You Complete Me - 12. Chapter 12 - Shots Fired

Jake went to school with a distinct feeling of dread the next day. Early that morning, he had discovered that, at some point yesterday, Meg had blocked him on everything. In fact, so did a lot of close friends of hers. That couldn’t be good. He half expected a mob with pitchforks waiting for him in the parking lot, but to his relief, he only found Luke waiting for him just outside their building.

His friend took one look at him and sighed. “I know that look of desperation. Please tell me you’re not planning on crawling back to her. Yesterday was so peaceful.”

“No, but I probably should talk to her. She blocked me, so I don’t know what she’s up to. Has she been saying anything about us online?”

Luke shook his head as he checked his phone. “Not that I know of. I’m not blocked yet.”

That didn’t make Jake feel any better. “Because she wants a witness. I have to find her.”

“Jake, the bell – ”

Jake was already striding towards the courtyard, almost at a jog. Luke let out another sigh before he eventually started following him. Their English teacher, Mrs. Feinberg, had a soft spot for Jake; she would hopefully understand that this was an emergency.

He was hoping that he was just overreacting, that Meg was just still sore at him and was icing him out as a form of punishment. Exes often blocked each other, after all. But as far as she knew, Jake hadn’t done anything wrong, and it wasn’t like they had some passionate on-again, off-again romance where blocking was a necessary evil to avoid the temptation of getting back together. Jake might have held out a bit longer if it had been that exciting. Meg only blocked people she considered enemies, and many of them coincidentally ended up becoming outcasts.

Jake spotted his ex right away and made his way towards her. He was only within a few feet of her before he was intercepted by a wall of pretty girls in the latest fashion – at least half the cheerleading squad. They all wore identical sour looks, arms crossed over their chests.

Their spokeswoman, Nikki, scowled at him as she stepped forward and poked him hard right in the center of his chest with a perfectly manicured nail. “You’ve got some nerve, showing up here after what you’ve done.”

Jake backed away from her, rubbing the spot she’d jabbed. “What I’ve done?” He looked over Nikki’s head at Meg, who was sitting quietly on a picnic table, her face impassive. “Meg, what’s going on?”

Meg was dressed to kill: in all black, her hair pulled up in a high ponytail and giant sunglasses covering half her face. She looked like a glamorous black widow at the funeral of the husband she had poisoned. “I don’t have anything to say to you,” she said coolly.

“Meg, I know we might have ended things on a bad note. Just give me a chance to apologize – ”

“Jeez, look at him grovel,” one of the girls jeered to her friend. “Pathetic.”

“I’m not groveling,” Jake sighed. “I just don’t want this to get ugly, so let’s talk about it. Without an audience.” He glared pointedly at the squad.

“Haven’t you done enough already?” Meg asked, her voice cracking at the end. She took off her sunglasses and let them dangle off her knee. Her cheeks were ever so slightly flushed and her eyes were becoming glassy, like she was on the edge of tears – and Jake might have believed she was if he didn’t know her. He’d seen her look more legitimately emotional over breaking a nail, and it hadn’t been nearly this graceful.

Her friends clearly bought it, though. They collectively forgot about Jake and clamored around her. Nikki was the first to Meg’s side, rubbing her shoulders as Meg sniffled and wiped away invisible tears. “It’s alright, honey.”

“I don’t think this is getting anywhere,” Luke said, patting Jake’s arm to get his attention. Jake had almost forgotten he had followed him. “We should probably leave her alone.”

He turned on Luke, incredulous. “What, you’re buying this?”

“Of course not, but Neumann’s coming.”

The bizarre confrontation was starting to attract more attention, but most people were grudgingly going to class as the warning bell went off. Bryan, however, was pushing his way opposite of the crowd, heading straight their way with a few of his equally brutish sycophants in tow. Jake and Bryan rarely saw each other since he had been moved to the other P.E. class, but he’d had an “on sight” policy with Jake that predated that: if they crossed paths, he couldn’t resist antagonizing him.

Jake didn’t want to give Neumann the satisfaction of appearing to run away but they were all running late and he had to agree with Luke: they weren’t getting anywhere. Dejected, he started to follow Luke in a retreat, wondering if he may be able to smooth things over with Meg some other time. Ideally, before she did something dramatic.

