CHAPTER 25: THE MORNING AFTER

Chapter 25

JULIAN POLE

The door had barely closed after Jace left when it swung open again.

Luka and Rico came rushing in, both of them looking like they hadn’t slept in days. Luka looked like he’d been crying all through the night, and Rico looked like he’d punched a wall on his way here.

"You’re awake," Luka said, relief flooding his voice. "Finally, man."

Rico didn’t say anything right away. He just stood there, arms crossed, watching me like I might collapse again if he blinked.

"I’m fine," I said, though my voice came out weaker than I wanted.

"Fine, my ass," Rico muttered. "You scared the shit out of us."

Luka shot him a look. "Hey, at least he’s talking." Then he turned to me again, smile softening. "Jace didn’t leave you all night, you know. Sat right there—" he pointed to the chair beside the bed, "like a statue."

I froze. "He did?"

"Yeah," Luka said. "Didn’t move, didn’t sleep, nothing. Nurses had to remind him to drink water."

Rico scoffed. "Yeah, well, he should’ve thought of that before breaking your heart."

Luka frowned. "Rico—"

"No, come on," Rico said, cutting him off. "We’re not gonna sit here and act like he’s some kind of hero. He’s the reason this happened in the first place."

I sighed, leaning back against the pillow. "Can you two not start?"

They went quiet for a second. Then Luka sat on the edge of the bed, and Rico leaned against the wall, arms still folded.

"We didn’t call your parents," Luka said quietly after a while.

I looked up. "Why not?"

Rico gave me a look like I was the dumb one. "Because your dad’s a detective, genius. And guess whose name’s sitting nice and high on one of his case files?"

My stomach turned. "...The Marinos."

"Bingo."

Luka nodded. "We figured we’d wait until you were okay before deciding what to do. You don’t need more chaos right now."

I didn’t answer. I just stared at the window for a while, watching the faint sunlight crawl up the glass. It was hard to tell what time it was anymore.

"I wanna go back to the hotel," I said finally. "I hate hospitals."

"Not happening," Rico said immediately.

"Yeah, no way," Luka agreed. "You literally passed out less than twenty-four hours ago."

"I feel fine."

"You look like a wet napkin," Rico shot back.

"Thanks," I muttered.

Luka leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Look, man, just stay here a bit longer. It’s Thanksgiving break anyway. We can head back Tuesday, yeah?"

I hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Fine."

"Good," Luka said, standing up. "We’ll grab breakfast. You eaten?"

I shook my head.

"Didn’t think so." He glanced at Rico. "Let’s hit that diner across the street. Get something warm. We’ll swing by the hotel, pack some clothes for all of us and come back."

Rico sighed but didn’t argue. "Alright. Don’t go running off while we’re gone."

I gave a weak smile. "Wouldn’t dream of it."

They both left after that. The room got quiet again. The kind of quiet that sits on your chest.

A few minutes later Luka came back.

I raise my eyebrows.

"The doctor’s report." He said reading it over.

"You’ll be fine," he says.

"They’ll probably move you to a private room later today."

Private room. Great.

Less people. More space to think about what I don’t want to think about.

"Julian," Luka says after a while. "What are you going to do about him?"

I shrug. "Don’t know."

"I don’t know what to ask you: if you like him or love him." He paused and breathed in.

"Do you love him?"

The question hits harder than I expect.

I look at him for a long moment before nodding. "Yeah," I say finally. "That’s the problem."

"If there was something we had, it’s hopeless."

"Jules—"

"I’m hopeless."

"Jules—"

"He belongs to someone else, Luka. I can’t be in love with him. That’s wrong, and since—"

"Julian." I don’t even know when he came closer to the bed and held my hands. And then I was crying.

"Come here."

I didn’t wait another minute. I went for the hug because I needed to let this out, and I needed a hug.

"Let it all out."

I feel safe. My friends are the only ones allowed to see me this vulnerable.

When I came down from my high, my face was still on his chest and he was patting my back.

"Do you trust him?"

I brought my face up to look at him.

"Do you trust him?" he repeated.

I sniffed. "I don’t know."

"Try to. Trust me and trust him. He’s going to fix this."

"How do you know that?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "I just know. I’m never wrong when it comes to humans, unless I choose not to say. And you are never wrong when you choose."

I nodded. "You are also human."

"Duh, I know that."

We stay silent.

"Shit!" He stood up.

"What?"

"I’m in trouble. I left Rico downstairs."

I laugh. A real laugh.

"Stop laughing! Oh, I’m taking this." He waved the report in the air.

I nodded.

"We will see you soon, yeah?"

I nodded. "Get going already."

"One more hug." He hugged me like this was the last time he was going to see me, and then he left.

After a while, a nurse came in and told me they were moving me to a private room. I didn’t even ask why Luka already told me.

When I got there, everything looked too clean, too soft. Fresh sheets, new monitors, even a stupid bowl of fruit on the table. She mentioned someone had already paid the bill and arranged everything.

I didn’t need to ask who.

Jace.

When she left, I noticed the hallway through the small glass panel on the door. He was there. Sitting in one of those uncomfortable waiting chairs, elbows on his knees, head down. Same clothes. Same tired look.

He hadn’t left.

My chest tightened.

I wanted to be mad at him, but mostly, I just felt... worried.

Did he eat? Has he even showered?

I wanted to tell him to go rest, to stop looking like the world was ending, but I couldn’t bring myself to open the door.

Not yet.

I turned my head away, but every sound outside made me glance back again, half expecting him to walk in. He didn’t.

An hour passed. Maybe more. I must’ve dozed off because the next thing I heard was noise outside. Loud voices.

At first, I thought it was just hospital chatter, but then I recognized one of them.

Jace.

I frowned and slowly sat up, pulling the IV stand closer. The voices got clearer.

"You don’t get to see him," Jace was saying, his tone low but sharp.

"Don’t be ridiculous," another voice replied. "I came to check on him."

Enzo.

My stomach twisted.

I swung my legs off the bed, ignoring the dizziness that followed, and walked toward the door. When I opened it, the hallway scene froze like a snapshot.

Jace stood near the doorway, shoulders tense, jaw tight. Enzo was facing him, hands raised slightly, looking irritated but calm.

"What’s going on?" I asked, my voice rough.

Both of them turned to me. Jace’s eyes went wide for a second, then he looked away. Enzo, on the other hand, smiled small and polite.

"I came to see how you were doing," Enzo said. "But your... friend here seems to think I’m a threat."

"He doesn’t need visitors right now," Jace said without looking at me.

"Last I checked," Enzo said, his voice cool, "that’s not for you to decide."

The air felt heavy between them.

I could feel the tension, like they were seconds away from tearing each other apart.

"Jace," I said quietly.

He finally looked at me. His eyes were tired, red around the edges.

"It’s fine," I said. "He’s my friend. He can come in."

He didn’t move at first. Just stood there, staring at me, like he was trying to understand why I was choosing Enzo’s side.

Then, slowly, his shoulders dropped.

"Baby—"

Not that name.

"Please," I said.

For a moment, I thought he’d argue. But he just took a step back, hands falling to his sides. The look on his face made something twist inside me. Like I’d punched him without meaning to.

"Yeah," he murmured. "Sure."

He turned and walked down the hall, his steps heavy and slow. He didn’t look back once.

Enzo let out a quiet breath and turned toward me. "You okay?"

I nodded, but my chest still felt tight. "Yeah. Come in."

As he walked past me into the room, I glanced down the hall one last time.

Jace was gone.

And somehow, that hurt worse than anything he’d said to me