The kitchen felt too quiet again.
Like the room itself was listening.
I stood by the counter, fingers curled around the edge of my bowl. The ramen had cooled, the surface barely steaming now, but I hadn't noticed until Leo spoke.
"You don't have to worry about Luke anymore."
I looked up at him.
He stood across from me, posture relaxed in a way that didn't quite fool me. Leo always looked calm when he was choosing his words carefully.
"He won't be able to do anything," he continued. "Not to you. Not to Max. He's done."
My chest tightened anyway.
I trusted Leo. I really did. But the word done felt too final for something that had crawled under my skin and refused to leave.
I hesitated, then asked the question that had been sitting at the back of my throat since the hospital.
"Is he… alive?"
The silence that followed was brief, but noticeable.
Then Leo nodded.
"Yes."