To Jake’s surprise, Neumann walked right past him with only a cold glare, going straight for the cheerleaders. “Was he bothering you?” he asked Meg.

“Not anymore,” Meg answered, her voice miraculously steady once again.

Jake and Luke shared a look. “What the hell was that about?” Jake wondered out loud.

Luke shrugged. “He’s probably swooping in to be her white knight in shining armor now that you’re out of the picture. He’s said some pretty gross things about her, you know.”

Jake scoffed. “I’d love to see him try. Meg hates him. She calls him a Neanderthal.”

“At least we can all agree on something. What did you say to her when you broke up, anyway? She’s acting like you destroyed her.”

“I don’t even remember all of it, but I thought it sounded good at the time.” They were back in their original hallway, which was silent now that everyone else were in their classrooms. “I’ll tell you about it later.”

The vibe at school continued to be off for the next several periods. People were giving Jake weird looks in the halls, sometimes with outright hostility, and it made him uneasy. What version of events was Meg telling people?

By lunch time, the social exclusion was obvious. Jake eyed his usual table, and quickly realized that he would be eating lunch alone if he sat there. Looking around, he saw some of Meg’s friends had relocated across the courtyard and they were living it up, easily making up more noise than any three tables combined. Meg herself was nowhere to be seen. Jake shrugged to himself. He had his own friends, too. Trying not to draw too much attention to himself, Jake skulked past his old table and went to Luke’s table nearby, where he sat with Jazzy.

Luke made a show of sniffing Jake as he sat next to him. “You stink or something?”

Jake shook his head, smiling humorlessly. “I think it’s Meg’s next phase of ruining me. Honestly, though, if this is the worst she’s got, she’s lost her edge.” He didn’t like most of the people he’d met through Meg anyway. They were a shallow, boring bunch.

“I wouldn’t tempt fate, Jake,” Jazzy said.

Luke nodded. “Yeah, it’s only your first day back. What did you say when you did it? How did she react? Was she crying?” He looked far too excited – it was clear he had been waiting for this day for months.

“Chill. I didn’t exactly plan it out…” He recanted the story of the breakup, or as much of it as he could remember. It had been something of a blur, with everything else that had gone on that day with Ellie. When he finished, Luke and Jazzy were quiet for a moment.

“You broke up with her over the phone?” That was Jazzy, unexpectedly. Her eyes were wide with horror.

“Yeah, why?” He looked over at Luke, who was shaking his head slowly in disbelief. “What’s going on? You two are acting like I kicked a puppy.”

“You may as well have. That’s harsh, man. I hate Meg, but I wouldn’t wish that on her.”

Was it that bad? Jake’s heart started to race. Did he commit some sort of major breakup faux pa? Just as he was about to start sweating, Luke’s serious facade cracked and he snorted. “You’re fucking with me.”

Since Luke was laughing, it was Jazzy that took sympathy on him. “He is, but a break-up call is a little...distant, don’t you think?”

“I was really nice about it – ”

“You gave her the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ speech. That’s so cliché it’s almost insulting.”

“Hey! She was lucky to even get that, since she pissed me off right before that.” He looked covertly around them. “Do you guys know what she’s been telling people to make me the bad guy?”

Luke shook his head. “All I’ve heard is that you’re an asshole and all I know is that I shouldn’t believe anything she says.”

Jazzy was silent, swirling her mashed potatoes aimlessly around.

Jake gave her a hard look. “Got something to share, Jazzy?”

Jazzy bit her lip, not speaking until Luke gently elbowed her. “I think she’s been telling people that she broke up with you, not the other way around.”

Jake sagged with relief. “That’s all? If that’s what she needs to tell people to help her get over it, I’m all for it.”

“Again, it’s probably just the beginning.”

“Yeah, I know, just let me enjoy the peace for now.” Jake shoveled down some food, in better spirits after his failed attempt to appease Meg that morning. He hated being the center of attention in this way, but there were worse things than having people think he had been dumped. He looked absently across the courtyard and found Nic openly staring at him - or more like glaring. Did he somehow piss him off since yesterday, too? He glanced down at his phone and found his answer.

Jake hadn’t forgotten their plans, but he did let time get away from him. They were already twenty minutes into their hour-long lunch. Jake quickly hammered out a DM to Nic: “Sorry, meet you there in 5.” He watched as Nic checked his phone and quietly slip away from table he was sitting at. Jake started to scarf down what was left of his lunch.

