Glass Hearts [BL]

I tightened my jaw and kept moving, but when I hit the living room, I caught sight of Mom.

She was curled up on the couch with an old photo album in her lap, smiling down at baby pictures of Diane and me like nothing had ever gone wrong in our family.

When she spotted me, her face lit up. "Where are you going, honey?"

I didn’t even answer. Didn’t trust myself not to snap. I just kept walking, out the front door and straight toward the garage.

The garage was cold. I yanked open my car door and grabbed my phone off the passenger’s seat. Three missed calls from Ash lit up the screen.

"Fuck," I groaned, tapping the screen to call him back. Straight to voicemail. Tried again. Same thing

Great. Just fucking great.

I shoved a hand through my hair, pacing the garage.

I needed to breathe, needed to hear a voice that wasn’t my dad’s, so I scrolled down and called Ian.

He picked up immediately. "Dom? What’s wrong? Did you talk to him yet?"

I let out a humorless laugh. "Talk? Yeah, if you call listening to Dad brag about his next big move ’talking.’ Guess what? He’s not here for Liam. He’s here because he’s running for fucking mayor, Ian. Mayor. After thirteen months of silence, that’s the reason he finally shows up."

There was a pause, then Ian sighed. "Shit. That’s rough, man."

"It’s fucked!" My voice cracked. "He left Liam’s parents grieving, never showed his face, and now he’s back because he needs this city to vote for him. He’s a homophobic asshole who can’t even look at me without judging me. And now I’m supposed to clap and smile while he plays the perfect dad on camera?"

"Dom..." Ian’s tone softened. "I get it. I do. But you can’t sit in that house with him tonight. You’ll explode. Just come over here. Don’t think about it, just get in your car and drive."

I leaned against the steering wheel, staring at my trembling hands. "I should. I fucking should."

"Yeah. Don’t even think about it. Just come."

I started the engine, my phone was still pressed to my ear. "But...I tried calling Ash.

Three times. Nothing. He’s not picking up."

Ian hesitated. "Oh... yeah, about that."

"What do you mean oh about that?"

"You didn’t know?"

"Know what?" My voice rose.

"I overheard him talking to June earlier. Asked her straight up. Dom, it’s bad. Child Protection Services showed up at Alia’s school. They think Ash isn’t... enough for her. That she needs a foster home or some shit."

I froze. "What?! No. No, no, no. They can’t fucking do that."

"Yeah. They tried to take her away today. I don’t know all the details, but June said Ash freaked out. Honestly, it’s fucked. Kid doesn’t deserve that."

If they take her away from him, that’ll break him. And if he breaks, I don’t know if I’ll know how to fix it.

My throat burned, and I had to swallow twice before words came out. "Ch...change of plans," my voice cracked. "I’m going to Ash’s. Right now."

"Okaayyy," Ian said quickly. "He needs you. More than ever."

I put the car in gear and pulled out of the garage, out of the building.

Then Ian’s voice brightened a little. "Hey, before you hang up....can you, uh, put in a good word for me with June? I really like her, Dom."

I blinked. "Wait. You’re serious?"

"Yeah. She’s different. Makes me wanna... I don’t know. Be better."

I let out a disbelieving laugh. "Wooow. Did Juney actually put a leash on you? Never thought I’d see the day Ian would actually fall in love. I need details."

He chuckled. "Guess she did."

I shook my head "Man... I can’t believe this. You’re gone. Fully gone."

"Shut up and drive," he said, still laughing.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Ash.....and the look on his face if they actually tried to take Alia away.

Ian’s voice slipped back in. "Hey, Dom... you gonna tell Ash about the mayor thing? About your dad being, well, your dad....the whole homophobic, campaign-trail circus?"

My chest tightened. I gripped the wheel harder. "I want to. God, I want to tell him. But... not right now. He’s already drowning with the whole thing. We need to figure out his sister first. Everything else can wait."

Ian hummed. "Fair. Just... don’t forget, okay? Last thing you want is him finding out from someone else and thinking you were keeping secrets again. You don’t need another repeat of last ti...."

I let out a tired laugh, cutting him off. "Yeah yeah. Message received Dad."

"You know I’m right," he shot back. Then his tone shifted. "Anyway... June’s calling me, so I gotta hang up."

I rolled my eyes. "Wow. She’s more important than me now? That’s how we’re doing it?"

"Byeee," Ian sang into the phone.

I snorted. "You’re an ass."

"And proud of it." Then his voice softened again. "Nah, but for real... June’s something else, man. I love how she doesn’t fake anything. Like, she’ll straight up tell me when I’m being an idiot. And the way she’s always protecting Ash? I don’t know. It hits different. She’s just... real."

I raised a brow, even though he couldn’t see me. "Since when did you get poetic about girls?"

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He chuckled nervously. "Since her. Bro."

I smirked despite the tightness in my chest. "So when did you realize you caught feelings for her?"

There was a moment of silence, then Ian blurted, "Dom, you’re not gonna believe this. She saw me naked."

I choked. "WHAT?"

"I swear! I just got back from the airport after picking up Nari. Entered my bathroom, with my towel wrapped around me. Didn’t know she was in there cleaning for some reason...don’t ask me why, and boom, my towel dropped right in front of her."

I burst out laughing. "No way."

"Her reaction, Dom. Bro, it was priceless. You’d think it was the first dick she’s ever seen in her life. She spun around so fast, her face was all red, muttering all this nonsense. It was hilarious. She’s so like...pure. And it melted my heart. I was like, ’Damn... I like her.’"

I slapped the steering wheel, laughing harder than I should’ve, given the pit in my stomach. "So let me get this straight. You like her... because she saw your dick? Typical Ian."

"Not because of that!" Ian said defensively, but he was cracking up too. "It was how she handled it. She was so awkward, but in this pure, genuine way. It made me realize she’s not like the others. She’s just... June. And that did it for me."

"You’re actually hopeless," I said, shaking my head.

"Hopelessly in love, maybe," Ian shot back.

"Oh my god," I groaned. "I can’t believe this. You, of all people. Mr. ’Feelings are for losers.’"

"Yeah, yeah, clown me all you want," he said. "But don’t be shocked when you’re best man at our wedding."

That sent me into another fit of laughter. But even as I laughed, that knot in my chest tightened again.

And even with Ian’s dumbass stories distracting me, the worry was still there.

"Hmmm." I shook my head. "Just don’t break her heart, Ian. That won’t be funny. Not even a little."

"Yeah, yeah," he said quickly. "I hear you, Dad. Bye." And the line clicked dead.

I tightened my grip on the wheel. Please let Ash be okay.

My chest tightened the closer I got to Ash’s neighborhood.