Chapter 165: Chapter 165: One Month Without You
~Zayn’s POV~
I quickly shouted, "I’ll tell you! Just stop!"
He froze, his thrusts stopping, and he looked at me, waiting for me to speak.
I stared back at him for a while, my chest rising and falling, words caught in my throat.
Then he said, his voice sharp, "Why are you staring at me like that? You hate me now, right? Because I hurt you? Or is it because you’re already considering signing it tomorrow instead of waiting three months? Because I hurt you now, isn’t it?"
I opened my mouth, but no words came. I was still searching for the right way to say it.
"Speak!" he shouted, the force of his voice cutting through me.
But something inside me reminded me, I am a man. I held his gaze and said, "Then hurt me more. I won’t tell you anything. You’re just too rude."
He looked shocked, almost in disbelief, hearing me call him rude.
"You want answers from me, and your way of getting them is by using lovemaking to hurt me?" My voice broke with a mixture of anger and pain. "Do you even realize how much that hurts, Evric? Do you realize I’m older than you, and not once have I ever acted above you? Since I met you, I’ve respected you. I’ve spoiled you by letting you do whatever you want. I was patient, too nice, too respectful, because I love you. And you mistook that for weakness."
His expression shifted, his voice low. "So you hate me now, right?"
I shook my head. "No, Evric. I don’t hate you," I answered sharply. "But you need to grow up, Evric. Learn to handle situations like a man. It’s not desperation that solves problems, it’s patience and understanding."
I sucked in a breath and forced the words out. "Now pull out of me."
He blinked, stunned. "I’m not done..."
"I said pull out of me!" I shouted, my voice shaking with fury and pain.
He faltered, guilt flickering in his eyes. He tried to speak again, maybe to apologize, but I pushed him away before he could say anything.
Evric stumbled back when I shoved him, his breath ragged, chest rising and falling as though he’d just been struck. His eyes searched me, wide with disbelief.
"Zayn..." His voice cracked, rough, stripped of its childish tricks. "Baby, I..."
"Don’t." I cut him off, my tone intense, my body trembling. My back hurt, my chest scorched, but more than that, my heart throbbed painfully. "You can’t demand answers from me like that. Not with force. Not like this."
For a long, suffocating moment, silence wrapped around us. I could see the storm raging in him the guilt, the shame, the stubborn pride that refused to let him bow first.
Then suddenly, his knees buckled. Evric dropped in front of me, his hands catching my thighs, his forehead pressing against my stomach. His body shook as though every wall he’d built inside himself finally cracked open.
"Zayn... I’m sorry." His voice broke, low and raw. "I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was scared. I don’t want to lose you. I thought if I pushed hard enough, I’d get the truth. But I... I lost control."
My fingers hovered in the air, torn between pulling him close and pushing him away. I looked down at him, this man who was always strong, always proud, now kneeling like a broken child at my feet.
"You hurt me, Evric," I whispered, my voice trembling, tears stinging my eyes.
"I know." His grip on my thighs tightened desperately. His voice cracked. "Then hurt me back if you have to. Just... don’t sign it. Please don’t leave me. I’ll grow up, I’ll stop being rude, I’ll respect you. I’ll never hurt you again, never force you again. You don’t have to tell me anything, just... please forgive me. Don’t stop loving me."
I dragged a hand through my hair, staring at him with burning eyes. "I’m not doing any of the things you just listed. I’m not leaving. I’m not signing anything. But listen, Evric..." My voice shook with anger. "For you to think hurting me is the way to force out the truth about me and your father, do you realize how desperate that is? How dare you hurt me like that? Do you even know how much it broke me?"
I shoved him away, chest heaving, and walked back into the room without looking back. He followed, eyes wide, his desperation gone, replaced by guilt. He reached for me, but I stopped him cold.
"Don’t touch me," I said flatly.
My body ached, my bottom throbbed with pain, but I swallowed it down, biting back the tears, lying stiffly on the bed. I closed my eyes, hoping sleep would dull the sting.
But then, slowly, Evric moved closer. He turned me onto my back, carefully, as if afraid I’d break. He lay on my chest, his arms wrapping around me, trembling like a boy who didn’t know how to hold on without breaking everything.
"Babe..." his voice was raw and broken. "I’m so sorry. I’m still learning to grow up, for you. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just... I’m scared. Scared you’ll sign that paper and leave me. Please... forgive me."
I kept my eyes shut, my chest tight with pain and exhaustion. "Enough, Evric," I murmured. "Just let us sleep."
And I turned my face away. My body hurt too much, my heart hurt more. So I let the darkness pull me under before he could say anything else.
When I woke up in the morning, what I saw nearly scared me. Evric hadn’t blinked all night. He hadn’t slept. He was just lying there, staring at me with bloodshot eyes that looked desperate for rest.
"Baby... good morning," he whispered.
I froze, too stunned to answer. Did he stay up all night like that?
Finally, I asked, "Did you sleep at all?"
He shook his head. "No. But I’m fine."
"What? Fine?" I scoffed. "Do yourself a favor and go look in the mirror. You look anything but fine."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "If this is about what happened last night, don’t even start. You hurt me, and I’m angry. I’m determined not to forgive you easily this time. I mean it."
He lowered his gaze but whispered, "Okay. But... you’re not leaving me, right?"
"I’m not leaving you," I replied firmly.
"You won’t sign what my father asked you to sign, right?"
I glared at him. "Enough, Evric. I already told you, I’m not doing any of that."
His voice softened. "You still love me, right?"
I rolled my eyes, annoyed, but for the sake of peace, I muttered, "Yes."
Then, shyly, he said, "But... you didn’t let me release yesterday."
I stared at him in disbelief. God, how did I end up here?
He added, almost pouting, "It’s not good to be left halfway, you know..."
I shot back, "You ruined my back last night. No way I’m letting you inside me this morning."
But after a long, ridiculous argument and knowing I had to meet Evans later that day, I finally gave in. I allowed him to find his own way to finish us both without touching my back. Honestly, Evric’s constant murmuring is worse than a mosquito buzzing in my ear. I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I just let him.
When it was finally over, he leaned in and kissed me.
Then he looked at me nervously and asked, "Babe... what’s my punishment going to be?"
Without hesitation, I said, "I won’t come to your house for a whole month. And no sex for one month either. So this was our last time, until after a month."
His eyes went wide. "What?!"