Luke was still standing at the doorway, both hands tucked into his jacket pockets, his expression neutral but his eyes… too alert. Too observant.
Juno and Max had already stepped inside, but Luke remained outside like someone unsure whether he was allowed to enter or not.
"Val?" Max called.
I quickly moved closer to Max, lowering my voice to a whisper.
"Max… why is Luke here?" I hissed. "What is he doing here?"
Max immediately set her tote bag down on the floor, both hands raised like someone caught red-handed.
"Oh! That…" Max rubbed the back of her neck, face tightening slightly.
"I was just out with Luke earlier, and he drove me here, just to drop me off. If you're not comfortable, I can ask him to leave right now…"
I looked at Luke again, who shifted his weight from one leg to the other, like he was waiting for a judge's verdict.
"Oh," I replied shortly.
Max lifted her eyebrows, then turned back to Luke.
"Luke, thanks for dropping me off… you can—"
