Chapter 146: Claiming What’s Mine

Chapter 146: Chapter 146: Claiming What’s Mine ~ Evric’s POV ~ But I didn’t care. Not anymore. My whole world was standing right in front of me. I kept smiling at Zayn, and seeing him smile back filled me with a happiness I couldn’t describe. Then, just as I expected, my phone buzzed. A message from Nicki lit up the screen: "Evric, can we talk?" I had been waiting for this moment. I needed to talk to him, it was important. Turning to Zayn, I called softly, "Babe." "Yes?" he answered, his eyes still warm on me. "I need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back." He nodded without hesitation. "Okay, baby." I left the table and quickly texted Nicki back: Where are you? He replied with his location, tucked away in a dim corner, away from the crowd. The place was dark, lit only with a faint glow. He sat alone, waiting. I joined him, sliding into the seat across from him. "Make it fast," I told him firmly. "If I’m gone too long, Zayn will come looking for me." Nicki leaned forward, his voice low. "Evric, do you want to keep this relationship between you and Zayn? Or are you just having fun?" My brows knit. "Why?" He sighed, almost scoffing. "Because you can’t be serious about someone like Zayn. You know he’s straight. Whatever you two have right now, he probably thinks it’s fun. A fling." I stared at him for a long moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. Nicki’s face hardened. "What’s so funny?" I leaned closer, my voice steady, intense. "Nicki... not everyone is like you." Nicki narrowed his eyes at me. "What do you mean not everyone is like me?" His voice grew louder, harder, until it carried the weight of anger. He suddenly stood, towering over me. "I don’t care what you and Zayn share," he snapped. "I will break it. I know Zayn better than you do, I know what to say to him, what to use against him. I can trigger him, make him walk away from you." I rose slowly to my feet, meeting his glare without flinching. "Nicki, you dare not. What Zayn and I share goes far beyond only the sex I had with you." His jaw clenched, his face twisting. "What do you mean by only sex? Is that all you think we had?" I took a breath, steady but firm. "Nicki, listen. I’m not here to make you feel less than what we were. But I’m with Zayn now. If you keep your mouth shut, I’ll keep your secret safe. But if you meddle with my relationship, if you even try... I won’t hesitate to come at you." Nicki’s eyes darkened. His voice dropped low, venom dripping from every word. "You’re just as bad as your father." Rage flared in my chest, hot and uncontrollable. I stepped in closer, my voice sharp as a blade. "Don’t you ever speak of my father like that again," I warned, each word slicing through the air. "Yes... I hated him once, for tearing us apart. I cursed him for it. But after learning the truth... I thank him. I’m glad he did. Because it saved me from you." I stepped closer, lowering my voice so only he could hear. "Until I’m ready to tell Zayn about you, you’ll keep your mouth shut. Or I swear, Nicki, you’ll regret it." Nicki smirked, but his eyes flickered with something weaker, maybe fear. "In the end, Zayn will be no different from me. You’re too difficult to deal with, Evric. One day, he’ll see it too." I jabbed my finger at him, my voice rising. "Don’t you ever compare yourself with Zayn. He will never do what you did, he will never sleep with someone else in my presence, never put me on drugs just to make me believe it was my imagination. Don’t make me talk, Nicki." I sighed "I’ve covered a lot for you, Nicki... not because you deserved it, but because of my own selfish interest. Because of what I thought I enjoyed with you," I admitted, my voice low and bitter. Then I fell silent, the truth heavy in my chest. After a long pause, I looked him dead in the eye and said, "Just don’t do anything stupid." Nicki’s face twisted. "You’re only trying to cover up. Making me look bad just because of Zayn. You’re twisting things to find fault in me." I let out a low, bitter laugh. "Finding fault? Nicki, don’t play games with me. If I was looking for fault, then answer me this..." I stepped closer, my words intense, each one like a strike. "The day my father told you to break up with me, what really happened? Tell me how he made you stay away." Nicki froze. His lips opened, but no sound came out. His mouth trembled, his eyes darting, searching for a lie that wouldn’t betray