Chapter 127 The Choice He Didn’t Make

Chapter 127 The Choice He Didn’t Make
The door clicked shut.

Luca did not move.

He remained on the floor beside the bed, staring at the place where Jack had disappeared.

For several seconds he could still hear him footsteps, one after another, growing quieter, then nothing.

The hallway settled back into its usual low hum. Luca’s eyes stayed fixed on the door. His fingers slowly curled against the floor.

“Jack…”

The name barely made it past his lips.

No answer.

He swallowed and pushed himself upright. His legs felt strangely weak.

He steadied himself against the mattress, then noticed Jack’s jacket hanging over the back of the chair. It had slipped sideways, one sleeve trailing toward the floor.

Without thinking, Luca reached for it. He straightened it. Smoothed the shoulder. Adjusted the collar.

Then his hand stopped. His eyes remained on the fabric.

He used to do that without thinking. Jack would come back from practice and throw the jacket over the chair. Luca would complain. You’re going to wrinkle it. Jack would laugh. Then Luca would fix it anyway.

His fingers tightened around the sleeve.

“You’re not coming back.”

He let the jacket go.

The room suddenly looked different. Two beds. Two desks. But only one person standing in it.

Luca sat down on his bed. His phone lay beside him. He picked it up. The screen lit the dim space. Nothing. No message. No missed call. Nothing from Jack. His thumb opened their conversation. The first thing he saw was an old message.

Jack: Don’t forget to eat.

Luca stared at it. A weak laugh escaped him.

“You always told me that.”

He scrolled.

Jack: You can’t survive on coffee.

Luca smiled despite himself. “You hypocrite.”

More scrolling. A picture Jack had sent of a completely burnt piece of toast.

Jack: Breakfast.
Luca: That’s a crime scene.
Jack: It’s edible.
Luca: Barely.

Luca’s smile disappeared. His thumb stopped moving. He pressed the phone against his chest. For a moment he simply breathed.

Then the first tear slipped down his cheek. He wiped it away. Another followed. Then another. Luca bent forward, elbows resting against his knees.

“I don’t want this.”

His voice broke.

“I don’t want this.”

He covered his face. The sob came quietly at first. Then another. He tried to swallow them. There was nobody to hear. Nobody to stop him. Nobody to pull him against a chest and whisper that everything would be okay.

Luca reached for his phone again. He opened Jack’s contact. His thumb hovered over Call. He could call. He could ask one question.

Do you still love me?

His thumb moved. Stopped. Jack’s face flashed through his mind the way his eyes had looked when he said 'I have to', the way he had almost hugged him, the way he had stopped himself. Luca lowered the phone.

“Do you still love me?”

Silence.

His lips trembled. “You were so annoying.” A broken laugh escaped him. “I hate you.” He looked down. A tear landed on his hand. “I don’t.” His shoulders shook. “I don’t hate you.”

He pressed both palms against his face and cried. Not because he wanted Jack to feel guilty. Not because he wanted anyone to come running. He cried because there was nothing left to fix.

For once Luca could not organize the problem into pieces. Could not find the right answer. Could not control the outcome. Jack had simply walked away. And Luca could not follow him.

Later the room was dark.

Luca lay in bed facing the empty one across from him. Every time footsteps passed in the hallway his eyes opened.

A laugh. Someone shutting a door. The soft thud of a bag. Each time his heart lifted for half a second before reality pressed it back down.

At 2:13 a.m. he woke suddenly.

His heart was pounding. For one confused second he reached toward the other side of the room.

“Jack?”

His hand found only empty air.

He sat up. The room was still dark. Jack’s bed was still empty. Reality returned all at once. Luca swallowed. He reached for his phone. No message.

He checked the time again. 2:13. He placed the phone down, then picked it up. His thumb opened their conversation. He typed:

I don’t want to break up.

Stared at it. Deleted it.

Typed:

Please come back.

Deleted.

Again:

'I still love you.'

He stared at that one for a long time. This time he did not delete it. He simply saved it as a draft. Sending it felt too much like begging.

Luca lay back down. His eyes stayed open, fixed on the ceiling until the dark began to thin toward morning.


The next morning the cafeteria was louder than usual.

Jay dropped into the seat opposite Noah with two plates. “Eat.”

Noah stared at the food. “That’s your solution to everything.”

“It works.”

“You told me to eat yesterday too.”

“And you’re still alive.”

Noah picked up his fork. “Barely.”

Jay grinned, but the smile faded when his eyes drifted toward the entrance. He checked again. No Jack. No Luca.

Noah noticed. “You’re looking for them.”

“I was just checking.”

“For five minutes?”

Jay shrugged. “They’re usually here by now.”

Noah looked toward the doors too. “Maybe they slept in.”

