[BL] CRAVING HIM: Addicted to His Voice Chapter 140: Surprises and Unspoken Fears

~Zayn’s POV~

Without thinking twice, I turned and pulled Nantam into a hug. He chuckled, patting my back, but I could feel the pride radiating off him.

Deep down, I knew he was the one who had poured his heart into making all of this happen, and for a mont, words weren’t enough, I just held on, hoping he understood what it ant to .

When I finally pulled away, I approached Dean, thanking him and then moving around to greet everyone who had shown up. So faces were familiar, others not so much, but each smile and handshake reminded that they were here for my birthday.

The tables were already laid out, and once the laughter had settled a little, the party officially began. Plates of food made their way around, drinks flowed easily, and the music blended with chatter and bursts of laughter. I tried to soak it all in, the warmth, the joy, the simple fact that my friends had gone to such lengths to make feel celebrated.

I sat at the head of the table as the birthday boy, with Nantam and Dean sliding into the seats beside .

Nantam leaned closer, grinning. "I didn’t plan much. Just wanted people to eat, drink, and enjoy the view of this resort. Do you like it?"

"Like?" I chuckled. "That’s an understatent. This is perfect."

He looked satisfied, then scratched the back of his neck. "I don’t know what else to add. Maybe we should do a ga later to make it fun."

Dean waved a hand. "Sure, we can do that. But let people eat first."

Nantam nodded and stood. "Alright, I’ll be back."

When he left, it was just and Dean.

Dean tilted his head, his voice softer. "Happy birthday, man."

"Thanks," I said, smiling faintly.

He leaned back in his chair. "I’ve been busy helping Nantam put this together. He was really happy doing all this for you."

"Yeah," I nodded, my smile warr this ti. "I really appreciate him."

But then Dean’s expression shifted. Serious. His eyes stayed on . "Is everything okay, Zayn?"

"Of course," I replied quickly. "Everything’s perfectly fine."

He shook his head. "No. Nothing is fine. Even if you’re trying to hide it, it’s obvious. You don’t look like yourself. You should be happy, but you look... sad. What’s wrong?"

I managed a smile, but it felt empty.

"Is it because Evric didn’t make it back for your birthday?" Dean asked.

I turned toward him. "If it were just that, I wouldn’t be this worried."

His brows drew together. "Then what is it?"

I exhaled, leaning back in my chair. "Evric has been ignoring since yesterday. I understood, he was angry. But today? It’s my birthday, Dean. He hasn’t called, hasn’t texted, nothing. I even sent him a ssage, and he didn’t reply."

Dean frowned. "Did you guys argue or sothing?"

I shook my head. "No, we didn’t fight. I can’t think of anything. My mind’s a ss right now."

"It’s okay," he said quietly.

But the words spilled out of . "I’m scared, Dean. He’s never stayed this quiet on for this long before."

Dean nodded slowly. "I get that, but..."

I cut him off, my chest narrowed. "What if he’s losing interest? What if he doesn’t love anymore?"

Dean gave a slight, reassuring smile. "Zayn, that’s not possible. Not with him. Not for soone like Evric."

I leaned closer, my voice dropping. "Then why hasn’t he wished happy birthday? Why is he mad at , Dean?" I whispered.

"Take it easy," Dean said firmly. "I’m not Evric, but I can promise you, he’ll calm down."

"You don’t get it, Dean..." My voice shaking.

"I do," he said. "But listen, don’t make it so obvious. If Nantam notices, you’ll have to answer a lot of questions you’re not ready for. Get yourself together."

I nodded faintly. "Okay."

"Keep texting him," Dean added. "Call him. Be patient. Ask what’s wrong, but don’t stop trying until he finally talks to you."

I sat there quietly, his words lingering. Patient. That was all I could do now.

Dean’s phone buzzed, and he excused himself to take the call. I was left alone, staring at the table, torn between picking up my phone and calling Evric.

My fingers itched to dial his number, but I held back. Maybe Dean was right, maybe I should be patient. Still, patience wasn’t easy when all I wanted was to hear his voice.

I sighed, trying to calm the storm inside . That’s when it hit , Nuala and Liana weren’t around. I hadn’t seen them since I got here.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Liana. She picked up quickly, her voice carrying a smile.

"Where are you?" I asked.

She chuckled softly. "With Nuala. She’s been feeding gist after gist, you know how she is. I got carried away listening."

I sat waiting for Liana and Nuala, but they were taking too long. The longer I waited, the more restless I felt. Finally, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I grabbed my phone and called Evric.

He picked up on the third ring.

"Hello, baby," I said softly.

"Hello," he replied, his tone flat.

My chest tensed. "Baby... you haven’t wished happy birthday since morning."

"I’ve been busy with important things," he said.

The words hit hard. I swallowed, forcing out, "Are you saying I’m not important to you?"

"Maybe."

My breath caught. That one word broke sothing inside . I tried again, my voice trembling. "Is your interest in fading?"

"Maybe."

The world seed to tilt. Fear crawled over , tightening around my chest. "Are you... are you thinking of breaking up with ?"

Another pause. Then... "Maybe."

"Babe, stop." My voice cracked now, shaking with panic. "Why are you being so an to ? Don’t treat this way. Don’t you love anymore?"

"Maybe."

I pressed the phone tighter to my ear. "Maybe what?" My words were desperate, but before I could say more, Nantam and Dean walked back toward .

I tried to tell Evric, I’ll call you later, but the line was already dead. He had hung up.

I sighed, staring at the screen, refusing to believe what I’d just heard. It can’t be true. He can’t an it.

After the call ended, Nantam was saying sothing to , but I barely heard him. My chest was heavy, my thoughts tangled. I realized Liana and Nuala still hadn’t shown up, even though I had already called them. The longer they delayed, the more uneasy I beca.

I tried to hide my change of mood from Nantam, forcing myself to stay calm. Just as I was about to call Nuala again, a loud, cheerful voice cut through my storm of thoughts.

"Cutie!" Nuala’s voice rang out, full of excitent. "I have a surprise for you!"

Her tone was so loud that almost everyone at the table turned to look at her when she ntioned surprise.

I lifted my head, still shaken, my heart unsteady. "What surprise?"