Chapter 22 : The breaking point

Lucas didn't show up to class that day.

His professors probably assumed he was sick, or too hung up on training again, but the truth was uglier.

He lay on his bed, eyes unfocused on the ceiling. The curtains were half-drawn, casting dull shadows across the room. His guitar leaned against the wall untouched. A dumbbell rested near his foot, but even the burn of exercise didn't help him today.

Everything inside him felt tight. Coiled. Frustrated.

He had tried everything. Music. Push-ups. Video games. Even an ice-cold shower. But his mind kept circling back to the same thing.

Evan.

And Mikael.

His jaw clenched at just the thought of them together.

Why the hell couldn't he stop thinking about it? Why did he even care?

They weren't his problem. Evan wasn't his responsibility. Mikael could do whatever he wanted.

But something deep inside Lucas screamed otherwise.

The way Mikael stood in front of Evan. The way Evan smiled at him, like he felt safe there.

Lucas sat up abruptly, heart thudding. His palms were sweating. Rage and confusion wrestled inside his chest like two animals. He wanted to punch something. Or scream. Or both.

Just as he was about to hurl the game controller across the room, someone knocked on the door.

"Lucas?"

It was Kelv.

Lucas groaned, rubbed his face, and reluctantly got up to unlock the door. When he opened it, Kelv stood there with a slightly amused yet concerned expression.

"You skipping now? That's new," Kelv said, stepping inside. "I thought nothing gets between you and your attendance."

Lucas said nothing. He closed the door and slumped back onto his bed.

Kelv stared at him. "Okay… Seriously, what's going on with you? You look like you haven't slept. Did something happen?"

Lucas rubbed the back of his neck. "Nothing."

Kelv tilted his head. "Right. You're brooding in your room alone. That definitely means nothing."

Lucas shot him a warning glare, but Kelv only raised his eyebrows in response.

Then Kelv slowly grinned.

"Well, I wasn't gonna bring this up, but…" He plopped down into the chair across from the bed, resting his chin on his hand. "Something interesting happened during break today."

Lucas didn't respond, but Kelv noticed his attention sharpen.

"Guess who waited outside Evan's class just before lunch?"

Lucas's eyes narrowed.

"Mikael."

Lucas sat up straighter.

Kelv continued, enjoying the weight of the moment. "He walked Evan straight to the café. Just the two of them. I tried to tag along, y'know, friendly third wheel, but Mikael literally turned to me and said, 'Don't get involved.'"

Lucas's fists clenched on his lap.

"Then," Kelv added, his smile fading into something more serious, "Mikael actually dragged me outside the café. Like.. physically pulled me aside."

Lucas's heartbeat pounded louder in his ears.

"And he said this, word for word: 'Tell Lucas to stop talking to Evan. Me and Evan are together now. I don't want to see him get hurt. If Lucas still has a problem, he can deal with me.'"

Silence.

Dead.

Heavy.

Lucas stared at the floor, face unreadable. But his shoulders trembled slightly.

Kelv stood slowly, realizing too late that maybe he'd pushed too far.

"Lucas…?"

Then came a sound Kelv hadn't expected, a dry, sharp exhale. And then Lucas stood.

"I'm fine," Lucas muttered.

"No, you're not-"

"I said I'm FINE."

Before Kelv could react, Lucas spun, stepped toward the wall, and punched it with all his strength.

A sickening thud echoed through the dorm room, followed by the sharp crack of knuckles meeting drywall.

"Lucas!"

Kelv ran over just in time to see blood dripping down Lucas's hand. His knuckles were split, bruised instantly. The wall now bore a dent, small, but violent.

Lucas stood there, chest heaving. Breathing like he'd just run a marathon. But his eyes..

They were furious.

And hurt.

And lost.

Kelv grabbed a towel and pressed it into Lucas's bleeding hand. "Jesus, man, what the hell was that?!"

Lucas didn't answer.

He couldn't.

Because somewhere between Kelv's words and the pain in his hand, something in him had broken.

Not just anger. Not just jealousy.

Something deeper.

And it scared the hell out of him.