~Evric's POV~
I waited for Zayn. It took him almost an hour before he returned with his friends, and when he did, he wasn't the same person I knew. Things like this always cut deep into him. But this time… something was different.
He walked straight to me, sat down, and clung to me without a word. His eyes found mine, and I could see everything he wasn't saying burning quietly in them. I didn't ask what he and his friends had talked about; I only asked if he was okay. He nodded, insisting he was fine, but I knew him too well. He was far from fine.
The way he gripped my hands, the way his body leaned into me, it spoke louder than anything he could say. He was holding on, carrying pain he didn't want to share yet. But I knew he wouldn't distance himself from me this time. And as long as he stayed by my side, I could wait, for him to calm down, for him to breathe again. All I wanted was to be here for him, be his anchor and comfort.