CHAPTER 95: CHAPTER 95: A FRIEND OR SOMETHING MORE

Finally, I stepped back a little and gestured toward Evric. "Mom, this is Evric."

She smiled at him, her kindness never failing, and just like that, we all stepped inside together.

Evric’s driver carried in all the things he had brought for my mom. I noticed the way she looked at him, curious, almost searching. I realized then that I hadn’t introduced him properly, only saying this is Evric, not this is my friend Evric. After everything, I didn’t know how else to put it.

Evric, with his usual boldness, spoke up. "Please accept my little gift, ma’am," he said, gesturing toward the things his driver set down.

My mom looked at him for a moment, silent, before giving a small smile. "Thank you."

She didn’t ask anything, even though I knew her mind was probably filled with questions. Instead, she simply told us to go shower and come back down for food.

Evric stood up, and for a second, he tried to offer me his hand. But with my mom’s eyes on us, I didn’t take it. Instead, we walked side by side until we reached my room.

It was already neat and fresh, just the way I’d left it. Evric dropped onto the bed right away, lying back with a long sigh, exhaustion clear on his face.

I leaned against the wall and looked at him. "You tired?" I asked softly.

"Yes, I’m tired," he murmured, stretching his arms out toward me. "Come here, let me recharge."

I shook my head. "Evric, we already talked about this. No touching."

He smirked a little. "Babe, you said no touching... but you never said no hugging. I just want to hug you and recharge. Hmn, please, babe."

I sighed and walked closer. "Just for a few seconds, you know."

"Okay."

I lay down against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me tightly. "That’s my baby," he whispered, holding me like he didn’t want to let go.

When I tried to get up, he tightened his grip. I pushed lightly at him. "Evric, you promised me, remember?"

"Babe, it’s just us here. Why can’t I touch you?" he whispered.

"We just got here. Haven’t we been hugging all this while?" I said firmly.

"Babe, listen," he pleaded. "One kiss. Just one kiss and I’ll let you go."

I stared at him, torn, then gave in. Our lips met, soft at first, and then it deepened before I could even stop it.

That was when the door creaked open. Liana’s voice came, "Zayn, mummy asked me to..." She froze when she saw us, eyes wide, and then ran out before I could even react.

I jumped to my feet immediately. "Evric!"

He sat up, guilt written all over his face. "Babe, I’m sorry... I know, I know, that’s exactly what you’d say. You’re good at apologizing, it comes out so fast from your mouth."

He leaned forward. "Baby, I really am sorry."

I looked at him sharply. "If you won’t listen to me, then maybe you should go back tomorrow, and I’ll meet you later when I return."

"No," he said quickly, shaking his head. "I promise..."

"Don’t even bother to promise," I cut in, my voice low. "It’s not like you ever keep them."

He smiled faintly, trying to ease the moment. "Babe, I’m really sorry."

I sighed, frustration and worry tangled inside me. "Be careful, Evric. What if it was my mother who walked in instead of Liana?"

"Babe, I told you, I’m sorry," he whispered again.

After that, we didn’t say much. We showered separately, the weight of the moment lingering between us.

After the shower, we headed outside, and the dining table was already set. I smiled at Evric and whispered, "See the woman who taught me how to cook. She’s indeed a great cook."

When we walked closer, I wanted to sit beside my mom, but she stopped me.

"Sit somewhere else, Zayn. Let Evric sit here with me," she said.

I frowned a little. "Didn’t you say you missed me?"

"Yes, I missed you, son. And here you are. But Evric is a guest, let him sit closer for now. I’ll talk to you later when I need you."

I sighed but didn’t argue. Evric only smiled at my mom and sat beside her. Before long, I just watched as my mom gave him extra care, offering him food, sharing with him, even laughing like they’d known each other for years.

That’s Evric for you. He has this welcoming charm, especially with older people. He doesn’t need to try hard; he just knows how to connect.

And honestly, sometimes I forget he’s the son of a billionaire. He never carries himself like it. He’s humble, down-to-earth, and no matter where he is, all he wants is one thing, love and peace.

After we finished eating and the plates were cleared away, the room grew quiet. A heavy silence lingered, and I could see from my mom’s face that she had a lot on her mind but didn’t quite know how to bring it up.

Finally, after what felt like forever, she turned to Evric.

"So... tell me about yourself," she began.

She asked about his work, his family, his background. Evric answered each question calmly, politely, never once losing that gentle smile. He carried himself with respect, and I could see my mom was impressed.

But then came the question I had been dreading.

"What is your relationship with Zayn?"

Evric glanced at me, and in that moment I knew he wanted to answer honestly. His eyes softened, his lips opened, but before he could speak, fear surged inside me.

"He’s my friend," I blurted out quickly.

Evric froze. His eyes locked on mine, searching, questioning. I forced a smile, pretending it was nothing, pretending the word "friend" was enough.

My mom nodded slowly, her expression unreadable. "Okay," she said simply, and she didn’t press any further.

But I saw it, the flicker in Evric’s eyes, the way his shoulders stiffened. Calling him just a friend cut deeper than I expected. He tried to hide it, but I knew him too well.

My mom must have sensed it too. She smiled gently and stood up. "I’ll leave you two alone," she said, then walked away.

As soon as she left, Evric rose from his chair without a word. His face was calm, but his silence was louder than anything. He walked straight into our bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

I sighed, the weight of my own words pressing down on me. Friend. The word tasted bitter even now. I pushed myself up from the chair and followed him, my footsteps heavy against the floor.