[BL] CRAVING HIM: Addicted to His Voice-Chapter 249: The First Time I Got Jealous

~Zayn’s POV~

As soon as we stepped out of the car, I felt the shift. We hadn’t taken three steps when I heard it.

"Oh my God, that’s Evric!"

"That’s his boyfriend! Did you see the viral post? They look so good together!"

I realized with a sudden, slightly dizzying sensation that I was truly dating someone famous. In the past, we had hidden; now, we were a public spectacle.

As we moved through the aisles, the reaction was immediate. People who recognized Evric from business headlines, or now, from the viral post, started approaching us. Some asked for pictures, which Evric clearly was not happy to do, he hated being interrupted, but he forced a polite smile and obliged. Others just wanted an autograph or to shake his hand.

Evric’s priority, however, was clearly me. He kept his body angled slightly toward mine, a protective bubble in the crowd, his eyes constantly checking if I was okay with the attention. We managed to buy everything on my list despite the constant interruptions.

Finally, we reached the checkout counter. As Evric pulled out his wallet to pay, someone’s hands suddenly clamped over his eyes from behind, and a cheerful voice sang out, "Guess who!"

My breath caught in my throat. My body went rigid. Before I could process the sudden, intimate invasion of our space, the person leaned down and kissed Evric on the shoulder.

Evric’s reaction was instantaneous. He ripped the hands away and spun around, his expression changing from shock to a strained politeness.

"Thorley," Evric said, the name sharp and clipped. He took a subtle step back, placing himself half a step in front of me. "My boyfriend is right here. Don’t play around like that."

Thorley, a handsome man with a knowing smirk and impeccably tailored casual wear, finally looked at me. The name clicked in my mind—Evric had mentioned him once, the boy from his high school days who made him realize, back when they were still young, that he was drawn to boys, not girls.

Evric, seeing my rigid posture and the unfriendly look on Thorley’s face, quickly tried to smooth things over. "Babe, meet Thorley, an old friend. Thorley, meet my boyfriend, Zayn."

Thorley offered a short, perfunctory nod. "Zayn," he greeted, the single word dripping with a dismissiveness that made me feel entirely insignificant.

I hated feeling jealous; it made me defensive and petty. Instead of arguing, I focused on the task at hand. I reached for Evric’s hip where his wallet usually rested.

"Babe, give me your card," I said, my voice gentle and steady. "Let me make the payment."

Evric immediately handed me his card, his eyes filled with concern as he scanned my expression.

As I took a few steps toward the card machine, Thorley piped up, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "That’s fine. The Almighty Evric will be paying for everything I bought also."

I heard it, the assumption of financial access, the casual entitlement, but I said nothing. I focused on swiping the card. Evric just laughed—a slightly strained laugh—and said, "That’s not a problem."

After the payment was complete and my new supplies were loaded, Evric turned to me. "Babe, how about we find something to eat first?"

I was about to agree when Thorley inserted himself again. "Can I join you, Evric? I’m starving."

The idea of spending another hour watching Thorley disregard me was too much. I shook my head. "I’m not hungry, Evric. You can go eat with your friend. I’ll wait inside the car."

I turned and walked away before Evric could protest. The driver quickly opened the back door for me, and I slid inside, pulling the door shut with a decisive click.

It wasn’t a minute later that Evric opened the door and slid in beside me.

"Are you still meeting up with your friend to eat?" I asked, turning to face him, trying to keep my voice neutral.

"No," Evric said, pulling me closer. "I told him I’ll eat when I get back to your restaurant. Start the car."

As the driver pulled out of the parking lot, Evric turned his full attention to me, his hand resting reassuringly on my thigh. He called my name, soft and serious.

"Zayn?"

"I’m here."

"Is everything okay?"

I hesitated, then let the thought drop. "I’m fine. But... that friend, Thorley— he’s the one you said made you realize you were into men, right?"

Evric nodded, his eyebrows raised slightly. "Yes, he is."

Evric’s brow furrowed, his growth making him anxious about falling back into old habits. He started to question himself, needing constant reassurance. "Is everything okay? Did I do something wrong? Was I wrong back there?"

"No, you did not," I insisted.

He pressed further, his panic rising. "You don’t want me to talk to him? I could stop talking to him, you know, if you want me to."

"No, baby," I said, reaching up to gently stroke his cheek. "It’s not that." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Evric looked at me, his eyes searching. He hesitated, then stumbled over the forbidden word. "Or... are you... jea—"

"That’s enough," I cut him off, laughing softly. "Yes, I was jealous. I don’t like being jealous, but I didn’t like how he looked at me, Evric, or how he behaved. It felt like he was dismissing me."

Evric smiled, a genuine, joyful light returning to his eyes. "Babe?"

"Yes?"

"Did you just admit you were jealous?" he asked, trying to sound serious but failing spectacularly.

I couldn’t help the small, self-deprecating smile. "Yes."

Evric immediately started smiling, a bright, handsome blush rising on his cheeks. He pulled me closer, burying his face in my hair, and kissed my temple. "Babe..."

"What?" I answered, feeling the warmth of his affection.

He dramatically pulled back, holding me by the shoulders. "You have to understand, that was the first time I have ever, ever seen you get jealous. I didn’t even know you had it in you. I was so panicked I was making a mistake, I didn’t realize I was witnessing a phenomenon!"

I tapped his chest lightly. "It’s not funny," I scolded, though my own smile was fixed.

Evric ignored the scolding, lowering his head to my neck. He took a long, deep breath of my scent and kissed the soft skin just below my ear. "Babe, you seriously look cute right now. All pouty and defensive."

I pushed him back slightly, trying to maintain some seriousness. "Stop. I seriously did not like how Thorley greeted me."

Evric instantly dropped the playful demeanor, his eyes going soft and apologetic. "I’m sorry, my love. You’re completely right. I was wrong to let him treat you that way, and I shouldn’t have laughed off his comment about paying for his things, and I should have introduced you better. I am sorry, baby. You felt minimized, and that’s the opposite of what I promised."

"Thank you for saying that," I whispered, the relief washing over me. The fact that he saw the dynamic, acknowledged his own fault, and validated my feeling was the only reassurance I needed. The tension in the car immediately dissolved.

The cute, messy moment of first-time jealousy had passed, but it was replaced by a stronger bond. He saw me, he understood the feeling, and he validated it immediately. The external threat of Thorley was nothing compared to the secure communication we had just established.

Evric smiled and kissed my hair, clearly thrilled by the small admission of jealousy. The car ride ended quickly, and we arrived at my restaurant.

As Evric stepped inside...