The sunlight filtering into the dorm was bright, too bright. Noel sat at the edge of his bed, staring at the unread messages on his phone — not from Luca. None from him.
His jaw clenched, eyes blank, shoulders locked like they hadn't moved all night.
The alarm had long stopped ringing.
He didn't care.
He checked the time again.
No message. No call. The silence was louder than any argument.
He hadn't come back. Or maybe he had—and left again.
Noel's throat tightened.
Was this it—was Kian the reason? Noel stared at the ceiling, pulse heavy in his throat, afraid the answer was already echoing back.
He'd seen the message — "I miss you, Luca. Let's meet." That was the beginning of it. Maybe Luca had gone back to him.
Maybe that's why he never came home.
He stood up abruptly, grabbing his bag, shoving notebooks inside without thinking. If he sat here another second, he'd go mad.
The road to campus was empty. Each step felt like an hour.
When he reached to the hall.
