~Zayn's POV~
I told myself closing the restaurant was a small price to pay. If it meant being with Evric, I thought I could bear it. But the truth has settled in and is heavier than I expected.
At first, it felt simple, lock the doors, step away, breathe. But now, the silence gnaws at me. I can't decide what hurts more, the ache of walking away from the place I built with my own hands, or the void of not knowing what comes next. Perhaps it's both. Perhaps I am too bound to the life I created within those walls, and stripping it away has left me hollow.
Still, I can't stay trapped in this emptiness. The restlessness inside me is already spilling into the one thing I swore to protect, my relationship with Evric. What's the use of giving up everything for love, if I only bring sadness into it? If I've chosen him as my happiness, then I must find a way to be whole again, for him, for us.
Evans called earlier, said we should meet up. I agreed. Maybe it will help clear my head.
