Page 72 of Glass Jawed
“Liam...”
“You recreated that night,” he says, eyes narrowing, voice shaking. “Didn’t you? Youstupid, fuckingasshole.” His jaw clenches hard when I nod. “Timlied, Lucian.”
I mumble brokenly, hating myself more than he ever could. “I know.”
But he’s not listening anymore. He’s pacing the room, fury radiating off him in waves. He pulls out his phone, tapping quickly, then shoves it in my face.
“He fucking lied,” he repeats, face red with rage. “Aarohi never knew. She never knew he wasn’t single!”
“I know,” I snap, louder, swatting the phone away without even looking. “I fuckingknow!”
“You idiot,” he hisses, practically shaking. “How could you believe him? Tim—who’s lied to you, who cheated on you, who—”
“I KNOW!” I roar, and it’s not just a sound—it’s a rupture. A violent, guttural crack that tears straight from the pit of my chest. “Fuck. I didn’t believe him, okay? Ididn’t!I was conflicted for maybe a few minutes, but then...”
“Thenwhat?” Liam throws his hands up, exasperated, shaking his head like he can’t even look at me. “What happened after those few fucking minutes, Lucian?”
I pause, my throat burning. “Then... I don’t know. I just... shut down.”
Because it’s true. I felt something coil and snap inside me. Something primal. Somethingmean. I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. I didn’t want to feel anything anymore. So I found the nearest emotional grenade and yanked the pin.
He exhales sharply, stepping back like he’s distancing himself from whatever the hell I’ve become. “You need serious help, man. Because I don’t know what kind of pain makesanyonedo... this.”
And I know. The answer isnone. There’snothingthat should’ve made me do this.
“Liam...” I look at him, my face crumpled. “There’snopain that can justify this. Even if she knew and slept with a taken man—she didn’t deserve what I did. It wasn’t her responsibility to not make him stray. So... you’re right. I need help.”
He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Glad to know you know that now.”
We lapse into silence. It’s not comfortable, not even close. It’s the kind of silence that leaves a taste in your mouth. Like metal. Like blood.
And then I remember. His comment at the park.
“You said something earlier. In the park,” I mutter, voice hoarse. “Something about people falling apart on you. What did you mean?”
Liam furrows his brow. “What?”
“You said,’first Aarohi, now you.’What happened with her?”
He hesitates, like he doesn’t want to pile anything else on top of my already shattered conscience. “You really want to hear this?”
I nod. It’s the only punishment I can still take standing. Barely.
“You sure?” He sits again, his face drawn. “I’m not gonna lie. There’s probably no worse version of you than right now.”
I let out a weak, humorless breath. “That bad, huh? Fuck. I think I need a drink.”
As I move to get up, his hand shoots out, iron-tight on my shoulder. “I think the fucknot.”
And he’s right. Alcohol won’t help. Booze is why I ended up in that bar. Why I couldn’t think straight. Why Rohi saw what she saw.
But no—that’s not true.
Idid all that.
Imade the decision.
Alcohol didn’t wreck my life.I did.