Jay did not answer. The cafeteria slowly filled. Players arrived in groups. Someone laughed loudly near the entrance. A few heads turned. But neither Jack nor Luca appeared.

Noah pushed his food around his plate. “Something feels wrong.”

Jay looked at him. “You felt it too?”

Noah nodded. “Yesterday.”

Jay leaned back. “Jack was weird.”

“And Luca?”

“Worse.”

Noah lowered his voice. “Do you think they fought?”

Jay shook his head. “No.”

“You sound sure.”

“I am.”

“How?”

Jay looked toward the empty seats where Jack and Luca usually sat. “Because if they fought, Jack would’ve been angry. He wasn’t angry. He looked scared.”

Before Noah could respond, a group of students passed behind them. One whispered something about the photo. Another laughed. Jay’s jaw tightened. Noah noticed.

“You okay?”

Jay looked back at him. “Yeah.”

Noah gave him a look. “Don’t steal my line.”

Jay smiled faintly. “Fine.” He reached across the table and stole a piece of Noah’s toast. Noah slapped his hand.

“That’s mine.”

“You weren’t eating it.”

“I was going to.”

“Past tense.”

Noah rolled his eyes, but the smile that followed was small. Fragile. Then his expression changed.

“What happens today?”

Jay knew what he meant. “The team?”

Noah nodded. “People are already talking. If Coach gets pressured…”

He did not finish. Jay did.

“We could get suspended. Or kicked off.”

Jay looked down at the table. For once he did not joke. “Maybe.”

Noah swallowed. “I don’t want to lose hockey.”

“I know.”

“I’ve worked too hard.”

“I know.”

Noah looked at him. “And if they make us choose? Between the team and… us.”

Jay reached across the table. “Then I choose you.”

Noah stared at him. “Jay.”

“I mean it.”

“But hockey—”

“I love hockey.” Jay squeezed his hand. “But I love you more.”

Noah looked down at their joined fingers. “You’d really walk away?”

“If I had to.”

Noah’s eyes grew wet. Jay leaned closer.

“Listen to me. Whatever happens today, tomorrow, next week… if they kick us off, we figure it out.”

“And if they don’t?”

“We figure it out.”

“And if everyone turns against us?”

Jay smiled. “Then everyone can turn.”

Noah laughed softly. Jay squeezed his hand again.

“We’re still us.”

Noah nodded. “Together.”

“Together.”

They stayed like that for a moment. Then Noah glanced toward the doors again.

“Still no Jack.”

Jay’s smile disappeared. “No.”

“And Luca.”

“No.”

Jay stood. “Let’s check on them.”

They walked down the hallway together. Noah knocked.

“Luca?”

Nothing.

Jay knocked again. “Luca?”

Still nothing. Noah looked at Jay. “Maybe he’s sleeping.”

Jay tried the handle. It opened. The room was quiet. Too quiet. Luca sat on his bed, still wearing yesterday’s clothes. His hair was messy. His eyes were swollen. Noah stopped in the doorway. Jay’s expression changed immediately.

“Luca?”

Luca looked up. “Hey.” His voice was rough.

Noah stepped inside. “Whats wrong?”

Luca looked at him, then at Jay. He did not answer. Jay closed the door behind them.

“We didn’t see you at breakfast.”

“I wasn’t hungry.”

Noah moved closer. “You didn’t come to practice.”

“I know.”

Jay frowned. “Are you sick?”

Luca shook his head. “No.”

“Then what happened?”

Luca looked toward Jack’s bed. The sheets were untouched. His gaze stayed there. Noah followed it, then looked back at Luca.

“Where’s Jack?”

Luca swallowed. “He left.”

Jay’s brow furrowed. “Left where?”

Luca’s fingers tightened around the edge of his blanket. “He…” His voice disappeared.

Noah sat beside him. He did not rush him. “Luca.”

Luca looked down. “He broke up with me.”

Silence. Jay’s face went completely still. Noah’s lips parted slightly.

“What?”

Luca gave a tiny nod. “Yesterday.”

Jay looked toward Jack’s empty bed. “He broke up with you?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Luca laughed once. It sounded empty. “Hockey.”

Jay’s eyes narrowed. “Hockey?”

Luca nodded. “He said we only have two months left. That we need to focus.”

Jay did not respond. Luca noticed.

Jay sat down opposite him.

“You don’t believe him.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.”

Noah looked between them. “What exactly did he say?”

Luca’s eyes dropped. “He said it was for the best.”

“And you?”

“I told him I didn’t want to.”

Noah’s expression softened. “What did he say?”

Luca’s voice became quieter. “He said he had to.”

Jay’s jaw tightened. Luca looked at him.

“Do you believe him?”

Jay did not answer immediately. Instead he asked, “Do you?”

Luca stared at him. His eyes moved toward Jack’s bed again. “I don’t know.”

