Falling back into you

"Zane, I swear if you don't show up in 30 minutes, I will forget that I have two sons and disown you!" A poised woman in her early fifties shouted into the phone as she descended the grand staircase of a luxurious mansion.

"Mom, I'll be there, I promise. I'm just running a little late. I know it's a big day for Ethan, and I wouldn't miss it for the world. Please, just try to understand."

Zane Knight, the charismatic leader of the world-famous boy band DTM (Drop the Mic), was constantly tied up with his packed schedule. No matter how guilty he felt about it, finding time for his family was always a challenge.

"What's up, bro?" Matt, his bandmate, plopped down beside him on the couch. "Same old story?"

Zane chuckled, eyes fixed on his phone. "New day, same drama. Nothing ever changes. By the way, where's the boss? I need to talk to him about the photoshoot."

"He's with the PR team, discussing Harry's dating rumors," Logan, another bandmate, entered the room with a cup of coffee in hand. "They're releasing a statement tomorrow, so Harry's sitting in on it too."

"Alright then, I'll talk to the boss tomorrow. I need to get ready now, or my dear mother will actually disown me." Zane stood up, stretching his arms.

"Congratulate Ethan on our behalf," Matt said. "And tell him to be ready for the party."

At Vance's Estate

Zane arrived at Vance's estate, a vast and imposing property that exuded the kind of cold wealth only someone like Carter Vance could command. His chest tightened as he stepped out of the car, his stomach churning with the familiar mix of anger and regret. He'd never wanted to see Carter again-never wanted to face the man who had once been his everything. The man who had shattered his heart.

Even after all these years, the animosity between them hadn't diminished. If anything, it had grown more intense with every passing day. Zane had tried to move on, tried to forget, but Carter... Carter had left scars that would never fully heal.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts before ringing the doorbell. Within seconds, the grand door opened, and Noah, Carter's younger brother, stood there with a warm smile that Zane couldn't help but return, if only a little reluctantly.

"Zane!" Noah greeted, his arms open as he pulled him into a quick hug. "We've been waiting for you. Come in."

Zane nodded and followed Noah into the house, trying not to let the cold, sterile atmosphere affect him. This place was as soulless as Carter. No matter how many years had passed, the Vance estate would always feel like the fortress of the man who had broken him.

As they walked deeper into the house, Zane's heart began to beat faster. The moment he'd been dreading was fast approaching. The moment he'd have to face Carter.

And there he was.

"Mr. Knight," a deep voice-gravelly and unmistakable-spoke from behind him. The words sent a jolt through Zane's body, making his chest tighten. He turned around, meeting Carter's cold, piercing gaze.

Carter stood there, tall, confident, and imposing in his sharp suit, his posture as rigid as Zane remembered. The boy he once loved was gone, replaced by the ruthless CEO, the man who had no interest in love-or in him.

Zane's stomach flipped, but he masked it with a forced smile. "Mr. Vance," he said flatly, his tone polite but edged with years of resentment. His hands twitched with the familiar desire to reach out and hurt him-to make him feel just a fraction of the pain Zane had endured.

Carter's gaze lingered on Zane for a moment longer than necessary, his eyes cold and unyielding. Zane's heart skipped a beat, but he refused to let Carter see the effect he still had on him. He had learned long ago to hide his emotions-especially around Carter. His lips pressed into a thin line, his expression unreadable. "Let's just get this over with," Carter said dismissively, turning away and walking toward the lounge.

Zane followed behind, his steps heavy with the weight of years of history between them. The lounge was as grand and cold as ever, with both families already seated. Ethan and Noah were sitting together, their faces bright with excitement, while the others sat in formal silence.

Their parents greeted him with practiced smiles, and after a few small pleasantries and some snacks, the conversation finally turned to the main topic. Zane's father cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "It's good that Ethan and Noah have decided to get married. It's nice to see them taking the next step."

Zane's mother nodded in agreement, though there was a trace of something in her eyes-something that hinted at an underlying agenda. "Yes, very nice," she said. "Not like Zane who just know how to give excuses."

Zane's heart sank, knowing what was coming. His mother wasn't one to leave things unsaid for long. "You've been avoiding this for far too long, Zane," she continued, her voice soft but firm. "You need to start thinking about your future. See, Ethan is younger than you but still getting marry first. It's time for you to settle down."

