[BL] CRAVING HIM: Addicted to His Voice-Chapter 313: A Love She Couldn’t Understand

~Zayn’s POV~

Evric and I drove out that morning. Our mission was to find the perfect gift for his father.

Watching him shop, I could see his excitement and his worry all at once. He spent millions without a second thought.

"Do you think he’ll love it?" he kept asking me, holding the expensive gift box as if it were fragile glass.

Seeing him care so much for his dad made my chest ache with a familiar sadness.

I wished I had the kind of father I could shop for.

I do have one, of course, but he doesn’t want us. We haven’t heard from him in a long, long time.

After we paid for the gift, I decided to lift the mood.

"Won’t you buy a gift for your baby who just sucked you last night?" I whispered, leaning close to him.

He laughed, turning to face me in the car. "Baby, you should be the one getting a gift for me."

"Oh? And why is that?" I asked, playing along.

His voice dropped to a playful growl. "Because I’m your Daddy."

No argument, I smiled, shaking my head. "I will definitely think about that gift, Daddy."

He nodded, satisfied. "Don’t forget we’re picking up Liam in two days," he reminded me, his tone shifting back to seriousness.

He also mentioned my own busy schedule. "You have your grand opening for your second restaurant soon. Are you ready?"

"Almost," I replied. "Just some final touches to sort out."

His expression shifted, becoming more serious. "Babe, on Father’s Day... can we bring Liam along to see my father?"

My stomach instantly knotted. "That’s not a good idea, Evric. Won’t your father—"

He cut in, his voice insistent. "Babe, it’s better to take Liam now. Let him meet my father."

"He’ll be like his first grandson," he reasoned, his eyes pleading for me to agree.

"You think it’s easy," I murmured, staring out the window. "But your father might think otherwise."

Evric reached across the console and squeezed my hand firmly. "Trust me on this, okay?"

I sighed, looking at his hopeful, sincere face. "Okay," I agreed.

Evric pulled the car to a stop right in front of my restaurant’s entrance.

I leaned over the console and gave him a quick, tight hug before reaching for the door handle.

"I’ll be heading straight to work now," he said, his voice warm. "I’ll call you later, baby."

"Okay," baby.

"I love you, Zayn."

I smiled widely. "I love you more, daddy," I replied, blowing him a dramatic, lingering kiss across the car.

I watched him drive away until his car disappeared around the corner.

But the relief of our farewell was fleeting. The deep knot of anxiety about the impending Father’s Day visit remained firmly settled in my stomach.

~Evric’s POV~

I finally pulled into the company parking lot. I felt exhausted but content, the lingering warmth of Zayn’s goodbye still with me.

James, rushed out to meet me as I stepped inside the magnificent glass doors of the building.

He greeted me with a respectful bow. "Sir."

I greeted him back. "James."

He reached for my briefcase. I waved him off. "It’s okay, James. It’s not heavy."

Jame paused, then informed me softly, "Sir, Ms. Nuala is waiting for you in your office."

Nuala? I frowned in surprise. "What is she doing here?"

I hurried to my floor. As soon as I opened the office door, I stopped dead.

My huge, pristine executive office had been transformed. Nuala had practically turned my desk into a restaurant table.

There were takeout containers, several types of food, and colorful drinks spread across every available surface.

"Bro, you’re finally here!" she called out cheerfully, leaning back in my leather chair.

I gestured around the room in disbelief. "Nuala, this is my office! Why turn it into some kind of..." I couldn’t even finish the sentence.

She cut me off, holding up a hand. "Wait, wait, bro. If it were Zayn you met in your office like this, you would definitely be happy, right?"

"Yes, I would," I admitted immediately. "But you are not Zayn."

Nuala rolled her eyes but agreed. "Fine. I’m not."

I walked toward the desk, clearing a small space to set down my briefcase. "So, what are you actually doing here?"

"You didn’t come home yesterday," she explained simply. "So I thought I should visit you."

"Liar," I said, a little too harshly. "Can you just kindly tell me why you’re here so I can attend to you? Then you can carry yourself out of my office."

I watched as she gently started packing up the take-out containers. Her expression shifted instantly, crumpling like I had said something hurtful.

I couldn’t help but soften my tone. I walked around the desk. "Hey, did I scare you or say something wrong?"

She nodded sadly. "Yes."

"Oh, our princess, I’m sorry," I said, my voice now genuinely remorseful. "You should understand this is my office."

"I understand that," she said, her voice tiny. "But why did you have to shout at me?"

"Oh, I’m really sorry, Nuala." I genuinely meant it.

After a long pause, she finally smiled faintly. "It’s fine."

"Now," I pressed gently, "what exactly brought you to my office?"

She was about to reply when my phone rang. It was Zayn.

I picked up immediately. "Hey, babe."

"I just called to ask if you’ve gotten to the office," he said.

"Aww, you’re so sweet, love. Yes, I got here not long ago."

"Alright, baby. Have a nice day at work," he said.

"You too, baby," I replied, then added, "Think about me when you cook, so the food will be extra delicious."

He chuckled. "Alright, I will."

"I love you, baby."

"I love you more," he replied, and the call ended.

I was still smiling at my phone, the warmth of his voice lingering.

Nuala watched me, her expression unreadable. "You keep loving him. Aren’t you tired of loving only him?"

My smile died instantly. I looked at her, confused. "What does that mean?"

She shrugged slightly. "Loving just one person, isn’t it tiring?" she repeated, looking at me intently.

I smiled again, this time with genuine conviction. "It’s not tiring, Nuala. It’s only tiring if you don’t love that person enough."

She leaned back with a soft sigh. "I’ve always admired, and honestly, been a little jealous of, how deeply you and Zayn love each other. With everything you two have faced, you’ve never stopped choosing each other. Your love just keeps growing."

Her voice dipped, gentle but weighted. "How did you both manage that?"

I realized there was a weight to her words, a hidden story. I walked closer and took her hand. I led her to the sofa by the window and we both seated ourselves.

"What’s wrong, Nuala?" I asked softly.

She took a deep breath. "A couple of months ago, I started seeing someone, the same gender as me."

I stayed quiet, signaling her to continue, acting like this was brand new information.

"Recently," she continued, picking at a loose thread on the sofa, "I started losing interest, and this person did nothing wrong."

"Be honest," I urged her. "Is there a reason why you started losing interest?"

She nodded, looking down. "Yes."

"You met someone new, right?"

She nodded again. "Yes."

"Male or female?"

"Male," she whispered.

"I don’t understand anymore," she confessed, looking utterly lost. "If I love a woman or a man."

Then she looked up at me, her eyes pleading for answers. "Is it possible I love both together?"