Page 54 of Glass Jawed
“That I met Tim today,” I manage, my voice cracking.
He exhales sharply, rubbing his jaw.
“Okay... so. I wasn’t here. Deal?”
I blink. “What?”
“You planned to tell him, right? So... I wasn’t here. You do it your way. But you stilltell him.”
Relief hits so fast my knees nearly give out. He grabs my shoulders and I lean into him slightly.
“Thank you,” I breathe, shaken.
He studies me for another second, then asks, “Now tell me why you damn near hyperventilated just now.”
“I...” I swallow. “It’s hard. Talking to Lucian about it. I know I need to tell him about meeting Tim but I feel like... he’ll just shut down the second his name leaves my mouth.”
Liam frowns. “Wait—so how did you guys talk about it early on? Like, in the beginning?”
“We didn’t.”
He stares. “Come again?”
“We... never talk about that night.”
His jaw clenches.
“You’re telling me you two just started dating like none of that ever happened?”
“No. I mean—he said it was the past. That we should move on.”
“So... you don’t talk about it. At all?”
I shake my head.
He sighs. Deep and long. “Jesus.”
Then he looks at me—really looks—and tilts his head slightly.
“Darling, I need to ask something. And I need you to answer honestly.”
“Okay.”
“Did you know Tim was in a relationship?”
My stomach drops.
“What the fuck? Of course not! Tim told me he was single,” I snap. “Why would you even—Lucian thought the same. At first.”
I stare at him, stung. “Do I give offJezebelvibes to you?”
“No, barista girl,” he says with a small smile. “You don’t. I believe you.”
It sounds eerily similar to what Lucian had said initially. I’m half tempted to trust those words.
But even now, even after all these months—there are still pieces of that night clinging to me.
Like they’ll never fully wash off.
