[BL] CRAVING HIM: Addicted to His Voice-Chapter 305: Moments of Misunderstanding

~Zayn’s POV~

I couldn’t prepare lunch for Evric yesterday because I was so busy, so today I made sure to prepare something delicious he would enjoy.

When I arrived at his office, I learned he was in the middle of a lengthy meeting that wouldn’t be ending soon. A staff member offered to inform him of my arrival, but I shook my head and told them I’d wait until he was free.

I went inside his spacious office to wait for him.

Evric took longer than expected. After waiting for almost two hours, I finally dozed off on his sofa, completely exhausted.

When I woke up, Evric was already back at his desk, fully absorbed in his work. He must have returned silently, because I would’ve woken up if he’d come near me. Even after noticing I was awake, he didn’t say a word or acknowledge me.

I walked closer to his desk. "Hey, babe."

"Hey," he responded, his voice distant and clipped, not meeting my eyes.

The chill in his tone was immediate and unmistakable. Something was definitely wrong. "Is everything okay?" I asked cautiously.

"Everything is fine," he answered flatly, still focused on his laptop. He looked up then, his eyes cold. "Why have you come?"

His question hit me like a physical blow. He sounded angry, or perhaps just completely unhappy to see me.

"I’ve been waiting for you for over three hours now," I told him, trying to keep the hurt out of my voice.

"Okay," he said simply, turning back to his work.

"I brought you lunch," I said, pointing to the container I had placed on his side table.

"Take it back," he instructed, his voice rising slightly. "I will order food when I’m hungry."

"Babe, you don’t even appreciate the fact that I took the time to cook and wait here for hours?" I couldn’t help but let my frustration show.

"I didn’t ask you to do it," he shot back. "So why do I have to thank you?"

"Evric, seriously, what is wrong? Did I do something wrong?"

"Not at all," he replied, shutting down the conversation. He stood up abruptly. "I have a lot of work to do. You need to leave my office. I will talk to you tonight."

"Are you chasing me away?" I asked, looking at his busy desk and his tense posture.

He didn’t answer directly.

"I don’t even know what I did wrong," I whispered, feeling the sting of tears.

He remained silent, his jaw clenched.

I walked over, packing the lunch box and picking up my phone, my body heavy with confusion. As I was about to step out, I noticed he wasn’t trying to stop me. I turned around and walked back to his desk.

"I’m sorry," I said quietly.

"For what?" he asked, not moving.

"For everything."

He let out a short, hollow chuckle. "Just leave, Zayn. Don’t get me mad."

"I apologize again. I’m sorry."

"For what, Zayn? Tell me," he demanded. He finally stood up from his desk, walking closer to where I stood, seeing the distress on my face.

"Can you please just forgive me?" I pleaded.

Evric’s expression was a mix of fury and disappointment. "If you truly don’t understand what you did wrong, then forgiving you now will only make you repeat it." His voice was low, tight. "Leave my office. Think about your actions."

I couldn’t leave like this. I moved closer to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. "Please tell me."

He held me with a loose, distant grip, not truly hugging back, and let out a long, weary sigh.

"I called you all through yesterday, you didn’t answer," he said, his voice carrying both exhaustion and hurt. "I even texted, and you didn’t reply. Then you just show up now, like everything is fine. It feels like you only come to me when it suits you, Zayn. That’s not how a relationship works."

His voice was a low accusation. "I told you I wanted lunch yesterday. You told me you would let me know your schedule, but you never did. I had to assume you were busy. Couldn’t you find one minute just to text me: ’Hey, babe, I’m busy, I won’t be bringing you lunch,’ or just tell me whatever you were doing?"

I listened, unable to justify my oversight. "I apologize. I’m sorry."

He stepped away from my embrace. "Do you just forget about me totally? I was okay with everything, but that doesn’t mean I don’t deserve attention." He was shaking slightly. "Throughout yesterday, you did not pick up and did not reply to my text. I even came to find you at your house last night, and I realized you were not there. Where were you?"

"I went to drop Liam and his mother off at home," I answered.

"He shouted, the sound echoing through the large office, but immediately lowered his voice when he remembered where we were. ’What about me? I’m sorry to sound like this, but I’ve tried so hard, and I can’t just take it anymore! You take them back to their house, so who was supposed to be the first person you called after you got back home?"

"You," I mumbled.

"Then why didn’t you call me?"

"I got back very late. I was so tired, and I..." I couldn’t finish the thought. "I apologize. I’m sorry."

Evric’s eyes filled with pain. "Do you know why what you did sometimes hurts me so badly?" He didn’t break eye contact.

"Because all of my time, I give it to you," he explained, frustration warring with sadness. "If I’m not working, I will come to you or text you, or call you. All my free time is for you. And no matter how tired I am after work, I will still find a way to text you and call you before I sleep."

"But you just slept through everything! I called you 76 times, sent so many messages, and all you say is that you were tired and went to sleep? Why?"

"I’m sorry, my phone was on silent," I offered lamely.

"Just leave, Zayn," he said, stepping away from me. "You don’t understand how I’m feeling. What happened yesterday... It’s weighing on me too heavily. I tried... I’ve tried not to act like this toward you again, but I can’t be okay with everything. I’m allowed to get angry for what you did yesterday, even if you call me immature or a boy. I still feel hurt, that hurt me a lot. I feel neglected, like I don’t matter."

He turned back, his voice ragged. "I feel forgotten by the man I gave my everything to, but he can’t even give me a minute to reply to a text and just went to sleep. Why? Because you know I will be okay with it, because I love you, and if you bring lunch, I will forget it. Yes, it should have been simple like that."

"But I was worried," he confessed. "I waited to hear back from you all day, and I watched you drive inside your house back last night, thinking you would call me first. But instead, the lights in your house went off, meaning you went to sleep without returning my call or text."

Tears streamed down my face as I realized the immense hurt I had caused. "I’m so sorry, babe."

He took a slow, deep breath, struggling for composure. "Just leave my office for now."

"I know this will be happening," I countered, my voice cracking. "I was incredibly tired! You don’t even know how tired I was. I didn’t eat all day; I just collapsed and slept off like that."

"And you’re the one who suggested Liam should stay for a while... I didn’t want him to..."

Evric slammed his hand on the desk, the sound sharp and final. "Liam is not the problem! And you driving them back home is not the problem! The problem is you didn’t return my call or text me! Liam will never be the reason I get angry with you. Now, leave my office!"

But I couldn’t. I stepped closer, dropping to my knees in front of him. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I pressed my forehead to him.

"I’m so sorry, baby," I whispered, tears slipping down my cheeks and soaking into the fabric of his trousers. "Please... please forgive me."