for a long time, longer than I expected, his eyes shimmering with uncertainty and something else... something softer. Vulnerable.

"I never thought I’d find myself here," he finally whispered, his voice low, fragile. "Sleeping beside a man... wanting him like this. Craving him. But it happened, Evric. I kept coming back to you... and I don’t even know why."

The silence between us wasn’t empty, it was full. Full of unsaid truths, rising emotion, and our bare skin still tangled in the dim light.

"I can’t promise you anything now," Zayn said quietly, lifting his hand to rest it on my cheek. "But I’ll think about it, about this chance you’re asking for. I just... I need time."

I nodded, brushing my lips against his forehead. "Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere."

I was still inside him, still connected to him in the most intimate way, but it no longer felt like just desire. It felt like something deeper, something neither of us could name yet, but we both felt it pressing into our chests like a heartbeat we didn’t expect to share.

His fingers gripped my shoulders, and in the quiet, we began to move again. Slowly. Intentionally. Our bodies moved not out of hunger, but out of a desire to feel, to hold, to understand, to remember. Each thrust was gentle yet grounding, as if trying to carve this memory into the night.

He held my gaze the entire time, and I held his.

There were no more words. Just breath. Just the soft gasp of surrender. Just the rhythm of two hearts trying to meet in the same space.

When we finally reached that edge together again, clinging, trembling, lost in each other, it felt like more than release.

It felt like a promise.

Afterward, our breaths slowly settled, syncing like a lullaby shared between tired hearts. He shifted just a little, his chest rising and falling against mine, still warm from everything we’d just shared.

I leaned in closer, pressing a tender kiss to his shoulder. He didn’t say anything, but the way he relaxed into me said enough.

No rush. No pressure.

Just warmth, skin to skin, and the quiet comfort of simply existing together.

Wrapped in each other, we drifted off to sleep, his head resting near mine, our bodies tangled beneath the sheets, and for the first time... it felt like peace.

The soft rays of morning light slipped through the curtains, painting golden streaks across the sheets. My eyes fluttered open to the warmth of Zayn still beside me, his back gently rising and falling with each breath.

Everything felt quiet... peaceful.

Then, his phone began to buzz on the nightstand.

Zayn stirred slowly, groaning a little as he reached over and grabbed it, his voice husky from sleep. "Hello?"

There was a pause.

He sat up slightly. "Mom..."

I remained still, just watching him, memorizing the way his shoulders tensed slightly before relaxing.

"Yeah, I’m okay... I’ve just been caught up with things." His gaze drifted toward me as he spoke, softer. "I’ll come check on you soon, I promise."

He listened for a bit, nodding along, then chuckled faintly. "Alright, I will. I’ll call you later."

When he hung up, he sighed and tossed the phone gently aside before leaning back into the pillows. I reached over, pressing a kiss to his bare shoulder.

"Everything alright?"

He nodded, turning slightly toward me. "My mom. She says I’ve been away too long." He gave a small smile. "I told her I’d come by soon."

I smiled back and wrapped an arm around his waist. "She misses you."

"Yeah," he murmured, settling into me again.

I thought this peace would last a little longer, that maybe, just maybe, the world could stay outside a little more. I was still curled against him, tracing lazy kisses along his chest as he stroked my hair in silence, when his voice broke through the stillness.

"Can you cook?" he asked, teasing.

I pulled back slightly, lips brushing his collarbone. "Not really," I admitted with a sheepish smile. "But I’ll learn. Since my man-to-be owns a restaurant..."

Zayn smirked, that rare, genuine kind of smile that made my heart stammer. "Then you’ll need to pay me. And take my classes seriously."

I laughed softly, eyes glinting with challenge. "Name your price, Chef Zayn. It’s Evric Draeven you’re talking to, money’s not my problem."

"But I’ll have to take your class... mostly indoors," I said, leaning closer with a playful smirk, "just me and you."

Zayn raised a brow, amused. "Is that your way of saying you want private lessons?"

I nodded slowly, eyes on his lips.

He leaned in then, his lips meeting mine with quiet affection. I kissed him back just as sweetly, the warmth between us growing, the tension soft and promising.

But then... my phone rang.

I groaned, not wanting to move. "Ignore it," I murmured against his lips.

Zayn chuckled and nudged me. "That’s not very professional, Mr. Draeven. Businessmen don’t skip calls."

Reluctantly, I reached for my phone and answered without checking the caller ID. "Hello?"

The voice on the other end sliced through the haze of warmth like ice water.

"Evric."

Just that.

And instantly, I knew.

Nicki.