Glass Hearts [BL]
Chapter 50: The Price of Good Things

Chapter 50: The Price of Good Things

Holy shit.

I overslept.

My eyes flew open.

I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through my neck, making me wince. "Ow... fuck."

I must have slept all twisted on the couch. My hoodie was bunched under one side of my face, my hair sticking up in a million directions.

I blinked at the sunlight slanting through the window. My brain felt foggy and slow.

I rubbed my face.

Last night came flooding back.

The crying. The church. Mrs. Diggs saving my ass on the rent.

And...

Oh my God.

It wasn’t a dream.

I really was sexting Dominic last night.

A hot flush spread up my chest and all the way to the tips of my ears.

"Omg omg omg it’s real."

I slapped both hands over my burning face, muffling a squeal.

Then before I knew it, I did a stupid, giddy thing. I stood up and started twirling in my living room, nearly tripping over the corner of the mini table.

I was spinning in circles, whispering to myself:

He thinks I’m gorgeous. He called me good boy. Holy shit holy shit holy shit. He totally likes me. Holy shit, he likes me.

My stomach flipped so hard I felt dizzy.

I finally dropped onto the couch again, clutching my phone and hugging it.

One glance at the screen, and I swore under my breath.

10:02 AM.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck—"

I’d missed over ten calls from June and Marcus.

My notifications were an absolute war zone.

Messages, missed calls, group chat explosions.

I opened the texts and was immediately assaulted by a barrage of June’s —" GET YOUR ASS TO SCHOOL" stickers, angry bitmojis, and a photo Marcus sent of my empty seat in class captioned:

MARCUS😎: "Tell me u ain’t dead."

Marcus. The most dramatic non-dramatic person alive.

And then...

My heart nearly exploded when I saw Dominic’s name.

DOMINIC🥵: Good morning, pretty boy.

My lips parted. Heat rushed straight up my chest into my face

Pretty boy. He called me pretty boy again.

"Oh my god," I curled my toes and pressed my phone to my chest.

I never thought someone like him would look at me like... like I was worth wanting. I feel... wanted. Desired. Like I’m not just the guy holding everything together for my mom and Alia. Like I’m someone he actually wants. Like I’m someone who deserves something good, too.

I inhaled, trying to slow my racing heart.

I really want him back.

Holy Shit. I think I’m in love. And terrified. And broke.

My fingers hovered over the keyboard, trembling.

I wanted to respond. I wanted to keep flirting. But...

My stomach twisted.

Because as amazing as all this was, I still had real life crashing down on me.

I stared around my tiny apartment...the peeling paint, the worn out sofa, the clutter of overdue bills and hospital paperwork scattered across the table.

My eyes drifted to the calendar above my desk.

Thursday.

Tomorrow was Friday.

Tomorrow was the hearing.

The one that could save my scholarship... or slam the door shut on every single chance I’d fought for.

And there was Mom.

And Alia.

And the money I didn’t have.

I swallowed hard.

Well.

Maybe I should just skip school today.

One absence wasn’t going to make a difference at this point.

I needed the time to prepare for my hearing.

And... I should probably go to the pawn shop.

My gaze drifted to the duffel bag on my bookshelf...Dad’s stuff. His old tools. His watch. His wedding ring.

My chest squeezed.

I didn’t want to sell it. I really don’t want to sell Dad’s stuff. It’s all I have left of him. But... Mom’s worth everything. I’d give up anything for her.

And I was running out of time.

I sighed, as my thumb hovered over Dominic’s text.

Okay. Breathe. Just text him. Like a normal person. Who didn’t literally scream into a pillow after reading his filthy messages last night.

Finally, I typed:

ASH:I’m skipping school today. Need to get my shit together.

He replied almost instantly:

DOMINIC: You skipping school? Naughty boy. Want me to come over and help you... "get your shit together"? 😏

I rolled my eyes, my lips twitching despite everything.

ASH: Pervert.

I’m serious. I have to prep for the hearing. And... some other stuff.

He sent back:

DOMINIC: Okay. No jokes.

I’m here if you need anything. Seriously.

And you are gonna crush that hearing.

I felt my chest soften.

Dominic could be impossible... but sometimes he said exactly what I needed to hear.

I glanced at the clock again.

10:25 AM.

Okay.

No more wasting time.

Today, I’d go see what Dad’s old things are worth.

And then... I’d prep my hearing statement.

I didn’t let myself think too hard about it.

If I thought too long, I’d change my mind.

So I pulled Dad’s old duffel bag off the shelf, my fingers trembling as I unzipped it.

It smelled like dust and faintly of engine oil..like all the years Dad spent working in the garage when he was home between deployments.

I took out each piece one by one and laid them on the couch:

His polished service medals, arranged in a wooden case with a cracked glass lid.

The engraved silver pocket watch he used to keep in his uniform shirt.

A brass compass with his initials etched on the back.

I hesitated over the folded flag and his military cap...Estrella’s colors stitched across it, the ones they’d handed my mom at the funeral while I clung to her leg and Alia cried in her arms.

My throat closed.

Not that.

I carefully set the flag and cap aside on the couch.

That was one thing I would never, ever let go.

And the last letter he ever wrote me, still folded inside the envelope with the military crest.

But the rest...

I swallowed the ache in my chest, shoved the rest into the bag. Picked up the ones I was going to pawn, and stuffed them carefully into a smaller canvas tote bag, and headed out of the door.

All I wanted was a morning where I could twirl around my living room thinking about Dominic’s filthy texts... but life doesn’t work like that.

Now I’ve got to pawn my father’s stuff and figure out how to save my entire future, because some things in life cost way more than money. And some things... you can’t ever sell.