“You got somewhere to be, or is this normal gluttony?” Luke asked.

“I’ve got some homework to do.” Which was probably true; he usually had some homework that he “forgot” to do. Jake looked over at Jazzy. “I’ll meet you for tutoring later, yeah?”

“I’ll be there. Don’t you have an exam next week?”

Jake nodded sadly as he took one last bite. “See you guys later.” He picked up his empty tray and hurried off, more of a bounce in his step than the first time he’d passed through. He didn’t see Luke and Jazzy share a quizzical look and shrug at each other.

A week ago, Jake would have never imagined spending time with Nic would be a welcome distraction. He wasn’t sure what had possessed him last night at work, but once he’d gotten over the shock, he couldn’t keep his eyes off Nic. He’d done something with his eyes that made them even greener, that was it. Something that made them more hypnotic. It seemed that without the guilt of having a girlfriend hanging over his head, his lust for the guy was almost overwhelming. It helped Jake realize that his relationship was truly dead; it wouldn’t have been this easy to move on if he felt like he had something to go back to.

However, once Jake was back in that abandoned wing of the school where Nic was waiting outside the door of that same room, he wasn’t sure if he was even brave enough to move on. It was like déjà vu, and he was the same bumbling idiot that had never done this before and was repeatedly telling himself he wasn’t gay. Well, at least now he was fairly sure that the last part wasn’t completely true.

Nic had no greetings for him. He rolled his eyes and lightly kicked the door open with a moody sigh. “We only have, like, twenty-five minutes,” he grumbled, going in first with his arms crossed over his chest.

His annoyance was oddly refreshing. It encouraged Jake to be a little bitchy in return, which helped with the nerves. “If you shut up, that’s plenty of time.”

“Maybe for you,” he sneered. “Mr. Quick Shot.”

Jake refused to give Nic the satisfaction of wincing in embarrassment. There were certain parts of last time that could have been better. “This time is different.”

Nic was already starting to take off his shirt without any more preamble. “Oh? I think you’re out of surprises, Abercrombie.”

That stupid nickname was starting to grow on him even as it continued to irk him. Jake was silent for a moment, chewing the inside of his lip before speaking. “I bet I can make you come first.”

Nic outright laughed at him. “Last time, I said you were ‘not bad,’ so I’m not sure where this confidence is coming from.”

“Well, then what do you have to lose?”

“Depends. If you can, what do you want?” Nic was standing a few feet away, shirtless, arms crossed loosely against his scrawny chest. He was probably going for defiant, but Jake had seen some cracks in the armor before. He was still scary in his own way, but also cute.

Jake crossed the distance between them and went to kiss him, but Nic predictably deflected it, indignant. “What the fuck do you think this is, a date?”

“We kissed last time,” Jake protested, snickering and not even a little affronted. Nic’s reaction confirmed what he already knew, which meant Jake had an idea of what he wanted if he won the bet.

“During, not before. Or after.”

Jake didn’t know what the difference was, and he didn’t care. “Then that’s what I want if you come first. We kiss after.”

Nic was clearly caught off guard. “Why?”

“Why not?” Jake shrugged. “I just want to annoy you a little. Besides…” Jake got in Nic’s personal space, bending so their faces were close, but he didn’t try to kiss him again. Nic glared at him, but lasted exactly three seconds before he took a step back, which made Jake grin. “…You’ll want it after you come first.”

Nic turned away from him to hide his burning face. “God, you’re weird. What’s gotten into you lately?”

“A taste of freedom,” Jake muttered, taking off his shirt. He noticed Nic’s eyes rove over his exposed skin. “Want to get on with it?”

By way of answer, Nic kicked off his shoes and dropped his pants, boxers and all. Jake sucked on his lip as all of his attention focused on one thing. Nic approached him, watching Jake’s face intently as he unzipped his jeans for him and slipped his hand inside. Jake hissed as Nic’s cool fingers wrapped around him. When Nic spoke again, his voice was low and serious.

“What do I get if you come first?”

Jake tried to think, but Nic squeezed and that operation was quickly abandoned. “Uh...you pick.”

“You finger me next time.”

“Deal,” Jake said, so quickly that Nic narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Little did he know, Jake kind of wanted to anyway.

