Glass Heart Hero
Lindsey Iler
Published by Lindsey Iler, 2021.
Glass Heart Hero
Copyright 2021 Lindsey Iler
Kindle Edition
All rights reserved. This book or any portions thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the authors imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actions events is purely coincidental.
Editing by Katie Mac
Proofreading by Deaton Author Services
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Playlist
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Epilogue
Bonus Material
Acknowledgement
Stay Connected
About the Author
Playlist
War Zone- Unknown Brain, M.I.M.E.
Before I go- Mimi Webb
You’re Going Down- Sick Puppies
If I Killed Someone For You- Alec Benjamin
Before You Go- Lewis Capaldi
Control- Zoe Wees
Hurricane- Fleurie
Stay Away- MOD SUN, Machine Gun Kelly, Goody Grace
Monsters- All Time Low, blackbear
Animal I Have Become- Three Days Grace
Skin & Bones- Lund
Trauma- NF
Falling- Harry Styles
What You Do- James Gillespie
Deathbeds- Bring Me The Horizon
Breath- Breaking Benjamin
Listen to the playlist HERE!
Dedication
To you because whether you believe it or not, you’re important and worthy of all the great things in life.
Chapter One
Breaker
We’re made up of parts, some we willingly expose to the world and others we keep behind lock and key. It’s rare we allow people to see these buried things, because when we do, they no longer solely belong to us. They’re now a piece of the person witnessing them.
My soul is kept inside the confines of my mind. He’s safest there, hidden away. Every so often, I allow him out to play. Those occasions are rare, because he holds my secrets and fears, silently screaming in pain and agony, while forcing the features on my face to tell the world everything is okay.
None of this is okay.
“You ready to go?” Palmer peeks her head inside my bedroom, finding me staring at the ceiling, twirling my lacrosse stick.
I roll off the bed and plaster on the fakest smile. “Yeah, let’s go.”
When I reach the door, she slides in front of me. Her lips don’t tip up a centimeter. This means we’re about to have a heart to heart. Ever since she let it slip about Delaney’s “situation,”—because that’s what I’m calling it—we’ve had a handful of conversations like the one we’re about to have. Every single one ends the same.
“It’s okay to hate all of this,” Palmer says.
“No hate here,” I lie.
“Tell that to the new piercing in your face.” She plucks her finger across my lip, touching the silver ring.
“Girls dig this.” I ghost my hand over my face.
“They wanted you just fine before the holes.”
“Yeah, well, the pain makes me feel euphoric.”
“Hence the extra ink.” Palmer’s words are accusatory. She means well, always does.
A new piercing and a little permanent fixture to the skin has never hurt anyone. With the exception of Delaney, I don’t do anything without thinking it through, and this is now a part of my story. I throw my arm over Palmer’s shoulder and tug her flush against my side, guiding her down the hall.
“You promise to behave yourself tonight?” She worries too much.
“I have no reason not to, right?” I ask, grabbing my bomber jacket off the couch.
Marek saunters into the room and grabs the necklace he gave Palmer for Valentine’s Day to bring her lips to his. I’d be a fucking bald-faced liar if I said their love doesn’t make me jealous. They’ve figured it out and managed to shift something messy into whatever the hell it is they have.
“What’s wrong with him?” Marek whispers.
“I’m not deaf, asshole. I can fucking hear you.” I grab one of the remotes and sling it at his chest. He catches it with little effort. Dick.
“Don’t take your anger out at me. Leave that shit for the field.”
“And tonight?” My eyebrow perks up at the idea.
“Whatever happens, I got your back, but you already know that, don’t you? So, should I be prepared for something, or will I be able to enjoy the night with my girl?” Marek asks, helping Palmer into her jacket.
“Let’s see what kind of mood I’m in.” I shrug, leaving them in the living room whispering about how to handle me, I’m sure.
It’s been months of everyone tiptoeing their happy asses around me. A person can only take so many conversations about how they’re doing. Every time the dreaded words how are you leave someone’s mouth, I cringe. No one wants the truth.
By the time they get out to the car, I’m drumming my thumbs on the steering wheel, eager to get this night started. I have some steam I’m in desperate need of blowing off.
“Where’s Dixon?” I ask as the door opens.
Marek holds it for Palmer. “He’s meeting us there,” he explains, sliding in beside her.
“And Byron?” I glance at them, dropping my eyes to Marek’s hand encompassing hers.
“He’s made the mature decision to lay off the high school parties.” Palmer laughs at her explanation. Those two have come to some weird mutual understanding. She’ll never forgive him for stabbing her on the rooftop, but he’s slowly making it up to her. Taking a bullet for someone is a pretty good start, in my opinion.
“Well, then, let’s do this,” I announce, backing out of the driveway and turning towards the hills. There hasn’t been a party out here this year. “How’d you convince Max to throw this party anyway?”
“How’d you know we had anything to do with it?” Palmer pretends to be oblivious. The high pitch of her voice is a dead giveaway that I’m right.
“We wanted to have some fun, and we needed a controlled space to do that. There’s nowhere safer than Max’s, so I asked, and he was down,” Marek explains, eyeing me through the rearview mirror. His words register, but the apprehension on his face concerns me.
After the short drive, I park along the long line of cars, making sure we have a quick exit. One thing
