[BL] CRAVING HIM: Addicted to His Voice-Chapter 257: The Weight of Friendship

~Evric’s POV~

The drive home was heavy with silence. Zayn rested his head against my chest, his fingers clutching my shirt as if holding on to something steady in the storm. I didn’t ask any questions. The way he held me said everything his lips couldn’t.

When we got home, Zayn went straight to the dining table. "I’m hungry," he murmured. I didn’t know how to cook, so I just stood there, useless, until Kai—who was still around, stepped in and quickly made something light. Zayn only managed a few spoonfuls, but even that felt like progress.

Afterward, he looked up at me and asked softly, "Aren’t you going to work?"

I lied effortlessly. "No, nothing important today." In truth, I had a crucial meeting I was supposed to attend, but I’d already told them to postpone it, because right now, my only priority was him.

Kai noticed something was off. His gaze lingered on Zayn, worry flickering in his eyes, but he didn’t ask any questions, especially after Zayn mumbled that he wanted to sleep, saying he hadn’t closed his eyes since last night.

"Okay, baby," I said softly.

He was already walking into the room when he suddenly paused, realizing I was still sitting there. Turning back, he gave me a small, weary smile. Reaching for my hand, he whispered, trying to sound playful despite everything weighing on him, "I need a cuddle."

I couldn’t help but smile back. "At your service," I said softly, taking his hand before following him inside.

Kai, sensing the need for privacy, quickly retreated to his room.

We went straight to the bedroom and Zayn took a quick shower. When he came out, he wore a pair of shorts and a simple T-shirt. He climbed into bed and turned onto his side, his back facing me. I joined him, slipping in behind and wrapping my arm around his waist, holding him close in a quiet, protective embrace. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

He shifted just enough to turn his head, speaking without letting go of the embrace. "Have you ever cared or loved someone as much as you love your family? Someone who isn’t family... a friend, or a colleague, anyone close to you, someone you feel that same deep connection with?"

I sighed, pulling him closer. "I don’t have many close friends aside from my brothers. But there are people who work with me—Karl and James, people you don’t really know, and I care about them." I tightened my embrace, my voice softening. "But the most important one is you, Zayn. You’re my everything. You’re the only one who makes me feel safe enough to be completely myself. You’re all I care about, baby."

Zayn pulled back slightly, his eyes locking with mine, calm but filled with a quiet intensity. "What if one day I tried to harm you, tried to destroy you? After numerous trials that failed, I finally gave up, realized my mistake, and confessed everything to you. Would you forgive me?"

I took a shaky breath. "Zayn, I will tell you what my father taught me."

I held his gaze. "Father said if you can’t forgive, it’s better to be alone. Because the more people you have around, the greater the potential they could hurt you. He also said everyone in our lives matters, whether they bring good or bad. And before we judge, we should see if the good outweighs the bad, and if it does, we should forgive."

I continued, the old lesson heavy on my tongue. "But Father also said this: if you forgive someone, yet you can’t stop dwelling on what they did, it’s better not to forgive at all and let them face the consequences. Forgiveness without forgetting only keeps the wound open, the person will haunt you forever." I searched his eyes, my voice soft but steady. "Why do you ask, Zayn?"

Zayn looked away, struggling with the truth. He tried to stifle a cry, covering his mouth. "I didn’t want to say it, but..." His voice started shaking. "Nantam is the anonymous. He tried so many times to break us..." He couldn’t finish the statement. The betrayal of his friend was too much.

I stood, putting on a show of determination, my expression all serious and bold. I reached for my phone and said, "If Nantam is the anonymous... then we should call the police and arrest him. Right now."

Zayn sprang up, grabbing my arm. "No! Don’t call the police! Don’t arrest him! He’s my friend!"

I watched Zayn’s eyes widen, a small, teasing grin tugging at my lips. I knew he would never actually go through with it, he could barely even imagine doing it—but pretending to act fast, making it seem urgent and decisive, thrilled me. It was all just an act, a little push to make him face the impossible truth without letting the reality of punishment hit him just yet.

I gave a gentle, reassuring smile, cupping his face in my hands. "It’s okay, baby... just let it out. Cry if you need to." I pulled him close, holding him tightly against me.

Zayn sank onto my shoulder, clinging to me as the dam finally broke. Tears soaked my shirt as he buried his face against me. Between sobs, he spoke, his voice trembling. "When I had nobody, Nantam was the only one who stood by me," he said. "When people called me boring, Nantam told me not to mind them, that I’m interesting in my own unique way. When I told him it was just me, Liana, and my mom, Nantam said he had a junior brother and together we could be five. When I said I didn’t want a friend because I didn’t want comparisons, Nantam said, ’I will be your friend, Zayn, one who won’t make you feel less.’" He hugged me even tighter, his voice breaking. "Evric, I tried to love him. I tried so hard to feel the same way as him, but I couldn’t."

I held him close, letting his tears soak into me. "It’s okay, baby. It’s okay."

Zayn’s voice cracked as he sobbed, repeating the words over and over. "Why... why... why does it hurt this much, Evric? I trusted him so much..."

I held him tighter, pressing my lips to the top of his head. "It’s okay, baby. It’s okay... let it out. I’m right here."

I watched him struggle, the tension tight around his shoulders. He had done the hard part, he’d walked me through it, balancing the awful betrayal against the friendship and history they shared. He needed me to understand that Nantam wasn’t just a bad guy; he was a friend who did a bad thing. He let me know how important that person had been in his life, and now I had to be the rock.

I gently reached out and took his hand, running my thumb over his knuckles to ground him. I kept my voice low, hoping the calm would reach him.

"I know this is incredibly complicated, my love. You’ve laid it all out for me—the bad side, the good part, and how much he truly meant to you. I’ve heard you. I know how important he was."

I paused, letting that sink in before turning the decision back to him.

"But now, we have to move forward. The choice belongs to you alone. Do you think we should get him arrested? Do you want him to face the law for what he did? Or, in light of everything else, is there a path to forgiveness?"

I squeezed his hand lightly, looking him straight in the eyes. I needed him to know my support was absolute.

"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."