CHAPTER 283: CHAPTER 283: A QUIET MOMENT WITH YOU

~Zayn’s POV~

I laughed, feeling the same giddy excitement. With a quick word to the waiter, Evric took my hand and pulled me up, practically rushing us out of the café and back toward the privacy of our hotel room.

I am absolutely going to marry this man.

The second the door clicked shut behind us, isolating us from the rest of the world, I braced myself for the big, passionate response I knew was coming. But what Evric did next completely melted me.

He didn’t pounce; he didn’t even move to kiss me. Instead, he walked over to one of the plush armchairs in the room, sat down, and sank back into the cushions. He looked like a gorgeous, overwhelmed king.

Then he looked at me, his eyes still shining, but his cheeks were flushed the deepest pink I’d ever seen them. He reached out and tugged gently on my arm.

"Come here," he whispered, his voice slightly husky. "Sit on me."

I went immediately, straddling his lap and wrapping my arms loosely around his neck. I was ready to kiss him, ready for anything, but he didn’t move. He simply rested his head against my chest, nuzzling in like a shy puppy.

"What is it, baby?" I asked softly, smoothing his hair back. "Why are you so quiet?"

He let out a long, shaky sigh a sound of pure, unadulterated happiness. He peeked up at me with one eye, his lips curved in a sheepish, utterly adorable smile.

"I just... I can’t handle it," he mumbled into my shirt. "All that... out there. You said it so many times. My husband-to-be. The way you said it to that lady... and then you called me the best in the whole world..."

He squeezed his arms tightly around my waist, pulling me closer until I could feel his heart thrumming rapidly beneath me.

"I just needed a minute to... to contain the joy," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. "I feel like a goofy teenager, Zayn. You make me feel so bold and so shy at the same time." He buried his face in my neck again, letting out a muffled, happy giggle. "It’s too much, darling. The sheer cuteness of you being all proud of me... I need a moment to quietly blush."

I just held him, my heart swelling with love. His usual confidence had completely dissolved into this beautiful, shy vulnerability, and it was the sweetest thing in the world. I kissed the top of his head.

"You can blush as long as you want, my love," I murmured. "I’ll be right here."

I felt him nod against my skin, still giggling softly. This wasn’t the passionate make-out session I’d anticipated, but it was infinitely better: a perfect, quiet moment of deep, giddy connection with the man who was completely and utterly mine.

We just held each other like that for a few minutes, completely still, listening only to the synchronized rhythm of our heartbeats, a silent, perfect affirmation of our love.

The moment was finally broken by a polite knock at the door, our room service delivery.

Evric stirred, pulling back just enough to look at me, his eyes now bright with a mischievous glint. "I’ll get it," he said, hopping up. I smiled and stood from his lap, watching him practically skip to the door to retrieve our delayed meal.

We settled down to eat, and everything unfolded in a beautiful, unexpected way. Evric was on fire. He was talkative, engaging, and genuinely hilarious. He kept launching into long stories, bringing up different topics, and making an effort to crack jokes that were actually funny. He even tried to dance and sing, just for my benefit.

It was clear that Evric had truly grown into a version of himself that was the absolute sweetest. Throughout the entire meal and the hours that followed, I didn’t once feel a moment of awkward silence. It was like I was alone with just him and a constant stream of wonderful, endearing chaos. All I did was smile, watching him perform for me. He is such a sweet soul.

As the evening approached, the sky outside turning a deep, rich indigo, Evric looked at his watch. It was closing in on 7:00 PM.

"Babe," he said, his eyes sparkling with a new idea. "We should dress up and step out."

"Oh? Where are we going?" I asked, curious.

He walked over and took my hands, his expression tender. "Please, babe. I just want to have a night drive with you. Beside me. That’s all."

"Okay," I agreed instantly. A night drive with him sounded like heaven.

We moved toward getting ready. Evric, in his newfound role as my personal stylist, took charge. He picked out my outfit, telling me exactly what to wear. He was the one who practically dressed me up and styled me, humming happily as he chose accessories. I just stood back and let him, enjoying the pampering.

Afterward, I watched him dress. He was meticulous, choosing a perfect, stylish ensemble before taking extra time to comb and style his hair until it looked effortlessly perfect.

We stepped out of the hotel room right around 8:16 PM, and the energy between us was electric. Evric looked incredibly handsome, and I felt amazing, dressed up exactly the way he wanted me to be.

We took the elevator down and walked to his car, a sleek, dark machine that seemed to purr as he unlocked it. He opened the passenger door for me with a flourish, and I slid in, the scent of expensive leather and his cologne instantly wrapping around me.

He got in, started the engine, and we merged onto the main road. The city was a blur of lights and motion. The car felt like our own private bubble, cocooned from the rush outside. Evric slid back the sunroof, letting the cool night air and the faint scent of the city drift in, but he remained silent, completely focused on the road ahead.

"So, where is this magical night drive taking us?" I asked, resting my hand on his thigh.

He smiled, squeezing my hand without taking his eyes off the street. "Just trust me, babe. It’s a surprise. I just wanted to see the city lights with you beside me."

We drove for a solid twenty minutes, leaving the familiar district of the hotel behind. The area got quieter, the buildings taller, and the traffic thinned until we were cruising down a wide, multi-lane road.

Evric finally pulled the car to the side of the road in an area that seemed both abandoned and perfectly situated. Towering around us were massive, dark skyscrapers, but the road itself was empty, giving us a clear, panoramic view of the entire city skyline, an incredible spectacle of a million distant lights.

He turned off the engine, and the sudden silence was profound.

"Wow," I breathed, looking at the view. "This is stunning, Evric."

He didn’t look at the view; he looked only at me. He reached over and took both of my hands, his eyes deeply serious.

"Zayn," he began, his voice dropping to a low, intense register. "I know how much you value privacy. When we talked about the proposal this morning, you said you don’t like crowds. And I heard you."

My brow furrowed slightly. "I remember. But you already proposed with the ring—"

"I gave you the ring, yes," he corrected gently. "But I haven’t asked you yet. Not properly. I haven’t done it in a way that truly expresses the...