***

Nic had Jake sit on the floor, his back against a filing cabinet and his long legs splayed out in front of him, with Nic crouched between them. It couldn’t have been very comfortable, but Jake hardly seemed to care since his cock was in Nic’s mouth. Nic went down a bit deeper with each suck, challenging himself to get down to the hilt like it was some sort of game, but he was unsuccessful so far. He could do it with Arnie, who was about the same length, but Arnie didn’t have Jake’s girth. Vince had been much smaller than either of them. As Nic went back further, he wasn’t sure if any of the guys he had ever been with were comparable. Except maybe one.

Sharp nausea rolled over him and Nic closed his eyes hard. Not now. Not here. He took a deep breath through his nose, fighting back the intrusive memory before he puked. That would probably kill the mood. Nic went back to the task at hand, which was to wear Jake down and get onto the main course. He was still a little sore from his last encounter with Jake’s pet anaconda, but he still craved something bigger than the two lubed fingers he had inserted.

Unlike a lot of people he knew, Nic actually liked giving head. He could get off from doing that alone, and the sounds Jake was making were doing things for him, so he didn’t dare touch himself and risk losing. Jake was vocal, lots of moaning, swearing, telling him to keep going, just like that, don’t stop, as if Nic didn’t know what he was doing. It was a shame his girlfriend didn’t go down on him, but that was her loss.

The taste in his mouth sharpened slightly, and Jake was doing mini thrusts in time with Nic’s movements. Nic saw the end in sight and increased the pace, but unfortunately Jake seemed to remember the bet. His hand slipped between them, stopping Nic about midshaft; Nic took the hint and withdrew with a rather unattractive slurping sound.

“Problem?” Nic asked, wiping his mouth.

Jake glared at him, breathing hard. “No fair,” he gasped out.

Nic blinked innocently. “What do you mean?”

Jake cleared his throat and managed to collect himself a little. “Gotta give me a chance first for it to count. Otherwise, bet’s off.”

“You’re making up rules as you go.” He didn’t feel fully prepared, but they were running out of time. But that meant they’d have to take it slow, which could work in his favor. Jake looked like a stiff breeze would set him off right now. “Alright. You said you were bringing the condom this time.”

Jake nodded and shifted so he could reach into his back pocket. He pulled out the rubber, and Nic smirked as he read the words “ribbed for her pleasure” on the wrapping. Jake didn’t seem to catch the humor in it, fully concentrating on carefully rolling it on as if he were dismantling a bomb. Meanwhile, Nic inserted a third finger and closed his eyes when his middle finger lightly grazed the sweet spot. He wasn’t flexible enough to do it consistently, though. That’s where Jake’s bigger hands would have been useful, but that would have to wait until next time.

Once Jake had finally gotten it on Nic eagerly moved forward to straddle him, but he was stopped again. “How about doggy instead?” Jake asked.

And that’s how Nic ended up naked, on all fours in a dusty classroom, probably running late for class, all because Jake pointed out that he might have some unfair advantage if Nic was steering. Nic didn’t have a strong argument for it other than feeling extremely vulnerable and increasingly impatient as he waited for Jake to fuck him. The snugness of the condom had made him go a little soft, so he was stroking it against his hole - or at least that’s what Jake told him as an excuse for basically dry humping him. Each thrust elicited a fresh dribble of precum from Nic, and when Jake teased him by pressing just the head inside and retreating, Nic lost his patience.

“Can you hurry the fuck up?”

“My, someone’s needy.” Jake sounded amused.

Nic heard the crinkle of plastic as Jake applied more lube. His heart fluttered with anticipation and if possible, he grew even more turned on. “You know, I’m starting the think you just wanted an excuse to not look at me,” he joked.

The pause was just a heartbeat too long. “I mean, the view’s nicer back here.” He pressed inside him suddenly, and Nic grunted. “Shit, sorry, thought you were ready. Want me to stop?”

“Slower,” Nic said, through gritted teeth.

“Right, got you.” Jake pulled out much more slowly than he went in, almost completely withdrawing before coming back. Nic wasn’t sure what he had been doing with his hands before, but at that point he let them rest lightly on Nic’s back. He repeated at the same slow pace until Nic started to get used to the intrusion and relaxed a little; Jake felt him relax and his own movements became more fluid in response.

