Jay's POV
Lunch was strangely quiet.
Not peaceful.
Just… heavy.
Keifer wasn't looking at me properly.
I wasn't looking at him either.
And Luke?
Luke was fully asleep on the couch.
Like actually asleep.
Head tilted back. Arms folded. Breathing slow.
"How asleep is this guy?" Yuri muttered.
Ciel shrugged. "Maybe he's tired."
Keifer scoffed. "Someone wake him up. His ringtone is annoying."
Right on cue—
Luke's phone started ringing.
Loud.
Embarrassingly loud.
Some ridiculous dramatic orchestra tone.
It stopped.
Luke didn't move.
It rang again.
Still nothing.
Yuri blinked. "Is he dead?"
"He's not dead," Adrian muttered. "Unfortunately."
Ciel stood up. "I'll turn it off."
He picked up Luke's phone.
"There's no name," Ciel said. "Just a number."
That made me look up.
"No name?" Keifer repeated.
Ciel lightly shook Luke's shoulder. "Luke. Wake up."
Luke groaned softly. "If this is about vegetables, I refuse."
"Phone," Ciel said.
Luke blinked slowly.
Then he looked at all of us.
Then at the phone.
The screen showed a video call.
His expression changed for half a second.
So fast most people wouldn't notice.
But I did.
He took the phone and stood up.
Without a word, he walked to the corner of the room.
Turned slightly away from us.
And answered.
We couldn't hear what he was saying.
But we could see him.
His face.
Serious.
Too serious.
His jaw tight.
His eyes darker.
And for a moment…
He looked desperate.
Not scared.
Not joking.
Desperate.
"Who is he talking to?" Keifer muttered.
Ciel shook his head. "No idea."
Luke ran a hand through his hair while speaking.
His tone was low.
Sharp.
Focused.
Not funny.
Not teasing.
Not playful.
Just cold.
A few seconds later—
He ended the call.
Stood still for a moment.
Then slowly turned around.
Looked at all of us staring.
Silence.
Then suddenly—
He started laughing.
Not fake.
Not forced.
Just loud, dramatic laughter.
"Oh God," he said, shaking his head. "She's so stupid."
He walked back to the couch like nothing happened.
Sat down.
Laid back.
Closed his eyes.
As if he was about to sleep again.
Everyone stared at him.
What just happened?
My chest felt tight.
That call wasn't normal.
That laugh wasn't normal.
I stood up.
Walked toward him.
"Hi, Jay," he said casually without opening his eyes.
I grabbed his hand.
"Come with me."
He opened one eye. "Sure."
Too easy.
I pulled him up and walked toward the door.
We stepped outside.
I closed the door behind us.
Then I stood in front of it.
Blocking the way back in.
Luke tilted his head slightly.
"Why are we talking outside?" he asked. "Inside has chairs."
"No," I said. "Outside."
His smile softened.
Just a little.
The playful look in his eyes faded slightly.
And for the first time since this mess started—
He looked at me like he was deciding something.
End of Chapter.