Glass Hearts [BL]-Chapter 242: Judas with Ginger Hair

Ash’s POV

For a moment, we both stood there in silence, staring at the empty beds.

"June," I whispered, blinking back tears, "I was so emotional when they left. Alia cried, I cried... and now, I don’t know. It just feels like everyone I love keeps leaving me."

My voice broke at the end.

June didn’t say anything, she just reached forward and wrapped her arms around me.

Her hand trembled slightly against my back.

"I know, Ash," she whispered. "But not everyone who leaves is gone forever."

"Did you even watch the full video?" June raised my head. "Dominic said he loves you on national TV, Ash. He didn’t mention your name but..."

"June, please," I cut her off, pressing my palms over my ears. "I don’t want to hear about the video right now."

She sighed. "Okay. Okay, I just..." she ran her hands through her hair, exhaling. "I just need you to stop panicking before you give yourself a heart attack. You’ve been chewing your nails since we walked in."

"I can’t help it," I got up again. "He’s probably somewhere hating himself right now and... I’m stuck here doing nothing!"

"Hey!" she called out. "What else can I do to make you stop panicking? Huh? You want me to sing? Do a TikTok dance? Throw your phone out the window?"

"You’d actually do it."

"Desperate times," she said with a tiny smile. "If Marcus were here, he’d probably say something like...

A voice cut in from the doorway.

"....like, ’Calm down, drama queen, you’re gonna wrinkle before twenty-five.’"

My head snapped up.

June froze.

That voice. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

No way. I’m hearing things

We turned toward the door at the same time.

My eyes widened. "Marcus...?"

He leaned against the doorway with that same grin, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder, looking exhausted.

"Miss me?" he said.

June gasped so loud it made the nurse walking by quiver.

"Marcus?! What the hell..you..how...?"

I stood there frozen before my body remembered how to move.

"Marcus," I said again.

He opened his arms with that teasing smirk.

"C’mere, you emotional mess. I heard there’s a crisis, and I couldn’t let my favorite emotionally unstable duo suffer alone."

"I can’t believe you’re here!" June practically screamed, rushing over to Marcus before I could even blink.

She grabbed his face, squishing his cheeks. "You look taller! And thinner! You decided to stop eating my food. Wait! You hate me, don’t you? You hated me and Ash and decided to never see our faces again!"

She didn’t even let him breathe between sentences.

Marcus laughed, trying to pry her hands off. "June, for the love of God...breathe. I’ve been here two minutes and you’ve already diagnosed me with body dysmorphia and abandonment issues."

She smacked his arm. "Answer the question!"

He sighed dramatically. "Fine. No, I don’t hate you two. I just forgave you. Yay me."

June blinked at him. "You forgave us?

Marcus grinned. "Apparently. Because when I saw my best friend get his heart shattered on national TV, I figured hey, maybe it’s time to come home. "

"Yeah, right," I muttered, crossing my arms. "You came back to laugh in my face and say, ’Ash, I told you so. You fell for a guy who broke your heart on national TV.’"

Marcus gasped. "Nope! I was going to be nice!"

"Sure," June folded her arms.

He glared at us. "Did either of you even watch the full video?"

I froze.

He raised a brow. "Yeah, I didn’t think so. Because apparently, he didn’t break your heart on TV."

June’s eyes widened. "See! Ash! I told you to finish the video!"

I frowned. "I saw enough! The kneeling, the crowd cheering, the hand-kiss yeah, that’s enough trauma for one day."

Marcus slapped his palm on his face. "Dominic literally said he loves you and apologized for what he was about to do. When he knelt in front of that lady, he said, and I quote.. ’Will you do the honor of uniting our cities and families.’ Not ’Will you marry me.’ Ash..that doesn’t sound like a proposal!"

June’s jaw dropped. "Wait, hold on, what?"

Marcus smirked. "Yeah. Shocking, right?"

June gasped dramatically. "Oh my God. Ash, your man publicly declared love AND took one for world peace?

I rubbed my temples. "Or manipulation-level stuff. Depends on perspective."

Marcus glared. "Perspective? Dude, he risked political suicide to tell the world he loves you!"

June blinked at him. "Wow. When did you get this smart?"

He grinned. "Probably around the time I stopped hanging out with you two doofuses. Guess the ’Glass Circle’ lifestyle already fried a few of your brain cells."

I couldn’t help the small laugh that slipped out. "You even learned how to roast now?"

Marcus shrugged. "What can I say? Character development."

I smiled faintly, shaking my head. "Yeah, well... I deserve that."

Marcus folded his arms. "Anyway, I didn’t just come here to drag your emotional self out of despair. I found something... weird. Dangerous, actually."

June tilted her head. "You? Found something dangerous? What, like another bad haircut?"

Marcus rolled his eyes. "Ha-ha. No. I’m talking about The Coil."

That sent shivers.

Did he just mention The Coil?

June snorted. "Wait...what?" She blinked, looking between us. "Ash... isn’t that the movie you and Ian wanted to see last month? The one with explosions and the anti-hero?"

I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. "Uh, yeah. That one. Except... apparently it’s not just a movie."

Marcus’s eyes flicked toward me. "Oh, so June doesn’t know, and you know?"

June frowned, looking confused. "Hold up. You two know something I don’t? What is The Coil? Is this a guy thing? Because if it’s about cars again, I swear..."

"It’s not about cars," Marcus cut in, his tone shifted, enough to silence the joke. "It’s a group. Dangerous one. And they’ve been sniffing around Dominic... and you, Ash."

June’s jaw dropped. "I’m sorry, what?!"

"Yeah," Marcus said. "They came to me last week."

"You’re joking," My chest tightened. "You’re actually joking."

He shook his head. "Wish I was. They found me somehow. Said they knew we weren’t friends anymore and thought I’d be easy to... ’recruit.’" He even did the finger quotes.

He looked away for a second, like he was replaying something he didn’t want to remember.

"They wanted information about you and Dominic."

June’s hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my God...What did you tell them?"

Marcus’s laughed. " I told them to go to hell."

But his eyes didn’t quite match the grin.

For a second, I caught something else there...not fear exactly, but guilt. Like he’d left part of the story out.

"Said I’d never sell my best friend out... not even for a lifetime supply of sushi."

I blinked hard. "You.. you told them no?"

"Of course I did!" he snapped. "Who do you think I am, Judas with ginger hair?"

Why do I have a feeling he’s still hiding something?

June still looked lost

"Wait. Why the hell are they after you and Dominic?"

Marcus folded his arms, darting his eyes between us. "That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out too." He looked straight at me. "So, Ash, start talking. You’ve got some serious explaining to do."

I hesitated.

June frowned. "Ash, what did you do?"

She looked furious.

"June, listen... guys calm down." I tried, but she cut me off.

"No, don’t ’June’ me right now! You always hide things when you think you’re protecting people, but this..this sounds serious!"

"Actually..." I swallowed hard. "It’s..."