By then, Nic was ready for him to go faster, harder, but saying so would undo him. The last time they had sex, Jake had finished just as it was starting to feel good. This time, he felt more prepared at the very least, maybe craving it if he was being generous. His ass eagerly accepted Jake’s cock, which pressed against Nic’s prostate without any real effort from its owner. He was so thick it was hard to miss it. It felt amazing, and Nic bit the inside of his lip to keep from pushing his hips back to meet him. If he didn’t get a grip soon, he was going to be in trouble.

Eventually, though, Jake started to lose restraint and sped up on his own, his breathing becoming more ragged. That’s when Nic couldn’t keep quiet any longer, and a moan slipped out. It was quiet and muffled, but very audible in such a silent room, and Jake clearly heard it. Nic felt him pause very briefly, as if he wasn’t sure what to make of it, then he pressed into him carefully at the same angle. Nic held back another moan, but his back arched reflexively instead.

Jake’s low chuckle tickled him from the inside out, and Nic realized he was done for before Jake even started going harder. “Fuck,” Nic swore. Hold it together. He tried to think of the least sexy things he could think of without triggering another memory. Old people. Cantaloupes. Vaginas.

“You like that, don’t you?” Jake growled from far too close to his ear, making Nic flinch in surprise. He had leaned over him, which Nic mentally did not like, but his body was too far gone to care. At some point Jake seemed to remember that Nic’s cock existed, and as soon as his big hand closed around it, it exploded. Nic was shamelessly pumping into his fist as he came.

Jake wasn’t too far behind. As Nic spasmed around him, his pace became faster and uneven, and he finished several thrusts later. Nic was starting to come down; it was on the edge of becoming painful when Jake’s hips finally stilled. Like last time, neither of them moved or spoke for a moment. It was Nic that broke the ice first, crawling away from Jake’s limp hands and cock on shaky limbs, towards the nearest desk.

Nic leaned against it, drawing his legs up his chest as he felt a chill. He should get dressed, he thought, but he felt lazy, useless, and deeply satisfied. It was the same combination of emotions he saw on Arnie’s face when he and Harry left the bathroom together last night. It felt like it had been ages since Nic had a good fuck, though that last time with Arnie had only been a few weeks ago. He couldn’t recall feeling this high afterwards, though. He’d been too upset over Amos and too guilty about doing it in the first place.

The cause of this weird feeling dragged himself to a similar position against the desk next to Nic. Jake had a dopey smile on his face, one that Nic believed mirrored his own.

“You were holding out on me,” Nic accused him.

“I’m a fast learner. At least with stuff that doesn’t involve actually thinking.” Jake pulled off the full condom and tossed it carelessly somewhere to the side. His cock was flaccid and wet against his bare hip. Nic felt a strong urge to lick it clean and looked away. “So...you lost.”

“Doesn’t feel like it.”

Jake laughed, a deep, rolling laugh that would have made Nic get hard if he wasn’t already spent. “Come here.” He motioned for Nic to come closer, but he didn’t move, still too high on sex. Besides, he wanted Jake to work for it. “Alright, I’ll come to you.”

A slow shuffle of movement and a waft of Jake’s body spray later, and Nic suddenly felt lips against his own. He knew it was coming and fully intended to grudgingly hold up to his side of the bargain but was not prepared for the way his body reacted to it. Jake had been right: he was going to want it once he’d come. Nic felt himself turn towards Jake as the jock’s tongue invaded his mouth, moving lazily against his own. When Nic kissed Jake the last time – and most of the times he kissed anyone else – he felt nothing. He merely did it because it felt like something you were supposed to do, not something he really enjoyed doing. When Jake kissed him this time, it was surprisingly tender, not overtly sexual but sensual, and it certainly didn’t feel transactional. Distantly, he felt Jake’s hand trail down his side towards the hip cocked towards him, leaving fire in its wake. He left it there, his fingertips lightly caressing the bare cheek behind it.

Jake’s lips started to migrate from Nic’s mouth, pressing smaller kisses in a trail down Nic’s jawline. It was only then that Nic’s mind cleared a little and he realized that this shouldn’t be happening. At least not with a random fling. “This is way more than a kiss, Abercrombie.”

Jake was well on his way to Nic’s neck, where Nic knew he would unravel. He paused to speak. “Yeah, but then you grabbed my dick, so I just went with it.”