him. "Evric..." he whispered, my name breaking on his tongue. "Don’t call my name!" I snapped, anger surging through me. My voice echoed in the dim light. "Tell me exactly what happened! Tell me what my father said, and why you left without a word!" Nicki’s hands gripped into fists at his sides, his whole body trembling. But still... he said nothing. I stared at him, disgust pulling my chest. "Fine," I muttered, my voice colder than ice. "I knew it. You’ll never be able to tell me the truth." I looked straight at him. "But after everything you did, you still have the guts to come back and lie to my face." My voice was low but sharp, cutting through the heavy silence between us. I shook my head, almost laughing at the absurdity of it. "Nicki... you really are a good actor. That day, I almost believed you. Almost. But something in me just couldn’t swallow it." I stepped closer, my glare pinning him in place. "You slept with someone else and still had the nerve to tell me it was all my imagination. Don’t you dare think for a second that you’re worth enough to break me and Zayn apart." My voice rose, firm and unshaking. "Don’t you dare." He tried to look away, but I wouldn’t let him. "If you keep your mouth shut, I’ll cover your secret. Not because I owe you anything but because once, I really did like you as a person... But if you keep pulling this same shit... you’ll end up all alone. And you know it." Nicki’s lips trembled. "I’m... sorry," he said, voice full of regret and guilt. I narrowed my eyes, my jaw tight. "I don’t need your apology. I just need you to watch how you speak to my man. And don’t try anything stupid behind my back, because I promise you, Nicki... I won’t show you mercy If anything goes wrong." With that, I turned and walked away, leaving him sitting in the shadows. I didn’t need to look back, but I did, just once. And there he was, broken in silence, tears sliding down his face. Nicki was stupid, but I was foolish. Foolish because of how much I loved sex with him. I kept looking away from the truth, because who the hell catches their boyfriend cheating, whether real or fake, and still crawls back into bed with him? With Nicki, I never even felt jealous. All I wanted was the body, the sex. Nothing more. But with Zayn? God, it was different. I couldn’t even stand the sight of someone else hugging him. The moment anyone got too close, my blood boiled, my chest burned. And thanks to Vanya... she opened my eyes. She told me, If he’s that stubborn to back off, then you should know the truth about how your father got him to leave you. After hearing it all, everything clicked. I finally knew how to deal with Nicki and how to never let anyone come between me and Zayn again. By the time I returned to the table, I didn’t even bother sitting. I leaned down, kissed Zayn’s cheek, and whispered against his ear, my voice low and full of possession, "Baby, let’s go inside the room." He glanced at me with those wide eyes. "My friends already booked me a room." I smirked, pulling my grip on his hand. "I already arranged the suite we’re staying in." Zayn didn’t resist. He let me pull him up, waving at Dean, who waved back. Nuala and Liana followed behind us, chatting softly, and I’d already made sure everything was arranged for them too. I had prepared another room right beside ours, comfortable and elegant, so they could rest without worrying about anything. When we reached the suite, I guided Zayn inside first, while Nuala and Liana slipped into their own room across the hall. Everything had been thought through. Tonight, Zayn was mine alone. The moment we stepped into our room, his mouth fell open. The room was filled with soft lights, decorations, petals scattered like a dream. My surprise made him smile, but my body ached for him more than his reaction. "Baby. How many surprises do you plan for me tonight?" he asked, still stunned. I stepped behind him, pressing forward until my hard length pushed against him, making sure he felt exactly where my mind was. My breath fanned hot against his neck. "The talk of surprises doesn’t matter now," I whispered, voice thick with need. "Focus on me." He chuckled, cheeks pink, eyes shining. "Baby, won’t you give me a break? At least appreciate all the effort you put together for me." I turned him in my arms, my lips brushing his ear, my voice dropping deeper, raw with desire. "Show me the appreciation, Zayn. With the way you’ll fuck me tonight... without holding anything back."