Glass Hearts [BL] Chapter 251: Don’t Take His Lies and Make Them Your Truth [J

"Ren. Look at . Tell the truth. Right now. I swear to God, if you lie to 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 right now. Tell 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...

Then Ian’s words were poison.

"Ren."

I grabbed his sleeve, until my hand shook.

"Look at ."

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 . I can’t... I can’t keep piecing together lies. If you know sothing....if you know anything, you have to tell ."

He finally lifted his head...

...and the look in his eyes made my whole body go cold.

"No," I snapped. "Don’t June . Tell what he said. Tell what Ian fucking said."

His eyes were begging to stop asking.

I didn’t stop.

"Please," he whispered. "Just, please don’t make 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 soone to just..."

My voice cracked.

"Stop lying to ."

"June..."

"Tell what Ian said," I whispered. "Please."

He shut his eyes.

His lips parted.

"Okay... but don’t hate for saying this."

"Please, tell ."

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 ant 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 soone 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 ," I whispered. "Don’t you dare touch . He said all that?"

Ren kept his eyes down.

He looked terrified to look at .

My voice shook.

"He really said that? About ?"

Ren nodded..

"He said he knew you were still obsessed with . That it made him feel powerful when he made out with you. Like he beat . Like you were so kind of victory."

No no. Ren’s lying.

Ian and I had sothing. 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 soone he cared for," Ren said softly. "He talked like you were... aprize. Sothing to win. Like so 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 ?" 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 dead in the eyes.

"Because you were smiling. You were happy with him. You ca out of your shell. And I...I couldn’t be the one to ruin that."

"You should’ve told still."

Ren knelt down in front of . "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 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 ."

I tried.

"I’m right here. Breathe with . In... slowly... there you go. Out... again."

I kept gasping.

"Good. Again. I’ve got you."

His voice anchored , pulled back from whatever cliff I was falling off.

When I finally t his eyes, they were full of sothing 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 ."

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 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.