[BL] CRAVING HIM: Addicted to His Voice-Chapter 363: Family, in Pieces Meeting Him Again

Chapter 363: Chapter 363: Family, in Pieces Meeting Him Again

~Zayn’s POV~

It was a text from Liana.

"I’m here," it read. "I just pulled into the hospital parking lot."

I turned to Evric, my phone still glowing in my hand. "Liana’s here. She just pulled into the lot."

"Let’s go see her," Evric said. "We’ll bring her up to meet your father, and afterward, we can go pick up Liam together."

"Actually," I said, running through the plan in my head, "once we pick up Liam, it might be best to go straight back to the hotel. It’s been a long day for all of us. We can bring him here tomorrow morning before the surgery." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Evric squeezed my hand, his gaze soft and supportive. "We’ll do exactly as you want, baby. Whatever makes this easier for you."

"She’s in the parking lot, so she must be close," I noted, scanning the rows of cars as we stepped out. Evric stepped out first, playing the role of my shield as he looked around, and I followed close behind.

We spotted her near the entrance, but she wasn’t alone. A tall, lean young man stood beside her, someone I didn’t recognize. I nudged Evric gently, whispering, "Who is that standing beside her?"

Evric glanced over, a wicked, playful smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Probably the guy who takes care of her... underneath," he murmured, his voice a low, dirty silk.

My eyes widened and I gave his chest a firm thwack. "Evric! Stop! Why do you have to say it like that? Just say ’boyfriend’ like a normal person!"

"What? I’m just being descriptive," he chuckled, looking completely unrepentant.

I let out a huff, sulking as I pulled my hand away and marched ahead toward Liana without waiting for him. I didn’t get far before I felt his arms wrap around my waist from behind, pulling me back against his heat.

"Babe, I was just teasing you. Come here," he whispered into my ear, his breath tickling my skin until my annoyance melted away.

As we drew nearer, the wind carried their voices to us. The young man’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Evric. "Wait... that can’t be... is that really Evric Draeven?"

"Yes, that’s him," Liana replied, her voice hushed but firm. "And that’s my brother, Zayn, with him."

"Your brother?" the guy stammered, his jaw practically hitting the pavement. "Your brother is the one dating Evric?"

"Yes," Liana hissed, nudging him. "Lower your voice, Lucas!"

"But they’re engaged, right? I saw the news!"

"Yes! Now stop talking, they’re right here."

"Why didn’t you ever tell me about this?" he whispered frantically.

Liana rolled her eyes. "I told you I have a brother. I’m here to tell you about him, not his personal life. That’s for him to share."

The guy was still staring between Evric and me in total shock as we finally stopped in front of them. Liana smiled, a bit of tension leaving her shoulders. She greeted both of us with a warm hug, then gestured to the stunned man beside her. "This is my boyfriend, Lucas."

"Nice to meet you," I said politely, though I could feel the weight of Lucas’s stare.

"Nice to meet you too," Lucas managed to say, but his eyes immediately drifted back to Evric, his voice full of awe. "Wow. Just... wow."

I cleared my throat, a surge of protectiveness tightening in my chest. I didn’t want a gawking fan moment in the middle of the hospital parking lot. Sliding my arm through Evric’s, I said firmly, "Let’s head inside first."

As we reached the heavy door to his private room, Liana suddenly dug her heels in, stopping me in my tracks. She stared at the handle as if it were ice, her face pale.

"Zayn," she whispered, her voice shaking. "How... how am I even supposed to face him? What am I supposed to call him?"

Hearing her question hit me harder than I expected. It was proof of the emptiness he’d left behind, that even her own daughter didn’t have a name for the man who gave her life. I looked at her, my throat tight, and gently squeezed her hand. "Face him however feels natural, Liana. Don’t force it. Just be yourself."

Liana took a shaky, deep breath, squared her shoulders, and pushed the door open. Evric and Lucas remained in the doorway, a silent, watchful guard, giving us the space we needed.

