Page 203 of Glass Jawed
“I should head back to campus,” he says quietly.
Lucian stands and gives him a solid, one-armed hug, clapping his back once. “Text when you get there.”
Kai turns to me, hesitating.
I pull him into a hug without hesitation. “Fix yourself, baby boy. I love you.”
He squeezes me tight, whispers, “Love you too,” then heads out the door.
Silence settles like dust once he’s gone. We settle on our couch.
Lucian exhales long and low. “Well... that was awful.”
I lean into his side, cheek against his shoulder. “You were good.”
“I was trying not to go full interrogation mode.”
I smile faintly.
We fall into a comfortable silence. Lucian shifts to look at me. “Do you think they’ll be okay?”
“I don’t know,” I whisper. “I mean...weare. But... I don’t know.”
He nods slowly, presses a kiss to my forehead, then my cheek.
“Maybe if he gets herreally goodplushy slippers,” I sigh and snuggle into him.
He chuckles. And then cups my face and kisses me slow and deep, like he’s sealing another vow.
Which is when I decide to ruin his peace.
I pull back just enough to whisper, “Your daughter...”
I pause for dramatic effect. “Has a boyfriend named LLLandon.”
I emphasize the ‘L’. He freezes—full-body stiffens.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Fuck no.”
“Lucian.”
He lets out a groan from the pit of his soul. “FuckingLamebrain? Are you serious?”
I nod solemnly. “And she said he’s smart, respectful, and—wait for it—‘emotionally intelligent.’”
Lucian drops his head back against the couch like the weight of fatherhood just physically collapsed onto him. He’s been dreading this for almost four years now. “This is it. This is my villain origin story.”
I burst out laughing. “You’re being dramatic.”
“No, I’m beingrealistic,” he mutters into his palms. “My baby girl has a boyfriend. Named...Landon.”
His face twists in disgust.
“She said he’s in pre-law,” I add unhelpfully.
