Glass Hearts [BL]-Chapter 251: Don’t Take His Lies and Make Them Your Truth [June’s Pov]
"Ren. Look at me. Tell me the truth. Right now. I swear to God, if you lie to me too....."
"June..." he said softly.
"No. You’re protecting him!"
"I’m not protecting him. I swear I’m not. I just...."
I don’t care whatever excuse he was about to make. I was going to get the words out of his mouth.
I stepped closer until he had nowhere left to step back.
"Don’t pull that soft boy crap with me right now. Tell me what he said."
Ren’s eyes flickered away so fast.
Oh God. It’s bad. It’s really bad.
If calm Ren was too scared to repeat Ian’s words... 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎
Then Ian’s words were poison.
"Ren."
I grabbed his sleeve, until my hand shook.
"Look at me."
He didn’t.
He kept staring at the floor like it was suddenly interesting, or easier to handle than my face.
"Ren," I begged. "Please. Please tell me. I can’t... I can’t keep piecing together lies. If you know something....if you know anything, you have to tell me."
He finally lifted his head...
...and the look in his eyes made my whole body go cold.
"No," I snapped. "Don’t June me. Tell me what he said. Tell me what Ian fucking said."
His eyes were begging me to stop asking.
I didn’t stop.
"Please," he whispered. "Just, please don’t make me say this."
"REN."
Ren dragged a hand through his hair, shaking his head.
He was shaking.
"God, June... I’ve been trying for weeks to forget he even said it."
His voice cracked.
"I didn’t want this to be the thing that hurt you. I’m trying to do the right thing," he whispered.
"The right thing?"
I dragged a hand across my face.
"You think keeping secrets about my own relationship is the right thing? I deserve the truth. I need the truth. For once in my life, I need someone to just..."
My voice cracked.
"Stop lying to me."
"June..."
"Tell me what Ian said," I whispered. "Please."
He shut his eyes.
His lips parted.
"Okay... but don’t hate me for saying this."
"Please, tell me."
Then he whispered.
"Ian said..."
I held my breath.
"He said... you were just an ego boost."
My heart sank so fast I nearly stumbled.
His voice trembled as he continued.
"He said it meant nothing."
I shook my head in denial.
"He said you were easy."
My mouth fell open.
My ears started ringing.
"That it didn’t matter because..."
He hesitated again.
"Because he finally won you."
I kept shaking my head in denial.
"No," I whispered. "No. He didn’t say that. You’re lying."
Ren shook his head.
"I’m sorry."
I felt my breath stutter.
Ren hesitated but forced himself to go on.
"And he said..."
Ren’s jaw tightened again.
"He didn’t owe you loyalty because..." Ren stopped.
He could barely say it.
"Because you were already in love with someone else."
My heart stopped.
I actually staggered backward.
Ren reached out instinctively, but I slapped his hand so violently he froze.
"Don’t, don’t touch me," I whispered. "Don’t you dare touch me. He said all that?"
Ren kept his eyes down.
He looked terrified to look at me.
My voice shook.
"He really said that? About me?"
Ren nodded..
"He said he knew you were still obsessed with me. That it made him feel powerful when he made out with you. Like he beat me. Like you were some kind of victory."
No no. Ren’s lying.
Ian and I had something. Right?
"And he laughed about it."
It didn’t feel real.
It couldn’t be real.
Ren took one of my hands slowly.
But I didn’t feel it.
"He didn’t talk about you like someone he cared for," Ren said softly. "He talked like you were... a prize. Something to win. Like some stupid competition. I’m sorry you had to get between us. We’ve always had that competitive relationship since we were kids."
I felt sick.
My hands were shaking violently.
My lips trembled so badly I couldn’t keep them still.
"And you didn’t tell me?" I whispered.
Ren’s voice cracked.
"I wanted to. God, June, I wanted to so bad."
"Then why didn’t you?" my voice rose.
He finally looked me dead in the eyes.
"Because you were smiling. You were happy with him. You came out of your shell. And I...I couldn’t be the one to ruin that."
"You should’ve told me still."
Ren knelt down in front of me. "I’m sorry I kept it from you."
"I hate him," I whispered. "I hate him so much I feel sick."
Ren nodded.
"I know."
"So... everything he said about me was true? That I’m obsessed? That I’m easy to play with? That I’m....pathetic? Marcus was also right."
Ren’s eyes widened in horror.
"No. No, June, don’t twist it. Don’t take his lies and make them your truth."
But I didn’t hear him.
I was spiraling too fast, I was losing control.
"I can’t breathe..."
I pressed both hands to my chest.
"Ren, I can’t...I can’t breathe."
He reacted instantly.
He moved instantly.
"Hey, June. Look at me."
I tried.
"I’m right here. Breathe with me. In... slowly... there you go. Out... again."
I kept gasping.
"Good. Again. I’ve got you."
His voice anchored me, pulled me back from whatever cliff I was falling off.
When I finally met his eyes, they were full of something soft.
"June..." he whispered, brushing a tear from my cheek with the back of his knuckle, "you didn’t deserve any of that. Any of that. I understand if you also hate me."
Tears slipped down my cheeks again.
"What do I do?" I whispered. "What am I supposed to do now?"
Then he said it quietly.
"You let him go."
He stood slowly, offering his hand.
"You let him go, jellybean," he repeated. "And then you find yourself again, and focus on you. On singing. On breathing. On whatever makes you feel like June again."
I stared at his hand.
I wanted to take it.
But I pulled back at the last second.
"I can’t," I whispered.
Ren nodded softly, accepting it.
"It’s okay," he murmured.
He stepped back, giving me space like it hurt him to do it.
"Have you spoken to Ian?" he asked gently. "Does he know you know everything?"
"No."
My voice cracked as I wiped my face with the back of my sleeve.
"I deleted his contact. Blocked him on everything."
My head dropped onto my knees because I just... couldn’t hold it up anymore.
And then I felt Ren’s hand gently pat my back.
That was it.
The last warm thing before the whole world went dark.
