Chapter 167: I’m Not Saying Pickle[June’s POV]
I burst out laughing. "Ash, I am definitely not texting you pickle."
"It’s embarrassing but effective," Ash snorted through the phone.
"Yeah, no," I scoffed. "So you were officially covering for me if Dad called, right? Say I was crashing at your place or something."
"Of course," he said. "I’ve got your back. First time doing a bad thing? I got you." He actually laughed, and it was absurdly comforting. Then his voice softened. "Be careful, Juney. Call me if anything feels weird."
"I will," I promised, and cut the call.
Ian had been watching me the whole time, like he was cataloguing my entire personality or something. He smirked. "He calls you Juney?"
"Shut up," I said, but my chest did that stupid flutter thing and I couldn’t fake being annoyed.
He grinned. "It’s actually cute," he said. "I like it. I’m gonna call you Juney too."
"Omg, don’t," I groaned.
Okay, whatever, that was cute. Don’t tell anyone.
My phone buzzed again.
I thought it was my dad at first. Of course it was Ash. He was relentless.
"I’m going to step outside," Ian said. "I’ll call John to prep the room. I’ll be on the balcony if you need me."
"Thanks," I said, and while I said it I watched him move toward the glass doors.
"I’m definitely not saying pickle," I told Ash when I picked up.
"No, not why I called," he said, his tone suddenly went serious.
"What happened? Did anything happen?" I asked, my chest tightened.
"Babe, I haven’t been able to reach Dominic since yesterday," he said. "I went to his place after class. He wasn’t home. He’s not answering. I don’t know where he is. I’m not okay like this."
Something cold dropped into my stomach. "What? No that’s bad. Are you sure? Did you call him again? Check his car? His...."
"I did everything," Ash cut me off. His voice cracked a little. "He’s gone, Juney. I’m freaking out."
My brain did that stupid spirally thing where I couldn’t think in a straight line. "Okay. Okay. I’ll ask Ian. Maybe he’s seen him. I’ll go check. I’ll check the balcony."
I slid the phone into my pocket and pushed the glass door open.
I stepped out onto the balcony and there he was.
Ian leaned against the railing, his shoulders were hunched, cigarette glowing faint in the dark.
The tip lit his face for a second, then he flicked it away like he hadn’t been caught.
The second he saw me, his hand shot behind his back. "Uh, hey," he said, coughing once. "Everything okay?"
My stomach sank. Ugh. Cigarettes. The one thing I couldn’t stand.
God, why does he have to smoke? Doesn’t he know it kills? Doesn’t he know it’s ugly, that it sticks to your clothes and makes your lungs shrivel? And yet...he looked so damn broken leaning there, like the smoke was the only thing holding him together.
I walked closer. "Ian... I saw it. The cigarette."
His jaw tensed like he was waiting for me to yell.
"I don’t like it," I admitted, quietly. "Not on you. I get you’re grieving, and I’m not gonna lecture you right now...but smoking kills. I don’t want to watch you wreck yourself."
He blinked, caught off guard. Then he nodded, slowly. "Okay," he said, and his voice was hoarse. "I’ll stop. I promise."
I believed him.
I pressed my lips together, then remembered why I came out here. "Ash is still on the phone," I said, pulling it from my pocket. "I muted him. He’s freaking out about Dom. Said he’s not replying his text, and he’s not home."
Ian’s eyes flickered. "Put him on speaker."
I did. "Ash? You’re on speaker with me and Ian."
"Thank God," Ash’s voice rushed out. "Ian...please tell me you’ve heard from Dom."
Ian shook his head too. "I haven’t. He hasn’t replied to my texts either. I’ll call Ren and the twins right now, see if he’s with them."
The cigarettes smell still clung to him, and it made him look more wrecked.
There was a pause, then Ash said, "Do you know any place he might go? Like...somewhere he’d grieve? Somewhere he’d want to be alone?"
Ian pressed his knuckles against his mouth, thinking. Then his eyes lifted. "Yeah. There this place. A cliffside. We used to drive out there when things got heavy. It’s quiet, just ocean and air. If he wanted space, he’d go there."
"Yes! I know that place," Ash said instantly. "I’ll check now. I’ll text if I find him."
"Call me if anything," Ian said. "It’s late. Don’t go alone if you can help it."
Ash let out a shaky breath. "Got it. Text me the second you hear from him. Please." And then the line clicked off.
Silence washed over the balcony, just the faint sound of waves crashing in the distance.
I leaned against the railing beside Ian. "Dom’s lucky," I murmured. "He’s got Ash running around the city for him, and you remembering every place he might hide."
Ian’s lips curved faintly, though his eyes were still red. "That’s what happens when you love someone like Dom. He’s the kind of guy you’d tear the whole world apart for."
My throat tightened. "Yeah," I whispered. "He deserves that."
Silence washed over the balcony, just the faint sound of waves from the pool in the distance.
It felt wrong to laugh when Ash was still out there tearing through the city for Dominic.
But Ian’s grin was impossible to ignore, like it slipped through my defenses before I could stop it.
He leaned on the railing, tilting his head at me. "Careful. If you keep looking at me like that, I might think you’re falling for me."
I snorted immediately. "Relax, Romeo. You literally just promised to quit smoking because I told you to. That’s not love, that’s basic survival instinct."
He grinned wider. "Nah, that’s devotion. Imagine quitting an entire bad habit for you in one night. If that’s not romantic, I don’t know what is."
I rolled my eyes. "Oh my God. You sound like a Twitter simp thread."
He laughed, and it honestly did things to me, that was embarrassing to admit.
So I did the smart thing...changed the subject. Fast.
"Anyway, did you call John?" I cut in, crossing my arms.
Ian blinked, then nodded. "Yeah. Room’s ready. Fresh sheets, all that. I can take you there now."
"Good," I said, straightening up, ignoring how close he was still standing. "Then let’s go to the store first. I need stuff if I’m actually staying here tonight."
His smirk softened into something else. But he just nodded. "Alright, Juney. Store run it is."