[BL] CRAVING HIM: Addicted to His Voice-Chapter 358: Reunion and Reckoning: Merry Christmas

~Zayn’s POV~

Evric stopped and pulled me back against his chest, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. I leaned my head back against his shoulder, looking out at the vast, shimmering horizon.

"Look at the city, Zayn," he whispered into my ear. "Look at how big the world is. Everything that happened in that booth tonight... It feels like everything in this moment, I know. But you’re bigger than his mistakes, and you’re more than the pain he put you through.

I closed my eyes, letting the steady hum of distant traffic and the rush of wind wash over me. After a long silence, I turned to look up at him, the bitterness still sharp on my tongue.

"You know, Evric... the anger wasn’t immediate," I confessed, my voice unsteady. "It grew when I understood that if death weren’t staring him in the face, he never would have come. He would have stayed comfortable and distant while we suffered. At least he was honest. He admitted he’s here because time betrayed him. Still... it hurts. Knowing we only mattered once he had nothing left to lose."

Evric listened, his expression full of a deep, patient empathy. He pulled me closer, shielding me from a sudden gust of wind.

"I understand, Zayn. I understand everything you’re feeling, and you have every right to be angry," he said, his voice low and grounded.

"But listen to me, this isn’t the right moment for that fight. You have a lifetime of anger, but he only has a few days before that surgery. And if something happens... if he doesn’t come out of that room, and you didn’t give him the chance to say what he needed to say or let him see you before he went in, you’ll be the one who has to live with that regret. Not him."

He closed the distance between us, lifting my face in his hands until my gaze was locked with his steady, sincere eyes. He wasn’t only my lover in that moment; he was my anchor, keeping me from drifting apart.

"Please, babe," he said softly. "Can you do this for me? Just for this brief period, set the anger aside. Focus on his health. Pray he gets through this. Because, Zayn, if he survives, then you can fight him. If he comes out of this and stands on his own feet again, you can face him and be as angry as you want, for as long as you want. But right now, let’s just focus on getting him through this. Let’s give him this period."

I looked at him, feeling the logic of his words settle into the cracks of my broken heart. He was right. I didn’t want my last memory of my father to be a shouting match in a restaurant booth.

"Okay, baby," I murmured, leaning my head against his chest. "Okay. I’ll try."

"That’s my brave man," he murmured, kissing the top of my head.

I tightened my arms around his waist, holding him as if he were the only thing keeping the world from spinning out of control. "Thank you, Evric,"

I breathed against his neck. "Thank you for always being by my side, for holding me up when I’m ready to collapse, and for giving me the strength I can’t find on my own. I don’t know where I’d be without you."

"You never have to thank me for that, Zayn," he replied, his voice a warm rumble. "You’re stuck with me. You’re welcome, always."

We stayed locked in that embrace for a long time, two silhouettes against the shimmering city lights. Finally, I drew in a deep, cleansing breath of the river air and stepped back, turning to face the world again. I felt lighter, the suffocating pressure in my chest finally beginning to ease.

As the night grew late, we drove home. The city blurred past the windows, and the silence inside the car was calm and peaceful, no longer tense.

"I have to call Liana tonight," I said, breaking the quiet. I looked out at the passing streetlights, thinking of my sister. "I need to explain everything to her. I just hope she understands... I hope she’s willing to show up at the hospital. She deserves the chance to see him, too, even if she barely remembers him."

I turned to Evric, who was focused yet keeping his eyes on me with steady support. "Which hospital did he say? And what’s the address he sent you?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Evric reached out, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. "I haven’t checked it yet, babe. Once we get inside, I’ll confirm the exact location and directions. Don’t worry about the details tonight, just focus on talking to your sister."

When we finally stepped through the front door, the silence of the house felt heavy. I didn’t waste any time; I sat on the edge of the sofa and dialed Liana’s number. She didn’t pick up at first, and my heart hammered against my ribs until the second call finally connected.

"Hi, bro. Everything okay?" her voice was light, unaware of the storm that had just broken.

I took a deep breath and laid it all out. I told her about the meeting, the illness, and the surgery. "Liana, listen to me," I said, cutting off her stunned silence. "I know you have a thousand questions. I know you’re probably furious—I was too. But he’s running out of time. Please, just show up first. We can deal with the anger and the ’whys’ later. Just be there."

She resisted at first, her voice rising with the same sharp pain I had felt earlier that evening. But as I kept my voice steady, pleading with her not to let this chance slip away, she finally sighed. "Fine," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Send me the location."

"Alright." I hung up, feeling a small sense of relief, and turned to Evric, who was looking at his phone with a focused frown. "Did you find it? Where is the hospital?"

Evric looked up, his expression unreadable. "Zayn, the hospital your father is using... it’s not in the city. It’s actually quite a drive from here. It’s very close to where Meera lives."

My eyes widened. "For real?"

Evric nodded, a small, thoughtful smile playing on his lips. "Yeah. Maybe it’s a sign. You could take Liam with you, let your father see his grandson for the first time."

I started to smile, the thought of Liam meeting his grandfather warming me for a split second, but then a cold shiver ran down my spine. The smile vanished, replaced by a sudden, crushing weight in my chest.

"What’s wrong, babe?" Evric asked, immediately sensing the shift.

"Why does everything sound like a farewell?" I whispered, my voice cracking. "Taking his daughter to him, bringing his grandson... it feels like we’re just setting the stage for a goodbye."

Evric didn’t say a word. He stepped closer and pulled me into a fierce, tight hug. I clung to him, burying my face in his shoulder as the tears started all over again.

"I seriously do not want to lose him now," I sobbed into his shirt. "Not like this. Not when I just found him again after so many years. It’s not fair, Evric. I just got him back and now he might leave forever."

"Hey, look at me," Evric said, pulling back just enough to wipe my eyes. "Be positive, Zayn. You have to be. This hospital...

NOTE:

Just a quick update, there won’t be a new Chapter today again, The next Chapter will be coming up tomorrow. Thank you so much for your patience and for being such incredible readers. Merry Christmas. 🎄 Love you all❤️