Chapter 137
Jackson's POV
The dorm room door swung open with a familiar creak, and I dragged my suitcase over the threshold, already anticipating the chaos of Ryan's enthusiasm. Sure enough, he was sprawled across his bed, phone pressed to his ear, grinning like he'd just won the lottery.
"—and then Lily tried to teach me how to make jam, but I literally got it all over my nose and she said I looked like a clown—" He paused mid-sentence as I entered, his eyes lighting up. "Hey, Jackson's back! Gotta go, babe. Love you too."
He hung up and sat up in one fluid motion, radiating the kind of happiness that made you both envious and genuinely glad for him. "Dude, you have no idea how perfect this break was. Lily and I went ice skating—she's terrible at it, by the way, kept grabbing onto me—and we spent Christmas Eve walking through this light festival downtown..."
I smiled, setting my bag down and scanning the room out of habit. Everything looked normal. Familiar. The tension I'd been carrying since Mapleton—since everything—loosened just a fraction. Coming back to campus, to routine, felt like stepping into safer territory.
Even if I knew it wasn't really safe at all.
Jake lay on his bed across the room, one hand holding his phone, the other scratching through his hair with a look of profound confusion. He kept glancing between his screen and Ryan, like he wanted to interrupt but couldn't find an opening in Ryan's verbal flood.
"—seriously, the way she laughs when she's concentrating on something? It's the cutest thing I've ever—"
"Ryan." Jake finally managed to break through, sitting up with an edge of desperation in his voice. "Bro, I'm really happy for you and Lily. Seriously. But can you please look at this first?"
Ryan blinked, his enthusiasm deflating slightly as he caught the genuine distress in Jake's tone. "What's wrong?"
I walked over, curiosity piqued. Jake unlocked his phone and held it up, revealing a long text thread with someone named Brianna.
The conversation history scrolled back weeks. Messages from her asking about his holiday, complimenting his presence at her performance, suggesting coffee dates. Jake's responses were... well, they were Jake. Polite, professional, completely oblivious.
Brianna: "Hey Jake! I recorded some new songs over break and I'd love to get your thoughts [audio file attached]"
Jake: "Wow, these are really good! Your range is impressive, especially on the second track."
Brianna: "Thank you! You know, for us theater majors, singing isn't just a hobby—it's kind of essential. The competition for roles is so intense these days. I figure having multiple skills gives you an edge, you know? Like Hugh Jackman—he can sing, dance, act... He's literally everything I aspire to be as a performer."
Jake: "That makes sense. Versatility definitely matters in competitive fields. Hugh Jackman's great—I saw The Greatest Showman three times."
Brianna: "Three times?! That's dedication. We should totally watch it together sometime. I could share some of my favorite musical moments with you... and maybe you could tell me which songs made you feel something special?"
Jake: "Sure! We could organize a movie night with the music appreciation club. I bet a lot of students would want to discuss the soundtrack composition and choreography."
Brianna: "Or... maybe just us? 🥺 I'd really love to know what moves you specifically. Your opinion means a lot to me. ❤️"
Ryan let out a strangled sound somewhere between a laugh and a groan. "Jake. Jake. Tell me you're joking."
"What?" Jake looked genuinely baffled. "She wanted feedback on her performance, right? More perspectives would be helpful for—"
"She wants to date you, you absolute walnut!" Ryan grabbed the phone, scrolling through the messages with increasing disbelief. "Look at this—'your opinion means a lot to me' with a heart emoji, 'just us' with that pleading face, asking what moves you specifically—these are not subtle hints, man!"
Jake's face scrunched up in confusion. "But professional performers always want audience feedback. And the emoji could just be—"
"No." Ryan held up a hand. "Stop. Just stop. My brain can't handle this level of obliviousness." He turned to me. "Jackson, back me up here. This is clearly a girl who's interested, right?"
I leaned against my desk, fighting a smile despite everything weighing on my mind. "The heart emoji is pretty definitive."
"See?" Ryan gestured emphatically at me before turning back to Jake. "You need to text her back right now and say—word for word—'I'd love to see you too. Are you free this afternoon? Just the two of us?' And emphasize that just the two of us part."
Jake took his phone back, fingers hovering uncertainly over the keyboard. I watched the exchange with something close to amusement, letting the normalcy of it wash over me. This was what I'd wanted, wasn't it? Friends, school, regular college problems like how to ask someone out.
Not alpha challenges and family vendettas and—
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
I pulled it out automatically, expecting maybe a message from Ellie about her first day back, something normal and grounding.
Instead, the words on the screen hit me like a physical blow:
Caleb on campus... Computer Science building...
The world tilted sideways.
Everything—the cheerful dorm room, Ryan and Jake's voices, the sunlight streaming through the windows—all of it faded into a distant roar. My vision tunneled, focusing on those few words that changed everything.
Caleb. Here. On campus.