[BL] CRAVING HIM: Addicted to His Voice Chapter 68: Jealousy in His Eyes

I sighed, caught between nerves and anticipation. Just then, we pulled up at the bar.

Dean and I walked inside and chose a corner table, a spot that was private enough to feel secure for Evric. The place wasn’t new to , Dean and I had been here plenty of nights before, usually to drink, laugh, and pick up girls.

We ordered, and while we waited for the drinks to arrive, my phone buzzed. A ssage from Evric.

I’ll be late. Need to finish so things at the office.

I replied quickly: Okay. We’re at table 12, by the corner. I’ll be waiting.

Got it. Be there soon, he wrote back.

Monts later, a pair of won approached our table. They didn’t look like the type you’d find working the crowd. No, these two were different, elegant, polished, high standards written all over them. The kind that slled of money and didn’t need to hustle.

They introduced themselves, and soon enough we were chatting. One of them slid into the seat beside . She was friendly, laughing at my jokes, and when she asked what I did, I casually ntioned that I owned a restaurant. Her eyes lit up with interest, and she told she was an event planner.

That made us both smile, her world and mine could easily connect. She explained how she usually stayed ho but had co out tonight because her friend insisted, and sohow, the conversation between us flowed effortlessly.

We joked, we laughed, and before long I handed her my phone so she could put in her number. I was just about to slip it back into my pocket when a familiar voice cut through the music.

"Babe."

My head snapped up. Evric was standing there, eyes fixed on . I knew he’d seen the mont I exchanged numbers, but he didn’t react, not openly, at least. What he did was call "babe" loud enough for to hear, though the music drowned it out for everyone else. That was Evric: bold and unapologetic, never caring who might be around.

I leaned toward the woman and whispered in her ear. She got the ssage, gave a polite smile, and left with her friend.

Evric slid into the seat next to , close enough that his shoulder brushed mine. Dean had been watching him the whole ti, and I couldn’t stop the small smile that tugged at my lips.

Evric didn’t notice him at first. Instead, he leaned in and asked, "How was work today?"

"Fine," I said, then returned the question.

"Sa," he replied, eyes searching mine. Then, like it was the most natural thing in the world, he asked, "Can I get a kiss?"

Normally I might have teased him, made him wait, but not this ti. I leaned in and kissed him, slow and deliberate, because I wanted Dean to see. To remind him that Evric wasn’t just so guy. He was mine.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Dean mouthing, Wow, I’m completely invisible. I almost laughed, but that was the mont Evric finally noticed him.

"Evric," I said, gesturing between them. "et my friend Dean."

Dean gave him a nod, but before I could continue, he cut off with a smirk. "No need, Zayn. I already know him. But damn... how can a man be this perfect?"

He didn’t even say it out loud, he sent it straight to my phone.

This man is unreal.

I sent back nothing but laughing emojis.

Evric, however, wasn’t laughing. He watched the whole ti, his gaze never leaving my face, he was calm . I knew he was biting back words about the girl and the number.

Dean, sensing the tension, tried to lighten the air by chatting casually with him. Evric responded politely, but his attention always flicked back to .

After a while, Dean excused himself to the restroom. The mont he left, I could practically feel Evric’s patience straining. He didn’t say anything yet, but I knew it was coming.

When Dean returned, I stood and said, "We’re heading ho."

Dean and Evric exchanged a quick handshake, and just like that, Dean waved us off.

As we walked out together, I could feel the storm brewing in Evric. He’d stayed calm inside the bar, but I knew he wasn’t going to let this night slide so easily.

When we stepped outside, ready to head ho, I spotted the girl from earlier exiting the bar with her friend. She caught my eye, waved, and made a little gesture with her hand as if to say, Call . I gave a small nod back.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Evric’s jaw tighten. His patience was already wearing thin, but he didn’t say a word. That silence was heavier than anything he could have spoken.

The car ride ho was tense. He didn’t look at , didn’t touch , just stared out the window, lips pressed in a hard line. I knew he was holding it all in, saving it for later.

When we arrived at his place, he went straight to shower without a word. I followed after, showering separately. By the ti I ca out, the air between us was thick with unspoken thoughts.

We didn’t talk much. He climbed into bed, but I stayed up, phone in hand. I shouldn’t have, but I opened the chat with the girl and sent her a ssage. One ssage turned into two, then three.

Ding.

Ding.

Ding.

The sound of the chat notifications filled the room, sharp in the quiet night. I could feel his eyes on even though he said nothing. Finally, without a word, Evric got out of bed and left the room.

The door shut behind him, and for the first ti that night, I wondered if I had gone too far.

I didn’t go after him right away.

Instead, I stayed on the bed, my phone still glowing in my hand. I kept chatting with the lady, ignoring the heaviness that lingered in the silence he left behind.

One ssage. Another. Then another.

Eventually, the excitent of the conversation faded, replaced by a strange emptiness. The notifications went quiet, and so did I.

I finally set the phone aside and sat up. The room felt too cold without him. My chest tightened, and against my pride, I pushed myself up and went to check on him.

I found him sitting alone in the living room, a drink in his hand, staring at nothing. His shoulders were tense, his jaw locked. He didn’t even look up when I walked in.

But as I drew closer, I caught sothing I’d never seen before.

The air was heavy, filled with a bitter smoke that clung to my throat. My eyes darted to his hand, not the one holding the glass, but the other. A faint glow burned at the tip.

"Evric," I called, my voice sharp with disbelief. "What is that in your hand? Do you... smoke?"

Slowly, he turned his head toward , his eyes unreadable, his expression too calm to be real. He exhaled, and the thin cloud of smoke curled between us like a wall.

"I do worse than smoking," he replied flatly.

"What?"

The words hit harder than the smoke ever could.