CHAPTER 285: CHAPTER 285: BOUND BY A RING, SEEN BY THE WORLD

~Zayn’s POV~

I kissed the ring, then lifted my gaze to meet his. He leaned in, and we kissed deeply, a sweet, tear-salted kiss of a promise that would truly last a thousand years.

The music, the soft notes of "A Thousand Years," continued to play from the car speakers, a gentle blanket over the immense feelings we shared.

Evric captured my hand, pulling it closer into the soft glow of the car’s interior light. He kept staring at the ring on my finger, a look of awe and utter possession in his eyes. He slowly brought my hand to his lips and pressed a tender kiss directly onto the sparkling band. He didn’t want to leave my hand.

When we finally broke apart, Evric’s eyes were shining with an almost overwhelming love. "I love you so much, Zayn," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

"I love you more, Evric," I replied instantly, pulling him closer for another quick, fierce kiss. He settled back slightly, and then he leaned in to press a lingering, warm kiss to my forehead a gesture that always felt like coming home.

Suddenly, Evric was all energy and focus. He reached for his phone, his hand trembling slightly. "Wait, wait, wait," he said, his eyes still glued to my hand. He gently adjusted my fingers, maneuvering my hand into the small, pool of light cast by the car’s interior map light.

He started taking pictures—close-ups of my newly banded finger. He was utterly absorbed, clicking away, his smile growing wider with every flash. He looked so genuinely, ridiculously happy that I couldn’t stop smiling myself. I watched him, completely captivated by his joy, thinking the picture of him so happy was the real treasure.

"My turn," I laughed, grabbing my phone. I quickly snapped a picture of Evric as he was, focused, beautiful, and undone by love, right as he was photographing my hand. That image, capturing his sheer, unadulterated happiness, was instantly my favorite.

Then, he climbed halfway out of his seat, aiming his camera high above us. "And one of the whole masterpiece," he declared, taking a panoramic shot of the dark road, the silhouette of the car, and the lingering light of the drone message—"ZAYN, WILL YOU MARRY ME!"—still visible against the black canvas of the sky.

Next, he insisted on a shot where he kissed the ring on my finger, a tender, posed moment that sealed his vow visually.

"Now, for the world to see the happiness," Evric chuckled, pulling me close.

We turned the phone camera on ourselves, capturing the raw, giddy joy of the moment in a flurry of shots:

He guided my head to rest on his shoulder, our cheeks touching, and we beamed at the screen, a picture of unadulterated, mutual happiness, the metallic gleam of the ring visible on my hand in the corner. Then, he adjusted his hold, pulling me in closer for a blurry, close-up kiss, the photo capturing the spontaneous, salty sweetness of our promised future.

In one moment, we kept our heads close, our eyes locked on the camera, but our smiles were soft and knowing, revealing the silent understanding that only the two of us shared. We were creating the evidence of our forever, documenting the very spot where every single thing changed. We spent ten wonderful, chaotic minutes capturing every angle of our new reality, feeling the weight of the moment and the sheer perfection of it all.

Finally, we took our engagement selfies, flushed and tear-streaked, but radiating pure, electric happiness.

Evric barely gave me a chance to review the photos before selecting one, a close-up of our rings and hands and immediately posting it. He captioned it with a simple, powerful declaration: "He said yes. Forever with my home, @ZaynSmith."

Then came my turn. I felt that familiar wave of privacy, but the immense love I felt for Evric, and the pride in this moment, overpowered any hesitation. I selected a beautiful selfie where we were both grinning, our faces close, the excitement in our eyes unmistakable.

I took a deep breath, and with a fiercely beating heart, I typed my caption: "Couldn’t say no to forever. Officially off the market. Meet my fiancé, @EvricDraeven." I hit ’Post.’

I placed my phone face down and turned to Evric, ready to share a celebratory kiss. But he was frozen, staring wide-eyed at his phone, which showed my new post.

"You... you posted me?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper, laced with disbelief that was tinged with profound joy.

I just smiled, a slight, understanding smile. "Well, I can’t announce the engagement without introducing the groom, can I?"

The sheer happiness that flooded his face was instantaneous and overwhelming. His smile broadened, his eyes filling with a renewed intensity that somehow surpassed even the moment he placed the ring on my hand. He let out a surprised, delighted laugh and threw his arms around me, pulling me into a fierce, breathless hug.

"Zayn," he mumbled into my hair, "I—I can’t believe it. I always knew you were mine, but seeing that... you really mean it. No more hiding. No shame."

In that instant, I realized that my simple, public declaration right there on that road meant more to him than anything else. The proposal gained a new, deeper meaning for him; he finally understood he had truly won my commitment, fully and openly, in the eyes of the world, right there in the most significant spot on Earth.

"Of course I mean it, Evric," I whispered, holding him tight. "It’s you. It’s always been you."

We stayed locked in that hug, the world condensed to just the two of us, until the vibrating of our phones, both resting on the console, became impossible to ignore. The news had officially broken.

Evric pulled back, still grinning, and we simultaneously grabbed our devices. The comments and notifications were already pouring in like a tidal wave.

I focused on my post first. My friends were the fastest and loudest.

Nicki, was the first to comment: "Congratulations bro, but are you not too young to get married now? 😂😂😂"

Dean followed instantly, proving he was already teary-eyed: "WOW MY SON! Congratulations, I’m in tears right now. So proud!"

Then Nantam, always the one with a dry prediction: "I act like I’m surprised but I already saw that coming. Congratulations to both of you."

I laughed out loud, leaning into Evric, who was distracted by the dozens of reactions flooding his own profile, many from his international friends and his family.

Evric was still showing me a stream of congratulatory comments from his family and business partners when I saw a comment that made my jaw drop. Evric’s father, who rarely used social media for personal matters, had sent a heartfelt congratulations directly on my post. That was the "wow" moment I truly hadn’t believed would happen. I was damn surprised by the public display of welcome.

Liana, congratulated us, and suddenly my Direct Messages were full—a constant barrage of heart emojis, well-wishes, and shocked questions.

Before the comment storm could settle, my phone rang. It was Nantam. I picked up immediately.

"Well? Spill!" Nantam’s voice, buzzing with excitement. "That was beautiful, Zayn! I’m so happy for you."

Dean’s voice, ever the dramatic force, cut in over the loudspeaker: "Zayn! I can’t imagine! I watched you grow up! Remember when you still crawled and couldn’t even eat on your own?"

I chuckled, rolling my eyes. "Cut your stupid drama. I’m older than you, idiot."

"Oh, that’s true, I almost forgot?" he laughed, and the rest of us joined in.

"Anyways, bro," Nicki interjected, his tone suddenly serious. "Pass that phone to your man."

Author please note

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