[BL] CRAVING HIM: Addicted to His Voice-Chapter 258: In Your Arms, I Find Peace

~Evric’s POV~

"Your decision guides me. If you want him in police custody, I’ll pick up the phone right now. If you want me to back off, I will. Tell me, what do you decide, my love? I will act according to your decision."

Zayn lifted his head slowly, his eyes red and distant. His grip tightened painfully on my hand, and for a moment, he simply stared at me.

"Jail?" His voice was a thin, ragged whisper. "Evric, if I put Nantam in a cell, I’ll never be able to be myself again. There’s no way I will just send him away and go back to my normal life as if I didn’t destroy his." He shook his head sharply. "I can’t do that."

I rubbed his back gently. The justice path was closed. But mercy was just as difficult. "If jail isn’t an option, then what is, baby? Are you saying you’re going to forgive him?" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Zayn flinched as if I’d struck him. The dam broke, and tears welled up, spilling down his cheeks. He choked on a sob, burying his face in his hands. "No! I can’t forgive him! Not yet, maybe never. But I also can’t... I don’t know what to do!" He pulled his hand away and ran it roughly through his hair. "I don’t know how to punish my friend without punishing myself, Evric."

I didn’t say anything immediately. I simply pulled him into my chest, holding him tight as the sobs wracked his body. He was caught in the worst kind of emotional trap: the justice he was owed felt like a heavier burden than the offense itself.

"Okay," I murmured, pressing my cheek against his hair. "It’s okay. You don’t have to decide right now. Look at me, Zayn." I waited until he slowly tipped his head back up. "It’s not just jail or total forgiveness. There is a middle ground, darling. We can choose consequences without choosing prison. We can choose separation without choosing pardon."

He looked at me, his eyes weary and filled with quiet pain. "I don’t want any of that," he whispered.

I nodded slowly, my tone soft but steady. "Okay... I understand you." I kept my gaze on him, firm yet gentle. "You’re allowed to be hurt, Zayn. You don’t have to decide anything right now. So let’s just take the first step, alright? For now, let’s agree on this, you’re going to lie down, rest your head, and sleep. We don’t have to call the police, and we don’t have to talk about him."

He nodded faintly. "So... what do we have to do then?" I asked quietly, brushing a strand of hair from his face.

Zayn gave a weak smile. "I should sleep first."

"That’s my man," I whispered, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

He lay down, his body curling slightly toward me. His fingers brushed against mine before he murmured, "You should sleep too."

I watched him, the exhaustion softening the edges of his face. When I finally settled beside him, he pulled my hand gently and rested his head on my chest. I wrapped my arm around him, feeling the slow rhythm of his breath against me. In that quiet moment, all I could think was how much I wanted to keep him safe, right there, in my arms, my fingers tracing slow, soothing circles on his back. His breathing began to slow, heavy with exhaustion.

"Don’t go anywhere," he mumbled, his voice fading.

"I’m here, babe," I whispered, kissing the top of his head. "I’m right here—for you."

I held him for a few more minutes, letting the stillness linger before I quietly shifted. A glance at my watch told me it was 12:05 p.m.—already noon. He’d need something light but nourishing when he woke. I reached for my phone and placed an order.

After placing the order, I scrolled through social media for a minute, just to let time slip by. Then my phone vibrated, a call from my father. Without hesitation, I answered, sliding my thumb across the screen and pressing the phone close to my ear. My voice came out soft, barely above a whisper.

"Hello, Father," I greeted him, keeping my tone deliberately slow and soft.

"Evric." My father’s voice came through the speaker, sharp and controlled. "Why did you suddenly postpone the board meeting this morning? I had key stakeholders fly in for that. This kind of behavior is completely unprofessional."

"Father, you should know if it’s not important, I wouldn’t do that," I replied, trying to keep the defensiveness out of my tone. I couldn’t tell him the truth, not now.

"Important enough to cost the firm an entire day’s schedule? Where are you, Evric?"

"I’m with my partner," I stated simply, hoping the word partner would signal the seriousness of the situation without requiring details.

A brief, heavy sigh came across the line. "I thought as much. Well, listen to me. Next time, do not just cancel a meeting at the last minute again. It’s unacceptable. You represent this company, and your actions reflect on all of us."

"I apologize," I said immediately. There was no point arguing; he was right about the professionalism, even if he didn’t understand the catastrophe I was navigating.

"It’s okay," he conceded, the sharp edge softening slightly. "But you need to manage your priorities. Is everything... alright? Is Zayn okay?"

"Yes," I replied, keeping my tone calm and reassuring. "He’s fine, just a personal matter that needed my full attention. I’ll be back at the office first thing tomorrow morning, and the reschedule notices have already been sent."

We talked about a few more details, the rescheduled meeting, and a quick update on an overseas deal, before the call ended abruptly.

I set my phone back down. The outside world had intruded, and I had managed it. I closed my eyes, the adrenaline from the crisis and the subsequent call finally catching up to me. The scent of Zayn’s hair next to my face was the last thing I registered before I, too, drifted into an exhausted sleep.

A slow, comfortable stretch woke me. The light had changed entirely; the harsh daylight was replaced by the soft, gold glow of late evening.

Zayn was already stirring, shifting in my arms. He blinked open his eyes, looking immediately calmer than he had been hours ago. He settled his head back into the hollow of my shoulder, the movement a natural, familiar comfort.

I tightened my embrace, my chin resting on the top of his head. "Hey," I murmured, the word barely audible. "How do you feel now, baby?"

He turned, lifting his head just enough to look at me, then pulled me into a fierce, grateful hug, burying his face against my neck. "Better," he muffled into my skin. "So much better. Because you were with me."

I smiled, a genuine, deep-seated relief washing over me. It felt good to be his safe place. "I’m so glad to hear that," I whispered, running my hand up and down his back.

We stayed tangled together on the bed, wrapped in the quiet comfort of each other’s presence. Slowly, Zayn pulled back just enough, his hand resting gently on my jaw. His eyes, still carrying traces of exhaustion but clear and steady—met mine, and in that gaze lingered an unspoken promise of safety, trust, and closeness.

We were inches apart, and the simple focus of his gaze was enough. Our lips met, starting soft, slow, and restorative, a kiss meant purely to reaffirm our bond, when the quiet spell was suddenly broken by a sharp knock on the door.

"Zayn!" It was Kai’s voice, loud enough to cut through the quiet house. "Someone’s looking for you!"

Zayn pulled away instantly, his eyes wide, startled back to the reality outside our bubble. "Who?"

"Your friend, Dean?" Kai replied, shouting back.