[BL] CRAVING HIM: Addicted to His Voice Chapter 63: The Moment Everything Changed

Just then, Evric’s voice rang from behind .

"Babe... do you..."

My heart skipped. I spun around quickly, trying to silence him, but it was too late. Dean’s eyes widened, the word babe hanging heavy in the air between us.

Panic rushed through . Without thinking, I strode over to Dean, grabbed his hand, and dragged him away, far from Evric’s sight. Evric stayed behind, standing alone, while my pulse hamred in my chest.

When I finally stopped, Dean yanked his hand free. "Zayn," he said firmly, "listen to before you say anything."

I swallowed hard, nodding quickly. Okay...

He raked a hand through his hair, his eyes searching mine. "Zayn..." His voice cracked slightly. "I don’t need to ask who that was. That’s Evric Draeven, everyone knows his face. The new CEO of Draeven Holdings."

I opened my mouth, but no words ca out. All I could do was nod.

Dean shook his head, looking lost. "I don’t even know what to say. I don’t even know what to ask. Are you..." His voice faltered, the word stuck in his throat. "Are you ga...?"

"Dean," I cut in softly, my chest tight. "Just... breathe, okay? Please."

But he exploded. "Breathe? What the hell is going on with you, Zayn? All your life, you’ve been into won. Always with won! You rejected Nantam for four years, swearing you weren’t into n, swearing you were straight, and now?" His voice rose, shaking. "Now you’re not just with a man... you’re with Evric Draeven!"

Sha burned hot in my chest. I reached out, desperate. "Dean, please, just let explain..."

"No!" he snapped, pulling back. His jaw clenched, hurt flashing in his eyes. "Do you realize what this looks like? Do you realize how much of a lie this feels like? You’ve been hiding this. From . From all of us." He let out a bitter laugh. "And you think Nantam won’t find out? You think I won’t tell him? He deserves to know you only pretended all these years!"

"Dean, please..." My voice cracked. "I’m begging you, don’t tell anyone. Not yet. Just... give ti. Please."

He stared at , torn between anger and loyalty. Finally, he shook his head, voice tight. "I need to calm down first. We’ll talk later."

Then he turned away, leaving standing there with my heart pounding, terrified that my secret could shatter everything.

In that mont, Liana’s words echoed in my head, the last ti she ca to my house and I finally opened up to her.

"You know Mom might get angry at first," she had said gently, "but she’ll co around. What matters is your happiness. The real question isn’t about Mom, it’s about you. Are you truly sure of your feelings for him? Because once you choose this path, you’ll have to face everything that cos with it. Are you ready for that, Zayn?"

I hadn’t understood it then. But now, after seeing the look on Dean’s face, I finally did. His eyes hadn’t just shown surprise, they had burned with disappointnt, even disgust. If it had been soone else, maybe he would have been more accepting, less harsh. But because it was , soone he always held to high expectations and deep respect, the truth must have cut him harder.

Dean wasn’t just shocked. He was disappointed in . And that hurt more than anything.

A tear slipped down my cheek as I walked off, searching for a quiet place to sit. Minutes later, the cool splash of water touched my skin, startling . I raised my head.

It was Evric.

I quickly wiped my eyes, forcing a weak smile.

"Hey," he said softly, crouching a little to et my gaze. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, though my chest felt heavy. "I’m fine..."

He didn’t believe , I could tell. His eyes searched mine, looking for words he couldn’t quite find. Instead, he unscrewed a bottle of water and handed it to .

"Here," he said simply.

I took it, drank a little, and exhaled slowly. The silence between us wasn’t awkward, it was grounding. After a while, he finally asked, "Was that your friend?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"Everything okay?" His voice was calm, careful.

"Yeah," I lied with a faint smile. "Everything’s fine."

But my chest tightened. I glanced at him and whispered, "Evric... I lost the energy to work out. Can we just change and head back?"

He studied for a mont. No questions, no pressure. Just a steady look that told he understood. Then he gave a small nod.

When we stepped into the changing room, I felt Evric’s hand rest lightly against my waist. His voice was low.

"I’m sorry, Zayn. I wasn’t careful. If I hadn’t called you that... maybe none of this would’ve happened. Maybe you wouldn’t be hurting right now."

I turned to face him, shaking my head. "Evric, what are you talking about? You did nothing wrong. You don’t have to apologize."

But his eyes searched mine, unwavering. "I was wrong. I saw you tear up. Don’t act strong in front of , Zayn. You don’t need to hide just so I won’t feel guilty."

Sothing inside twisted at his words. I couldn’t explain the sudden rush of emotions, but instead of speaking, I wrapped my arms around him and held on tight. Silent tears slipped down my face as I whispered, "Evric... Dean has been my friend for so long. Him finding out about like this, I understand his reaction. But... I don’t understand why I’m feeling this way. It hurts. I’m sorry."

But Evric’s voice ca low, steady. "You don’t have to apologize, Zayn. I was the wrong one here... I wasn’t being careful."

I squeezed him tighter, shaking my head. "Then let’s stop blaming each other."

We stood there, holding each other, the world outside falling away. In that embrace, sothing inside shifted, quiet, fragile, but undeniable. And that terrified .

From that mont on, I couldn’t look at Evric the sa way. The closeness scared , and instead of reaching for him, I found myself pulling away. Avoiding him felt safer than facing what I was beginning to feel.