Not just in storytelling, but in life, too. He didn't know any better, so he did something he knew he could have control over by keeping Ian close by so he could watch him since Ian was using drugs whenever his back was turned. Being in a gang is often the result of not knowing any better, thinking it's your only way to make money or just thrive with what little you have. Others think it's cool too, but we're not talking about them lol.
sorry but what you said about the reason they're in this triangle is NOT bc of just tj. everyone fails to realise that tj and ian's toxic relationship is NOT ONESIDED FROM JUST TJ YALL PLEASE.
this whole thing started from BOTH of them not being able to let go, it's not just ian wanting to be free and tj holding him back. like you said, ian is a grown ass man and can do whatever he wants, and he literally chooses tj every time. that's why it's so crazy that people seem to just blame tj oh the one who won't let go. ian's not letting go too he's not just being abused and forced by tj.
and actually tj has let ian go finally after the hospital incident and telling him not to come to the funeral, and telling ian he's gonna give him one last chance to leave forever in that car, and ian still stayed like that's enough proof it's not just tj holding on. and tj made a choice to cut ian off as we can see recently so it's unfair to put the whole blame on him.
In upcoming chapters you'll see the kind of person jo is. Imo it's ian who's holding onto both tj and jo, he can't move on from tj so he's using jo, even in their (ian n jo) sex scene ian keeps thinking about tj. The real problem is ian not tj or jo.
I mean if I were in his shoes I'd keep holding onto tj as well no matter how toxic he is, cause both of them considered each other their family, they practically grew up together and saw each other at their worse that what makes their bond strong and unbreakable. Reminder that you can clap with one hand, it takes 2, so stop blaming everything on tj
Lmao I just love how everyone is like “fuck Ian, Tj deserves better and hope he finds someone else blah blah”… like are we really forgetting that they’re in this triangle because Tj doesn’t want to let go of Ian? Like are we forgetting what Tj did to Ian in the past all because of his possessiveness and obsession?
Lmao I guess everyone got amnesia all because of some tall hot guy!
FYI: Ian is a grown ass man that can do whatever the fuck he wants, he’s not holding a gun to Jo’s face to force to be in a situationship with him. Jo is just willingly infatuated with him!