When we stepped inside, the room was quiet, save for the rhythmic hum of the monitors. Our father was asleep, his face looking grey and fragile against the white pillows. Liana didn’t move; she just stood at the foot of the bed, staring at him with an unreadable expression, perhaps trying to find the man from her hazy childhood memories in this stranger’s face.

Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. He blinked against the light, his gaze shifting from the ceiling to me, and then, finally, to Liana.

The moment he realized who she was, the air in the room seemed to change. His breath hitched, a ragged, broken sound. "Liana?" he wheezed, his eyes filling with instant, overflowing tears. "My little girl... is that really you?"

He tried to reach out a hand, but it fell back onto the sheets, trembling too much to stay up. Two decades of absence, of missed birthdays, graduations, and heartaches, seemed to crash into the room all at once.

Liana took a tentative step closer, her lip wobbling. "Hello, Sir," she said softly, though the word ’Sir’ sounded like a sob in disguise.

"You look just like your mother," he cried, his voice thick with a raw, agonizing emotion.

He was finally realizing the treasures he had thrown away, a daughter standing before him, looking at her own father like a stranger. For several long minutes, Liana didn’t know how to react or what to say. She remained silent, her gaze fixed on him, saying nothing. The only sounds in the room were his quiet, broken weeping and the heavy, suffocating silence between them, broken only by Liana’s restrained sobs.

I stood there, watching the two of them. For a fleeting moment, I felt the urge to pity him, but it passed just as quickly. This was the consequence of his own choices. He had brought this pain upon himself.

Liana, however, managed to bypass the jagged edges of the past. She seemed to realize that digging into old wounds wouldn’t mend anything right now. With a grace that reminded me so much of our mother, she moved to the bedside.

"Don’t be scared," she said softly, her voice steady despite the monitor’s beep. She wasn’t speaking to him as a daughter seeking a father, but as a woman offering a bridge to a terrified man. "There is a lot we haven’t talked about, years of things. But we can’t talk about them if you aren’t here. So, don’t worry about the ’whys’ right now. Just focus on getting through this. If you fight for your life, everything else can still work out."

She was giving him the one thing he didn’t deserve but desperately needed: a reason to stay. "Don’t give up," she added firmly.

Our father could only nod weakly, his eyes red. "Okay... okay, Liana. I’ll try."

As the heavy air of the room began to settle, Evric’s driver arrived with the bags of gifts. Evric stepped forward, placing them on the side table with a respectful nod. "We brought a few things to make your stay more comfortable," Evric said, his tone neutral but kind. "We’ll be back again tomorrow before the procedure."

"Thank you, Evric," my father whispered, looking at him with genuine gratitude.

Just like that, the visit ended. We stepped out into the hallway, the sterile hospital air feeling almost fresh after the emotional suffocation of that room.

"Where are you staying?" I asked Liana as we walked toward the exit. "Is your hotel nearby?"

"Yeah, just a few blocks away," she said.

"Same here," I noted. "What are your plans for the rest of the evening?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," she replied. "Where are you and Evric heading now?"

"We’re going to pick up my son," I said, a slight smile finally curving my lips at the thought of Liam.

Liana’s eyes lit up. "Oh, Zayn! I can’t wait to meet him. Can we hang out tonight? I want to see my nephew."

"Alright," I laughed softly. Then, leaning in, I whispered so Lucas couldn’t hear, "By the way... you never mentioned you had a boyfriend."

Liana shot me a smirk, completely unbothered. "And you didn’t think I would have one?"

"Fine, fine," I muttered with a grin. "We’ll talk about that later."

"Definitely," she said, giving my arm a playful squeeze.

Evric and I said our goodbyes to Liana and Lucas, watching them head toward their car before we climbed into ours. As the driver pulled out of the hospital parking lot, we set off to pick up my mini-me.