Zane stayed silent, his gaze fixed on his hands, his expression a perfect mask of indifference. He had heard this lecture so many times before that it barely phased him anymore. But no matter how much his mother pushed, he wasn't going to give in-not now, not ever.

Before he could respond, Carter's mother, who had been sitting quietly, glanced toward him with pleading eyes. "Carter," she said gently, her voice almost breaking. "You've been working so hard for so long. Don't you think it's time you thought about your future? Settling down, finding someone to be with, carrying on the family name?"

Zane felt a knot tighten in his stomach, his gaze flickering to Carter. He knew exactly how Carter would respond. He knew how much Carter hated being pushed into anything. He chuckled- he hates him that much that he knew everything about him. Carter's shoulders stiffened, and Zane saw the look of frustration that quickly crossed his face.

"No," Carter said sharply, his voice cold as ice. "I'm not going to sit here and listen to this. Not now, not in front of everyone." His voice rose, and the tension in the room thickened. "It's humiliating. I'm a grown man. I can make my own decisions."

Zane's heart skipped a beat at the outburst, the rawness in Carter's voice sending a chill through him. Carter was and would always be fearless. But Carter's mother didn't back down. She looked at him, her eyes filled with tears, her voice trembling. "Carter, please," she whispered. "I've done everything for you, for this family. I just want to see you happy. Don't you think you deserve to have a family of your own, to have love in your life? Please, I need you to understand. It's not just about us-it's about your future, about who you are."

The words hit Carter like a physical blow. His face flushed with anger, his fists clenching by his sides. The room went silent as everyone waited for his response. Carter's chest heaved as he took a deep breath, his voice low but fierce. "I don't need anyone's pity," he spat, turning to his mother with a cold glare. "Don't do this to me. Don't humiliate me in front of people."

Zane watched in disbelief as Carter's mother started to cry, her sobs wracking her body. Carter's eyes flickered with guilt, but he didn't move, didn't say anything to comfort her.

Noah, who had been quietly watching the exchange, suddenly stood up. His face was a storm of anger, his fists clenched at his sides. "Enough, Carter!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the tension. "You've done this for years. Always pushing everyone away, always making excuses. Why are you doing this?"

Carter's eyes hardened as he glared at Noah. "This is none of your business," he growled.

Noah's expression darkened. "It is my business, Carter. You are my elder brother. And if you don't change your this attitude then, Ethan and I-" He paused, taking a breath before continuing, "I will not marry him if you don't marry first. Simple as that."

The room fell silent again. Everyone was staring at Noah in shock, including Ethan, who looked both surprised and relieved.

"What?" Carter's voice was barely above a whisper. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Noah stood tall, his eyes flashing with determination. "You heard me. If you don't take that first step, then I won't. If you don't get married, then I won't marry Ethan." Ethan opened his mouth to say something, but Noah shot him a look that silenced him immediately. Noah turned back to Carter, his eyes hard with resolve. "You've been the one holding everything back, Carter. You've been the one who's too proud to admit what's really going on. But I won't wait forever. If you're not ready, then neither am I. And if you can't take that step, then I'm done."

Carter stood there, stunned, as the weight of Noah's words sank in. His heart pounded in his chest, the room spinning as he tried to process what had just happened. "You're serious?" Carter asked, his voice raw with frustration.

Noah nodded, his jaw clenched tightly. "Yes. I'm serious. If you want me to marry Ethan, then you have to marry first. No more excuses."

Zane could see the conflict in Carter's eyes, the battle raging inside him. But Carter didn't respond. Zane stayed silent, unsure of what to say. The room felt heavy, charged with so much unresolved emotion. But Zane saw something- no actually someone with the intention which made him uncomfortable. He wasn't ready for that.

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.

The ticking of the clock on Carter's office wall was the only sound filling the otherwise silent room. He sat hunched over his desk, a stack of papers in front of him, his mind consumed with numbers and deadlines. His world, the one he had meticulously crafted over the years, was built on control and precision. The structure was his comfort zone, and everything in it had its place.

But as much as he tried to focus, his thoughts kept drifting. He couldn't shake the memory of the conversation that had lingered in his mind for the past few weeks-the conversation with his mother and Zane's mother, the one that had made him realize how far apart he and Zane had drifted. How far he had pushed everything he had once cared about. His family. His future. The possibility of love.

The buzz of his phone broke through his thoughts, startling him. He glanced down at the screen, and his stomach dropped when he saw the name: Father.

His hands shook slightly as he answered the call. "Dad?"

