[BL] CRAVING HIM: Addicted to His Voice-Chapter 329: Mending the Heart with Respect

~Zayn’s POV~

"Because I noticed you two had a little argument before coming here. Isn’t that true?"

I nodded. "Yes, Mom, you’re right."

"You need to go to him now and show that you’ve accepted his apology. You should also apologize to him, for disrespecting him, in the past, and for what’s happening now. Let him know you’re ready to respect him and put him first. Show him that you can be the partner he needs, the peace he deserves. Please, be gentle with him... Zayn," my mother called my name, her voice soft but firm, "you have to respect Evric more, and you know why. Please, son. You can do better."

"Now, go speak to your fiancé," she said, giving my hands a final, firm squeeze. "Make this right, Zayn. And when you come out, I want to see two people ready to truly build their marriage, not just celebrate a wedding."

I stood up, feeling lighter yet infinitely more ashamed. I owed Evric a huge apology, not just for the night, but for the entire pattern of disrespect.

"I will, Mom," I said, kissing her cheek. "Thank you."

Just as I turned toward the hallway, she spoke again, her voice holding that particular tone that signaled serious maternal business.

"Zayn," she said, catching my attention. "The conversation tonight has ended. But tomorrow, I have something more important I need to talk to you about." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

I looked at her, a knot forming in my stomach. She simply gave me a soft but firm look. "Go for now."

"Goodnight, Mom," I murmured.

"Goodnight, son."

I walked toward the bedroom door, my steps now heavy with responsibility, yet infused with determination. I had to face the man I had just wounded so deeply and show him that the love he fought for, the love he chose above all else, was real. I had to fix this.

I paused outside the closed door, taking one last deep breath to anchor myself. The anger was gone, replaced by a devastating cocktail of shame and resolve. I lifted my hand and turned the knob, gently pushing the door inward.

Evric was not lying down, nor was he asleep. He was sitting on the very edge of the bed, his back to the door, his posture rigid. His head was bowed, and his hands were clasped between his knees, the picture of complete defeat.

I closed the door softly and walked toward him, my heart aching. I knelt beside the bed, bringing myself level with his face.

"Baby," I whispered, reaching out to touch his arm.

He flinched slightly but didn’t pull away. He slowly lifted his head, and I saw the raw pain and fear in his eyes. They weren’t angry; they were desolate.

"Baby," I began, my voice thick with sincerity. "I’m so sorry. For everything. For tonight, for letting Zara take me away for hours, and for the way I’ve been treating you all day. You were right. It was disrespectful, and I broke my promise to you."

I reached for his hand, weaving my fingers through his. "But I also need to apologize for something else. Something much worse. When we were outside the car, when I told you..."

My voice broke. "I was wrong, Evric. What I said about you, about what happened in the house that was a lie. I was just trying to hurt you because I felt hurt, and it was a terrible, vicious thing to say. I take it back. I’m so sorry I ever used that word against you."

Evric looked at me, and a single, heavy tear escaped his eye, tracing a path down his cheek.

"You’re really suffering me, Zayn," he said, his voice raw with disbelief. "You opened your mouth and accused me of rape."

"I’m so sorry," I quickly repeated, my head bowing in true contrition. "I never should have said it. I regret it."

Evric squeezed my hand, grounding himself. "Sex is supposed to be something we both enjoy. It’s not that you can’t go on longer, you just decide that once you’re satisfied, you’re done."

He met my gaze, confusion and pain swirling in his eyes. "How many months has it been, Zayn? We’ve been together all this time, and you still treat intimacy like it’s something painful, like you don’t want me touching you at all."

I just listened to him speak, unable to offer excuses.

"Sometimes I choose not to touch you because of the way you look at me after sex," Evric said quietly, his voice weighed down. "I don’t even want to talk about sex anymore, I’m exhausted by it. But you crossed a line when you accused me of rape. And what you did tonight... leaving with Zara... that was the final straw."

His voice grew strained. "How would you feel, Zayn, if one day you walked into my house and found someone you didn’t know? How would you feel if you met Nicki there and I told you he’d been staying for two days?"

I stayed silent. I didn’t want to imagine it. I already knew the pain that thought would bring.

"I might look like the possessive, toxic one, Zayn," Evric said quietly, his voice steady but tired. "But I’m not."

He met my eyes. "The only reason it doesn’t look that way with you is that I chose not to treat you the way you treat me. I don’t move carelessly. I don’t surround myself with people the way you do. I don’t give you reasons to doubt me, because I made that choice."

His voice tightened slightly. "Look at the night Thorley touched me. Look at how angry you were. Look at how jealous you became."

He shook his head slowly. "I might be the loud one when it comes to jealousy, Zayn. I don’t hide it. And that’s only because you give me the room to feel it. You leave the door open, with friends, with people, with situations you don’t think twice about."

His voice dropped, heavy with truth. "I didn’t create this jealousy. I’ve been controlling it. The difference between us is that I chose restraint... and you chose carelessness."

His final questions broke me in a way I wasn’t prepared for.

"Why, Zayn?" he asked, his voice tired. "Why do you keep repeating something you know causes me pain? Do you even realize how much it hurts? Do you get some kind of satisfaction from it?"

"No," I breathed, the denial coming out broken. My fingers clutched his hand as I looked away, unable to bear the pain in his gaze. "Never, Evric. Please believe me. I’m so sorry. I’m truly sorry."

I released his hand and crawled closer to him on the floor, wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my forehead against his stomach. "I promise you, I have learned my lesson tonight. It’s never going to happen again. I swear it."

I clung to him, repeating my apology in soft, desperate murmurs. I couldn’t bear to look up at his face; the guilt was too heavy.

Evric ran a slow, weary hand through my hair. He didn’t say ’I forgive you,’ or ’it’s okay.’

"I’m not angry, Zayn," he finally said, his voice flat with exhaustion. "I’m just tired. I’m so tired of fighting this fight. All I want to do is sleep."

He gently pushed me back so he could stand. I watched as he moved to the bed, pulling the duvet back. I quickly stood up, grabbing a pair of clean sleep shorts, and changed in the dim light. I didn’t want to waste a moment.

I slipped under the covers beside him, curling close to his back. My arm wrapped around his waist, seeking to soothe the tension I could still feel.

"Evric?" I whispered against his shoulder blade. "Do you still love me?"

His breathing hitched slightly, and he waited a beat too long to answer.

"Yes," he finally said, turning slightly to face me in the darkness. "I love you, Zayn. I love you more than anything."

He reached up, brushing his fingers gently across my face, his eyes heavy with worry. "But I’m scared... scared that after all this time, if we still can’t understand and respect each other, what will become of our marriage?"

The fear in his voice was genuine, and it was the strongest barrier I had ever faced. I knew then that my apologies weren’t enough. I had to earn back his...