[BL] CRAVING HIM: Addicted to His Voice-Chapter 372: Lessons in Loyalty

~Zayn’s POV~

Nantam swallowed hard, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Do you know what they call an orgy party?"

The question hit me like a physical blow, knocking the air from my lungs. I looked at him, my heart sinking into my stomach. "Yes, I know what that is. But Nantam... what does that have to do with you and Evans?"

Nantam sighed, his voice turning cold and direct. "I’ll go straight to the point. The night before you opened The JOL, I was at Evans’ place. He stepped out of the room, and his phone was right there on the coffee table. A message popped up. I didn’t want to be that person, Zayn, I really didn’t, but curiosity got the better of me. I read it."

I leaned in, my voice a whisper. "What did it say?"

Nantam swallowed, his voice shaking with barely restrained disgust. "It said, ’I loved what I sucked last night, and I can’t wait to have it inside me. Are you free tonight?’" He exhaled sharply. "It was from a woman named Rose, his coworker."

I felt a surge of sympathetic anger, but Nantam kept going. "Evans caught me reading it. He didn’t even try to lie. He claimed it was a mistake, a party his crew organized after a successful shoot. He said he didn’t want to go but couldn’t say no. He told me he lost control for a second, but then stopped himself. He went on about how girls in the industry are aggressive... but all I could think was that if I hadn’t been there that night, they would have finished what they started."

"Nan—" I started, reaching out.

"Let me finish," he snapped, his breath hitching. "Since we started seeing each other, he’s told me everything. Everything except that party. I was furious. I screamed, I said horrible things, and all he did was look at me and say he was sorry and it wouldn’t happen again. But I can’t get that message out of my head, even though he updates me on his location every five minutes now."

I looked at him, my expression turning grave. "Were the two of you actually official at the time?"

"No," Nantam admitted, his voice cracking with a raw edge of betrayal. "But we were already sleeping together, Zayn! How could he let someone else touch him like that while he was with me? How is that even possible?"

I took a breath, trying to be the friend he needed while being realistic. "Nan, look, you weren’t official yet. And realistically, did you expect him just to come out and tell you his crew was organizing an orgy? You know how that sounds. He was clearly trying to play it cool, and you know the industry is a shark tank. It’s definitely not easy to navigate."

Nantam pulled his hand away, his eyes flashing as he shot me a defensive look. "So what?" he snapped. "I was just supposed to accept it right away? I wasn’t meant to react at all, is that what you’re saying?"

"No, that’s not what I mean at all," I said quickly, reaching out to steady him. "I’m saying I understand why he was scared to tell you. But let’s look at where you are now. Are you officially together?"

"Yes," he murmured. "We are."

"And has anything like that happened since?"

"No," Nantam said. "He’s been completely open. But that one image... it just sticks."

"Nantam," I said softly, keeping my tone calm. "Evans did make a mistake. But technically... the two of you weren’t even together at that time."

"It’s still cheating, Zayn," Nantam insisted, his eyes flashing. "In my heart, it’s still cheating."

"You’re right, it hurts," I conceded. "But you said it yourself, he’s been loyal since you made it official. He’s a good man. You know he loves you."

Nantam released a sharp, frustrated breath. "He’s a good man, and sometimes I hate that about him," he admitted bitterly. "I hate that he won’t even fight back. I’ll be there, yelling my head off, and he just stands there, listening. He lets me say everything, all the ugly words, and then replies with a few calm sentences." He clenched his jaw. "It just makes me even angrier."

I couldn’t help but chuckle softly. "What, were you hoping he’d yell back at you? You know Evans isn’t that kind of man. He’s the calm to your storm."

"It’s not funny! Sometimes I just want him to say something. He looks at me like everything I’m saying makes no sense."

"Maybe it doesn’t," I teased.

"Zayn!" Nantam shouted, though a tiny bit of the tension left his shoulders.

"Alright, alright, I get it," I said, straightening up. "But listen, Nan, you really need to forgive him. His world isn’t like ours; patience is part of being with him. If you chose to be with him after all that, it means you know he’s truly sorry. Don’t let a past mistake ruin what you have now. Be kind when you talk to him, okay?"

Nantam sighed, looking at his water glass. "I’ll try."

A few minutes later, Evric and Evans stepped back inside. The tension in the room was still thick, but we managed to smooth things over with drinks and food. I whipped up something quick in the kitchen with Nantam’s help, and for a few hours, we managed to eat and laugh like old times.

As the night grew late, Nantam and Evans were the first to leave, followed by the rest of the crew. We stood at the door, waving goodbye as they all congratulated us on the upcoming wedding. Finally, the house went silent. It was just us again.

Evric and I moved through the kitchen with an easy, familiar rhythm, washing dishes and tidying up the last traces of the group. Once the house was quiet and the lights dimmed, we slipped into our room, ready to shut out the world and be alone together.

After a long, shared shower that washed away the day’s tension, we climbed into bed. I rested my head on Evric’s chest, the steady thrum of his heartbeat acting as my lullaby while he curled his arm around me, stroking my back in slow, soothing circles.

"Zayn," he murmured, his voice brushing against my ear, low and warm. "Evans told me about what happened with Nantam. I’m not saying this because he’s my brother, but Evans is fiercely loyal. He’s naturally reserved, and in his line of work, it takes real integrity to remain faithful. I know him, though, Nantam won’t regret choosing to stay with him."

I listened quietly as he continued. "Nobody is perfect, and every relationship has to face its own fire before it becomes unbreakable. They’ll be fine with time."

"I told him the same thing," I murmured, snuggling closer. "Where love exists, things have a way of working themselves out." We drifted into a lighter conversation about our own future, whispering dreams and wedding plans until sleep finally claimed us both.

The weekend arrived quickly. The air was crisp and full of anticipation as we woke up early to prepare for the trip to the Draeven family estate. I dressed carefully, wanting to look my best for my future in-laws, while Evric moved with his usual effortless elegance.

The drive was scenic, but my heart fluttered with a mix of nerves and excitement. When we finally pulled up the long, winding driveway of the Draeven mansion, the scale of the estate was a reminder of the legacy I was joining.

As soon as we stepped out of the car, the grand front doors swung open. Evric’s mother was already there, her face lighting up with a radiant, genuine joy the moment she spotted us.

"You’re finally here!"