Nic blinked. Indeed, his hand was wrapped Jake’s sticky cock for a second time, and he hadn’t even realized it. He let go of it as if it was on fire and scrambled to his feet. His stomach was twisting in a way that had nothing to do with nerves. “We need to go, before –” He was cut off as the warning bell for the next period went off, blaringly loud even in these abandoned rooms. He looked down at Jake in shock.

Jake grinned at him, the same shit-eating one he gave Nic when they first met and Jake told him they’d get along “just fine.” He gave a small, mock bow.

“Impressive,” Nic admitted dryly, recovering himself. He stalked away to retrieve his clothes, fully aware that Jake was watching him closely. “Your girlfriend’s lucky.”

He had guessed that talking about Meg would be a sore spot and would get rid of this gross, warm feeling in the room. Sure enough, the grin melted from Jake’s face, and he got to his feet, pulling his jeans back up as he moved, and started looking for his shirt. It was a long time before he spoke again, reappearing with his shirt back on and his dick still hanging out, looking ridiculous in juxtaposition with his flat tone: “I don’t have a girlfriend anymore.”

Nic had been putting his shoes back on, but he froze midmotion. “What?”

“Yeah, we broke up the other day. Don’t worry, it had nothing to do with you,” he added quickly, noticing that Nic had grown pale. “Or maybe it had a little to do with you, just not directly. It had been building for a while. Bottom line, I didn’t want to be a cheater. You got wet wipes?”

Nic handed them to him absently as he tried to decipher the rambling. “So, you broke up with her to have a clear conscience? What if I didn’t want to do this anymore?”

Jake shrugged. “Would have happened anyway. What about your guy?”

Clearly, he didn’t want to talk about it. Nic pinched the bridge of his nose as the real bell rung. They were officially late now, but Jake didn’t appear to be in any hurry, thoroughly cleaning himself off as if he hadn’t heard it. “What guy?”

“The guy you were with last night. Tall, with all the tattoos.” Nic continued looking confused. “Are you fucking him, too?”

“What? No, he had his boyfriend with him.” He rethought that, realizing that that fact had little bearing in this conversation. “I mean, no, he’s just a friend.”

Jake smirked but didn’t answer. He tossed away the soiled wet wipe and carefully tucked himself back into his jeans. Nic watched it go with a touch of sadness, still waiting for Jake to speak. When he didn’t, he got pissed.

“What are you not saying?” he snapped.

Jake gave him a lofty look. “Nothing. Just...he doesn’t look at you like he’s just a friend.”

Nic flinched, but the flash of unease he felt upon hearing that was quickly overshadowed by good old anger. “Well, too bad, he’s a friend. What the fuck do you care, anyway?”

If Jake was taken aback by his sudden vitriol, he didn’t show it. He shrugged. “I guess I would feel better if I wasn’t the only one whose love life is fucked up.”

“Well, you are. I don’t have a love life to fuck up. Get over it.” Nic knew he was being childish and giving away a lot by acting that way, but Jake had hit too close to home.

Jake seemed to know it, too, since Nic’s anger was just rolling off him. He chuckled, hoisting his bag onto his shoulder. “Alright, Nic. I’ve got class. See you next week, same time?”

Nic was still fuming, his things already in hand. He shouldered past Jake into the hallway. “Yeah, whatever. But we’re not doing that bet again.”

“I thought it was fun.” Jake trailed after him, closing the door behind them.

“Because you’re fucking weird, Ferguson.”

“Yeah, you already told me. I’ll DM you later.” Jake was the most cheerful newly single person Nic had ever seen. He hated him. And he also wanted to be bent over flat surfaces by him. What have I gotten myself into?

Just as they were about to part ways to their respective classes, Nic saw Luke approaching from the opposite end of the main hallway. He moved without thinking, slipping behind the nearest corner without a word. Jake saw the sudden movement before he noticed Luke and gave him a questioning look. Nic shook his head.

Luke called out to Jake, getting his attention. “There you are! Where have you been?”

“Uh…I was – the library – ” Jake started to stammer, but Luke didn’t seem to have been expecting an answer.

“Have you seen Meg’s tweet?”

“She blocked me, remember?” From Nic’s vantage point, he could only see Jake, who looked perplexed as Luke shoved his own phone into his hands. He was silent for a moment as he took in whatever he was reading…then he went white.