CHAPTER 50: CALM BEFORE THE NEXT MESS

Chapter 50

JULIAN POLE

It’s been three days since I last talked to Jace and I’m still floating somewhere above ground. Every time I think about his voice, I start smiling like a complete idiot. Luka said I’ve been doing this thing where I stare into space and grin like a cartoon character. I told him to mind his business but he’s right.

I’m happy. Like real happiness.

We’re at Luka’s kitchen table this morning. It’s Sunday and his parents are around, which means the house smells like pancakes, bacon and fresh coffee. The kind of breakfast that makes you forget the world is a mess.

"Julian, pass the syrup," Luka’s mom said.

I passed it over, smiling. She’s one of those moms who always cooks for a small army even though it’s just the five of us. Luka’s dad is reading something on his iPad mumbling about football stats while Rico keeps trying to steal my bacon when he thinks I’m not looking.

"Dude," I said, slapping his hand away. "You’ve got your own plate."

"Mine doesn’t look as good as yours," he said with his mouth full.

"Because you drowned yours in maple syrup like a toddler."

Luka’s mom laughed. "You boys never change. It’s nice having you all here again. The house feels too quiet when it’s just me and your father."

"Yeah I’m sure," Luka said, grinning. "Too quiet because you keep calling me every hour."

His dad looked up. "You’re lucky she calls. My parents used to let me stay gone for three days and hoped for the best."

"Different times," Luka’s mom said, rolling her eyes.

It felt nice. Normal. The kind of morning I haven’t had in a while. I didn’t realize how much I missed having adults around who weren’t yelling, interrogating or suspicious of everything I did.

We were halfway through breakfast when Luka’s mom said, "Your aunt just had her baby. We’re driving down to see her today."

"That’s great," Luka said, though his voice didn’t sound too excited.

"You boys want to come?" she asked. "She’d love to see you all."

Luka and I looked at each other. Rico just smirked and said, "Nope."

Luka tried to sound polite. "I think we’ll visit her another time. We’ve got a lot of work to finish before exams start."

"Work," his dad repeated, pretending to believe it. "Right. And by work you mean video games."

"Exactly," Rico said.

Luka’s mom just laughed and said, "Alright, but you’ll call her later. Don’t make me tell her you didn’t."

"Sure thing Mom," Luka said.

When they left the house felt way too quiet. The kind of quiet that stretches and fills the whole space. Luka stood at the sink rinsing dishes while Rico tried to flip a pancake with his hand like he was auditioning for a cooking show.

"I still can’t believe you didn’t go," I said. "You dodged a bullet."

"She’s not that bad."Luka said, then paused. "Actually no, she is. She’s the kind of aunt who’ll look you up and down before hugging you."

"She told me last time I visited that I looked pale and malnourished," Rico added. "Like ma’am, I just got off a twelve-hour bus ride."

I laughed. "Maybe she just missed you."

"Julian," Luka said, giving me that deadpan look. "That woman doesn’t miss people. She evaluates them."

We all burst out laughing again.

After we were done in the kitchen. We went to the living room and put on a movie. Rico picked a bad one on purpose. A movie about zombies that sparkle in daylight. Luka complained for ten minutes straight then gave up.

Halfway through the movie I started painting again. I’d set up a small corner near the window and the light was perfect. I was sketching the outline of a city skyline trying to focus when someone knocked on the door.

"Expecting anyone?" I asked.

"Nope," Luka said without looking up. "Maybe your boyfriend?"

I stared at him. "No."

"Why do you sound so sure?" Rico asked.

I shrugged.

"Who knows what kind of expensive gift he’s brought this time," Luka said, while Rico gasped like he’d just remembered where he’d buried treasure in a past life.

"Maybe he brought a suit for the wedding. Oh my god, Jules is gonna leave and forget about us when he gets married," he said, clutching his chest. Luka burst out laughing.

"Stop being dramatic. Answer the door."

Groaning like it was the hardest thing in the world, Rico got up and walked to the door.

"Who’s that?" Luka called out.

Rico peeked his head back into the living room. "Uh... it’s Liam."

We all froze for a second.

"Liam?" I repeated. "Like that Liam?"

"The one who almost got us killed with his party," Luka added.

"Yeah, that one," Rico said. "And he’s holding a gift bag. Should I be scared?"

