~Zayn's POV~
The message from Meera—I'm not feeling fine—felt like a desperate pull on the chain she kept around my neck. Despite Nicki's sharp assessment about her being a "drama queen," the raw guilt still won. I muttered a quick goodbye to Nantam, jumped in the car, and sped home. The DNA test was the priority, but I couldn't ignore her if she was genuinely ill and alone in my house.
I burst through the front door. The living room was empty, the air heavy with an artificial quiet. I found her immediately in my bedroom, curled tightly on the bed, looking small and fragile under the comforter.
"Meera! Are you okay?" I rushed toward her, my plan to be distant completely dissolving.
She threw the covers back and immediately rushed up to hug me, clinging tightly to my waist. "Zayn, you came back," she whimpered into my shirt. "I feel so terrible."
