That earned him a smile that lingered longer than the joke deserved.
She sighed, the good kind, then her shoulders dropped a little. "I'm sorry I can't come over this weekend. My last written paper is on Monday, and I really need to focus."
"It's fine," Lukas said without hesitation. "My exams start Monday too. Perfect timing. We'll both be miserable together, just… separately."
They talked easily after that. About her revision schedule, about a funny moment from training, about nothing and everything. The comfort between them was effortless, the kind that didn't need filling. But after a while, Joanna's energy shifted. She opened her mouth, closed it again, then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Lukas noticed immediately.
"You're thinking very loudly," he said gently. "Did you see something?"
She hesitated. "There was an article. Tonight. They said you were seen at the hospital again."
He watched her swallow. "People are already speculating. A lot."
