Chapter 24: One Breath Closer
They sat side by side—separate beds, shared silence—passing ideas back and forth like a quiet game.
Occasionally, Luca would joke or throw in a dumb suggestion just to make Noel roll his eyes.
But there was a quiet rhythm between them now—a strange sort of truce, steady and tentative.
It wasn’t perfect. But it was something
Noel’s fingers moved quickly over his keyboard, typing out a sample structure for Luca’s paper.
The soft clacking of the keys filled the room like a ticking clock, steady and efficient.
Across from him, Luca lay sprawled on his bed, pen in hand, staring at his open notebook like it had personally offended him.
"Okay," Noel said, glancing up. "Introduction first. Just explain the main theme—keep it simple, clear."
Luca groaned and rolled onto his stomach, still not writing. "Why does every assignment need a structure? I just wanna say what I think."
That is structure," Noel shot back. "Just your thoughts, but in straight lines.
"I don’t like my thoughts being organized," Luca muttered, scribbling a line then immediately crossing it out.