Chapter 2 Arrange

Zane sat at the edge of the couch, his fingers drumming against the armrest in a restless rhythm. The silence in the room felt oppressive, almost as if the air itself was holding its breath. His mother sat across from him, a look of concern etched on her face, but Zane was too lost in his thoughts to notice. His mind kept replaying the events at the Vance estate-Carter's outburst, the uncomfortable tension, and worst of all, the fact that Ethan and Noah's wedding was now off because of a stupid family feud. Everything had unraveled before his eyes, and it was all his mother's fault.

She had started it, after all. She had been the one to bring up the idea of his marriage in front of everyone, in front of Carter's mother. And look where it had gotten them-now both families were in chaos, with no wedding in sight. He couldn't believe it. His own mother was pushing for something that he wasn't ready for, something that, quite frankly, he didn't want. And Carter's mother had just played right into it, adding fuel to the fire.

"Zane," his mother's voice cut through his thoughts. "We need to talk."

He sighed heavily, avoiding her gaze as he leaned back against the couch. "About what, Mom? You know I'm not ready for this. You know that."

She seemed to soften at his words, her voice growing gentler. "I know you think you're not ready, but you're not getting any younger, Zane. You have responsibilities. You have a family legacy to uphold. Ethan is younger than you, and he's already making decisions about his future. Why can't you? Why can't you settle down like everyone else?"

Zane stood up abruptly, his frustration finally breaking free. "I don't care about the damn legacy, Mom. I never have. All you ever care about is your perfect little family, but you don't understand what I want. What I need."

His mother was silent for a moment, studying him with a look that said she didn't understand, but she was trying. Zane rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I'm not ready to get married, especially not just because you think it's time."

His mother sighed, as though trying to find the right words. Zane's heart sank at her words, and for a moment, all he could do was stare at the ground. He didn't want to admit it, not even to himself, but a part of him knew she was right.

The past with Carter was far from over. It had only been buried, not forgotten. He'd spent years running from it, but no matter how far he ran, Carter was always there, in the back of his mind, haunting him. But still, he wasn't ready to let go of the hurt. The pain that Carter had caused him all those years ago was still too fresh, too real. He wasn't ready to forgive. Not yet.

His mother's voice pulled him back from his thoughts. "You may not want to hear it now, Zane, but sometimes, what you think you want isn't always what you need. We both know how things."

Zane clenched his fists, trying to hold back the storm of emotions swirling inside him. "Mom, just stop. I'm not doing this. I'm not getting married to anyone-just because you think it's time."

With that, he turned and stormed out of the room, leaving his mother to sit quietly, the weight of their conversation hanging heavily in the air.

Later that evening

The heavy silence in the Knight household had been replaced by the faint clinking of china as Zane's mother moved around the kitchen. Her mind was racing, and though she had heard her son's protests, she wasn't one to let things go easily. She had always known that Zane would be difficult when it came to these things, but that didn't mean she would back down. She needed to find a way to fix this.

It was then that her phone buzzed on the counter, and her heart skipped when she saw the name on the screen: Carter Vance's mother.

"Hello?" Zane's mother answered, her voice calm but with a touch of something else-an underlying tension, like she was about to strike a deal.

"Hello, dear," came the voice of Carter's mother, smooth but with an edge of weariness. "I've been thinking about today. The situation with Carter... and well, everything else. I can't help but feel responsible for how things have gone. Perhaps, we've pushed them both too much. But, you know as well as I do that our children need to face reality at some point."

Zane's mother nodded to herself, her mind already working. "I understand," she said, her voice steady. "It's just... we need to do something. But perhaps it's time we stop letting them run away."

"Exactly what I was thinking," Carter's mother replied. "I just can't stand the thought of Carter continuing down this path of isolation. He needs someone, and I believe you and I both know who that someone should be."

There was a pause, as if both women were weighing their words carefully. Then, Zane's mother spoke with a touch of quiet resolution. "What if... what if we combined the idea of Ethan and Noah's marriage with the idea of Zane and Carter's?"

Carter's mother's voice was cautious, but there was a spark of hope in it. "You mean... arrange something between Zane and Carter? "

Zane's mother smiled to herself, a plan already forming. "I agree. Let's arrange a meeting soon. I'll make sure Zane and Carter are in the same room, together, with no way out."

"I'll get in touch with Carter and his team," Carter's mother said, a note of determination in her voice. "I think it's time to set the wheels in motion."

"Yes," Zane's mother replied. "We will make them see reason. They're both too stubborn for their own good, but it's time to give them the nudge they need. They'll marry each other. They have to."

As the call ended, Zane's mother sat back in her chair, her eyes gleaming with a quiet satisfaction. She knew it wasn't going to be easy, but it was the right thing. Zane and Carter had been running for far too long. Now, it was time to force them to face the truth.