CHAPTER 63: CHAPTER 63: THE MOMENT EVERYTHING CHANGED

Just then, Evric’s voice rang from behind me.

"Babe... do you..."

My heart skipped. I spun around quickly, trying to silence him, but it was too late. Dean’s eyes widened, the word babe hanging heavy in the air between us.

Panic rushed through me. Without thinking, I strode over to Dean, grabbed his hand, and dragged him away, far from Evric’s sight. Evric stayed behind, standing alone, while my pulse hammered in my chest.

When I finally stopped, Dean yanked his hand free. "Zayn," he said firmly, "listen to me before you say anything."

I swallowed hard, nodding quickly. Okay...

He raked a hand through his hair, his eyes searching mine. "Zayn..." His voice cracked slightly. "I don’t need to ask who that was. That’s Evric Draeven, everyone knows his face. The new CEO of Draeven Holdings."

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. All I could do was nod.

Dean shook his head, looking lost. "I don’t even know what to say. I don’t even know what to ask. Are you..." His voice faltered, the word stuck in his throat. "Are you ga...?"

"Dean," I cut in softly, my chest tight. "Just... breathe, okay? Please."

But he exploded. "Breathe? What the hell is going on with you, Zayn? All your life, you’ve been into women. Always with women! You rejected Nantam for four years, swearing you weren’t into men, swearing you were straight, and now?" His voice rose, shaking. "Now you’re not just with a man... you’re with Evric Draeven!"

Shame burned hot in my chest. I reached out, desperate. "Dean, please, just let me explain..."

"No!" he snapped, pulling back. His jaw clenched, hurt flashing in his eyes. "Do you realize what this looks like? Do you realize how much of a lie this feels like? You’ve been hiding this. From me. From all of us." He let out a bitter laugh. "And you think Nantam won’t find out? You think I won’t tell him? He deserves to know you only pretended all these years!"

"Dean, please..." My voice cracked. "I’m begging you, don’t tell anyone. Not yet. Just... give me time. Please."

He stared at me, torn between anger and loyalty. Finally, he shook his head, voice tight. "I need to calm down first. We’ll talk later."

Then he turned away, leaving me standing there with my heart pounding, terrified that my secret could shatter everything.

In that moment, Liana’s words echoed in my head, the last time she came to my house and I finally opened up to her.

"You know Mom might get angry at first," she had said gently, "but she’ll come around. What matters is your happiness. The real question isn’t about Mom, it’s about you. Are you truly sure of your feelings for him? Because once you choose this path, you’ll have to face everything that comes with it. Are you ready for that, Zayn?"

I hadn’t understood it then. But now, after seeing the look on Dean’s face, I finally did. His eyes hadn’t just shown surprise, they had burned with disappointment, even disgust. If it had been someone else, maybe he would have been more accepting, less harsh. But because it was me, someone he always held to high expectations and deep respect, the truth must have cut him harder.

Dean wasn’t just shocked. He was disappointed in me. And that hurt more than anything.

A tear slipped down my cheek as I walked off, searching for a quiet place to sit. Minutes later, the cool splash of water touched my skin, startling me. I raised my head.

It was Evric.

I quickly wiped my eyes, forcing a weak smile.

"Hey," he said softly, crouching a little to meet my gaze. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, though my chest felt heavy. "I’m fine..."

He didn’t believe me, I could tell. His eyes searched mine, looking for words he couldn’t quite find. Instead, he unscrewed a bottle of water and handed it to me.

"Here," he said simply.

I took it, drank a little, and exhaled slowly. The silence between us wasn’t awkward, it was grounding. After a while, he finally asked, "Was that your friend?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"Everything okay?" His voice was calm, careful.

"Yeah," I lied with a faint smile. "Everything’s fine."

But my chest tightened. I glanced at him and whispered, "Evric... I lost the energy to work out. Can we just change and head back?"

He studied me for a moment. No questions, no pressure. Just a steady look that told me he understood. Then he gave a small nod.

When we stepped into the changing room, I felt Evric’s hand rest lightly against my waist. His voice was low.

"I’m sorry, Zayn. I wasn’t careful. If I hadn’t called you that... maybe none of this would’ve happened. Maybe you wouldn’t be hurting right now."

I turned to face him, shaking my head. "Evric, what are you talking about? You did nothing wrong. You don’t have to apologize."

But his eyes searched mine, unwavering. "I was wrong. I saw you tear up. Don’t act strong in front of me, Zayn. You don’t need to hide just so I won’t feel guilty."

Something inside me twisted at his words. I couldn’t explain the sudden rush of emotions, but instead of speaking, I wrapped my arms around him and held on tight. Silent tears slipped down my face as I whispered, "Evric... Dean has been my friend for so long. Him finding out about me like this, I understand his reaction. But... I don’t understand why I’m feeling this way. It hurts. I’m sorry."

But Evric’s voice came low, steady. "You don’t have to apologize, Zayn. I was the wrong one here... I wasn’t being careful."

I squeezed him tighter, shaking my head. "Then let’s stop blaming each other."

We stood there, holding each other, the world outside falling away. In that embrace, something inside me shifted, quiet, fragile, but undeniable. And that terrified me.

From that moment on, I couldn’t look at Evric the same way. The closeness scared me, and instead of reaching for him, I found myself pulling away. Avoiding him felt safer than facing what I was beginning to feel.