"Get to the hospital. Now. It's your mother... she's had a heart attack," his father's voice came through the phone, thick with panic.

Carter's blood ran cold. His mother. His usually strong, unshakable mother was lying in a hospital bed, fighting for her life. He could hear the urgency in his father's voice, and it was enough to snap him into action.

"I'm on my way," Carter said, already standing up from his desk. He didn't bother to grab his coat or his briefcase. He didn't need anything but to get to her, to make sure she was okay.

His mind raced as he drove to the hospital, the streets blurring past him. How had things gotten so out of control? Was this his fault? He didn't have answers. He just had to get to her.

At the hospital, Carter arrived to find the room filled with familiar faces-none of them offering him any comfort. His father sat at his mother's bedside, looking pale and drained, his hands clasped tightly together as he stared at the floor. Across from him, Noah was seated, his face blotchy with tears, his hand resting on Ethan's shoulder. Ethan looked worried, his face a mask of concern, but he didn't speak.

Carter's heart twisted in his chest as he approached the scene. His mother, usually so vibrant and strong, looked frail and pale on the hospital bed. The sight made his throat tighten, and his breath caught in his chest.

"How is she?" Carter's voice cracked as he stepped into the room, unable to tear his gaze away from his mother.

Noah stood up suddenly, his eyes flashing with anger. "You're the one who's too busy to care, Carter! Too involved in your work to be here for her!" His voice was harsh, full of resentment. "You came last. Even Zane and his family were here before you. They cared enough to show up. But not you."

Carter froze. He could feel his brother's fury like a physical blow, but he didn't have the words to fight back. He couldn't justify his absence. There was no excuse for it. His mother was in pain, and he had been too caught up in his own world to be there when she needed him.

Noah's words struck deeper, and before Carter could even process what was happening, Noah slapped him across the face. The sound echoed in the room, sharp and painful. The force of it made Carter's head snap to the side, but he didn't say anything. He didn't defend himself. He stood there, rooted to the spot, with the sting of his brother's slap burning on his cheek.

No one said a word. The room was heavy with tension, thick with judgment. Ethan, though visibly shaken, said nothing. Zane and his family, who had quietly listening everything, exchanged glances, but they remained silent. No one would come to his defense. Not this time.

Carter, his face flushed with humiliation, didn't react. He simply stood there, his eyes focused on his mother, and he couldn't bring himself to say a word. His own guilt weighed too heavily on him. He had failed her.

And then, as if everything had gone still, his mother's faint voice broke through the silence.

"Carter..." she whispered, barely audible, but strong enough to make everyone in the room stop and listen. "Come here, my son."

Carter swallowed hard and slowly made his way to her bedside. She reached for his hand weakly, her frail fingers curling around his with surprising strength. Her eyes, tired but kind, met his.

"I know I've pushed you," she murmured, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I know I've asked too much of you, but... Carter... please... do this for me."

Carter's chest tightened, his throat constricting as he tried to hold back the tears threatening to spill. "Mom," he choked out, his voice trembling.

"Please, Carter," she continued, her breath shallow. "I want you to be happy. I want you to settle down... I know it's been difficult for you, and I know you don't want it... but please... marry him. Zane... marry Zane."

The words hit Carter like a punch to the gut. His heart skipped a beat, and his stomach churned. He had avoided this for so long, and now his mother, frail and vulnerable, was asking him to do the one thing he had feared the most-to marry Zane.

Carter looked at her, his expression unreadable. His mind raced with everything he had been avoiding-the past, the hurt, the unresolved feelings. But now, with his mother lying in front of him, asking him to take the step he had resisted for so long, he knew what he had to do.

He swallowed hard, his voice steady but soft. "Okay, Mom... I'll marry him."

The room was quiet, everyone frozen in anticipation. His father, Noah, Ethan, Zane and his family-they were all waiting, their eyes on him.

Noah blinked in surprise, his face softening just a little, but his eyes remained wary. Ethan looked almost relieved, a small, quiet smile tugging at his lips.

But the question still hung in the air. Everyone turned to look at Zane except Carter, their eyes now on him.

Zane stood still, his expression unreadable, his gaze fixed on the back of Carter. For a long, tense moment, no one spoke.

The entire room held its breath as they waited for an answer from Zane, the weight of everything pressing down on both of them. Carter had agreed, but now it was Zane's turn. Would he accept this second chance? Would he take the step they both had been avoiding for so long?