"Probably," Luka muttered.

My friends and I still call him that Liam who tried to kill us at his party, and I don’t think we’ll be stopping anytime soon.

Liam walked in with that bright smile that made it hard to stay mad at him. He was wearing this oversized hoodie and holding two paper bags that looked way too fancy for him.

While Rico sat back down, he stood there like a first-time visitor. Technically, he was.

"Hey, guys," he said.

"Hey," we all replied, none of us sure what this was about.

"How did you even know to find us here?" Rico asked flatly.

"That’s your routine," Liam said. "From February to June, you stay at Rico’s. From July to October, you stay at Jules’s. Then from November to January, you camp here at Luka’s."

We went quiet.

"I’m calling the cops," Rico said, reaching for his phone.

"Isn’t that stalking?" I asked.

"I’m just aware of my surroundings."

"No, you’re not. That’s creepy. How can you know our rotation without stalking us?" Luka said.

"Okay fine, maybe I went a little overboard. But I really like you guys. You’re so cool."

"No we’re not. We’re boring," I said.

He snorted. "Well, you’re not boring to me."

"Why do I even bother calling the cops?" Rico muttered when he couldn’t find his phone. "We could arrest you ourselves, you know why?"

"Because your fathers are cops?" Liam guessed.

"I give up," Rico said.

"Everybody knows your fathers are cops," Liam added, bouncing from one foot to the other.

"Look guys I come in peace," Liam said, raising his hands a little. "Also with donuts."

"Okay, you can stay," Rico said immediately, taking the bag.

Liam laughed and sat down on the couch. "So, I wanted to invite you guys to something small tonight. Just a few people at my place. My birthday thing. Nothing crazy I swear. Like super chill."

We all exchanged looks.

"Super chill?" Luka repeated. "That’s what you said last time, bro. And then we ended up with cops, a car fire, and someone doing karaoke on the roof."

Liam winced. "Okay, that wasn’t my fault. Mostly."

"Uh-huh." Rico crossed his arms. "And you want us to risk that again?"

"It’s literally just you guys this time," Liam said quickly. "I promise. Just some food, games and music. That’s it."

Luka looked at me. "What do you think?"

I hesitated. Part of me wanted to stay put and not deal with any more surprises. But another part of me thought about how weirdly connected everything’s been since that first night. The one that led me to Jace.

If I hadn’t gone to Liam’s stupid party. That simple tutoring session between a professor and their student wouldn’t have happened. I wouldn’t be this deep into something that feels like both heaven and danger.

So yeah, maybe I owed Liam one. Sort of.

I shrugged. "Alright, I’m in. But if something explodes, I’m blaming you."

Rico grinned. "Count me in too. I can’t turn down free food."

Luka sighed. "Fine. But I’m driving. And if I see one sparkler, we’re leaving."

"Deal," Liam said, smiling like a little kid who just got away with something.

We spent the next hour talking about random stuff. Liam told us how he’s been trying to clean up his act, and honestly, he seemed genuine. He looked lighter. Happier.

When he left, Rico shut the door and said, "You think he’s serious about it being small?"

"Nope," Luka said instantly.

"Same," I added.

Still, later that day, while Luka was picking out something "casual but not too casual," I sat back and thought about how weirdly peaceful everything felt. No texts from unknown numbers. No scary surprises. Just... normal stuff.

I opened my phone and scrolled through my old messages with Jace. That single word he’d sent me. Baby. Was still sitting there like a secret I kept rereading. I thought about the sound of his voice on the phone, the way he made everything feel less terrifying.

He said he’d burn the world for me. I don’t want him to, but a small part of me believed he could.

Luka’s voice snapped me out of it. "Julian, are you seriously smiling at your phone again?"

"Maybe," I said.

"Tell your man to chill. You’re starting to look like one of those couples who post matching pajamas on Christmas."

Rico laughed. "Oh my God yes. Next he’ll be baking cookies shaped like Jace’s face."

I threw a pillow at him. "Shut up."

"Can’t," he said, dodging it easily. "Too funny."

I ended up lying back on the couch smiling again. I couldn’t help it. Everything still felt messy and dangerous even, but for now, I had my friends, pancakes and a text from the man who made me feel safe just by saying my name.

And tonight, we had a birthday to crash.

If the world could just stay this quiet for a little longer, I’d be okay.