That answer sat heavily in the room. Jay finally spoke.

“Jack played the best game I’ve ever seen him play yesterday.”

Luca looked up. “What?”

“Yesterday’s practice. He wasn’t distracted. He wasn’t falling apart. He was perfect.”

Luca’s brow furrowed. “He said he needed to focus.”

“I know.” Jay leaned back. “And that’s why I don’t understand it.”

Noah looked at him. “Maybe he meant what he said.”

Jay glanced at him. “Maybe.”

But neither of them sounded convinced. Luca looked down at his hands.

“He told me he loved me.”

Noah’s expression softened. “When?”

“This morning. Before practice. He dried my hair.”

Noah blinked. “What?”

Luca gave a tiny, broken smile. “He came in while I was getting ready. Took my towel and dried my hair.” His smile disappeared. “Then he told me he loved me.”

Jay’s eyes hardened. “And then broke up with you hours later.”

“Yes.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

Luca whispered, “I know.”

Nobody spoke. Noah reached for Luca’s hand. “We’re here.”

Luca looked at him. “You two should probably be worrying about yourselves.”

Jay took Noah’s hand. “We are.” He looked directly at Luca. “But we’re also worried about you.”

Luca’s eyes filled again. Noah squeezed his fingers. “You don’t have to figure everything out today.”

Luca looked down. “I thought I knew him.”

“You do,” Jay said.

Luca looked up. Jay’s voice softened. “That doesn’t mean you know what’s happening to him.”

Luca stared at him. “What does that mean?”

Jay hesitated. “I don’t know.”

That honesty somehow hurt less than another lie. Luca nodded slowly. Noah shifted closer.

“You should eat something.”

Luca gave him a tired look. “That’s what Jay said.”

Jay smiled faintly. “See? We’re both annoyingly wise.”

Luca almost laughed. Almost. Then his eyes moved back to Jack’s empty bed. His smile disappeared.

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to sit beside him again.”

Noah squeezed his hand. “You don’t have to know yet.”

Jay stood. “For today, just breathe.”

Luca nodded. Jay moved toward the door. Noah lingered. He looked at Luca one more time.

“We’ll come back later.”

Luca nodded. “Okay.”

Noah followed Jay out. The door closed. Luca looked at the empty bed again. And this time he did not cry. He simply whispered,

“What happened to you, Jack?”


They walked in silence for a while.

Noah kept his eyes on the floor. “He looked like he hadn’t slept.”

Jay shoved his hands into his pockets. “He probably didn’t.”

Noah glanced back at Luca’s door. “I hate leaving him like that.”

“We’re not leaving him.”

“We kind of are.”

Jay stopped walking. Noah stopped too.

“We can’t stay in his room all day,” Jay said. “He needs space too.”

Noah sighed. “I know.”

They continued down the hallway.

After a few steps, Noah said, “Do you believe Jack?”

Jay looked at him. “About hockey?”

“Yeah.”

Jay was quiet. “No.”

Noah’s eyebrows pulled together. “You don’t?”

“Something’s off.”

“What?”

“I don’t know yet.”

Noah waited.

Jay shook his head. “But I’ve never seen Jack look like that and call it a choice.”

Noah thought about it. “He did look strange yesterday.”

“Exactly.”

“And then he breaks up with Luca right after playing the best practice he’s had in weeks.”

Jay nodded. “Doesn’t add up.”

Noah’s fingers curled around the strap of his bag. “Do you think someone pressured him?”

Jay looked at him sharply. “Why would you say that?”

“I don’t know.” Noah hesitated. “The way he was acting. It didn’t feel like someone who wanted to leave.”

Jay looked toward the windows at the end of the hall. Rain had begun tapping softly against the glass.

“No,” he said. “It didn’t.”

Neither spoke for a moment.

Then Noah’s phone buzzed. He pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and his expression tightened. Another notification about the photo. He locked the phone without opening it.

Jay noticed. “You don’t have to read them.”

“I wasn’t going to.”

“Good.”

Noah looked at him. “What if today gets worse?”

Jay gave a small shrug. “Then we deal with today.”

“And tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow gets its own problem.”

Noah smiled faintly. “You always make everything sound simple.”

“It isn’t.” Jay reached for his hand. “I just don’t want us borrowing trouble before it gets here.”

Noah looked down at their joined hands. “Okay.”

Jay squeezed once before letting go. “Come on. We have practice.”

Noah glanced toward Luca’s door one last time. “Should we tell Coach about him?”

Jay shook his head. “Not until we know what’s going on.”

Noah nodded.

They started walking again.

Behind them, Luca’s door remained closed.

And somewhere between the locker room and the rink, Jay couldn’t shake the feeling that Jack hadn’t ended his relationship with Luca because he wanted to.

He just didn’t know what had made him do it.