They landed one on top of the other, and the photo frame fell out of Andre's hands, rolling across the sheets.
For a heartbeat, neither of them moved. The silence was deafening, filled only by their shallow breaths mingling in the close distance.
Luke's heart hammered in his chest. Every inch of his skin could feel the warmth of Andre's body. He tried to move, but Andre's arms snaked around his waist, holding him in place.
Luke shot him a look, but he only smirked in reply.
"Luke, I heard—" The door opened, and someone stepped in.
The distraction was all Luke needed.
He jolted upright, pushing himself away and grabbing for the fallen photo frame. His fingers trembled slightly as he dusted it off and placed it safely in the box beside the bed.
Andre sat up more slowly, watching him with a faint, amused expression. "Are you angry?"
Luke didn't answer. He turned away and focused on packing up the stuff on the table.
"Were you guys fighting?" the same voice asked. Mark stood frozen in the doorway, his eyes darting between the two of them. Who was the stranger in Luke's room?
"Of course not," Andre said cheerfully. He leapt off the bed without a hint of expression on his face and went to stand in front of the newcomer. "Hi, I'm Andre, your new teammate."
Mark blinked, processing for a moment before recognition dawned. "I know! You're Andre Rowe. I'm a huge fan!" He grabbed Andre's hand and shook it eagerly. "I watched you play in the national qualifiers last year. You were incredible. Too bad your teammate got injured."
"Thanks," Andre said, grinning. "I have another shot this year."
"I wish you were my partner," Mark said without thinking, still holding onto Andre's hand.
"You can have him," Luke said flatly, moving around them to pack up Ethan's shoes. His voice was cold like nothing had happened, but the faint red on the tips of his ears betrayed him.
Andre placed a hand over his heart dramatically. "But I was made to be your partner."
Mark laughed awkwardly. "He's joking. Luke's just joking," he said quickly, glancing between the two.
Luke stayed silent, not agreeing or disagreeing with his words. He just continued packing up Ethan's remaining things, shutting himself off again.
The room fell into a strange rhythm after that. Mark fanboying over Andre, Andre answering all his questions, and Luke pretending not to hear either of them. Within minutes, the last of Ethan's belongings were folded neatly into the large box.
Luke picked it up and pushed it to his own side of the room, setting it beside his wardrobe. That was it, Everything Ethan owned. Everything fit into one single box.
"Luke," Mark called softly. Luke turned his head, waiting. "We're going down to help Andre get his things. Want to come along?"
Luke was ready to say no. He didn't want to help Andre move his things. He didn't even want Andre to be here because he was a reminder of what Luke was at risk of losing. But before he could answer, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
He pulled it out and paused when he saw the sender.
Ethan: "Coach said you have a new teammate. Don't give up on your dreams, I'm rooting for you."
Luke stared at the message for a long moment, his grip tightening around the phone. Ethan already knew and agreed with the decision. He didn't want Luke to stop playing, and Ethan needed him to win. So for Ethan, he had to do this. Since he had started working part-time, Ethan had been pressing him to quit and go back to practicing. He told Ethan that he still made time to do so, despite his job both Ethan knew he was lying.
He stood and walked toward the door.
"Is that a yes?" Mark asked, sounding hopeful.
Luke's lips twitched. "Lead the way."
Andre raised an eyebrow but didn't comment, just turned and followed Mark out of the room.
****************************************************************************************************
Outside, the sun had already begun to set, painting the sky with a palette of red, orange, and yellow. Andre's luggage was at the lobby of their dorm, sitting near the entrance
"Thank you–" Andre started to say, but Luke bent down, grabbed the heaviest box without a word, and started toward the stairs.
"He's a little aloof at first, but once you get to know him, he's really nice," Mark said, soothing the awkwardness again.
Mark gave an awkward chuckle. "He's a little aloof at first, but once you get to know him, he's really nice."
"I'm sure he is," Andre said, his tone light but his eyes sharp.
He didn't sound upset. If anything, he sounded understanding. That was good. Coach Daniel had called him to keep an eye on Luke and make sure he got along well with Luke.
"Is he dating anyone?" Andre asked suddenly.
"Who?" Mark blinked. "Luke? No, no. Never."
"At all?" Andre's voice was smooth, casual, like he didn't really care.
Mark shook his head. "Other than practice, he doesn't really do anything. Just classes, practice, and competitions. That's all."
"You've never seen him with anyone?"
Why was Andre so interested in Luke's relationship status? Did he think he was a player? But it made sense. No one would want a partner who wasn't focused. He decided to paint Luke in the best light possible because Luke really needed the chance.
"Not once," Mark replied seriously. "The only thing he cares about is tennis. He doesn't even have social media. You can trust in him."
"Good to know," Andre said softly. His tone was calm, but his knuckles had gone white where he gripped the box.
As they walked behind Luke, Andre's gaze never left him. The man was more scummier than he had expected. He didn't even let people know about his sister.
Andre's jaw tightened.
Soon, he thought, watching Luke disappear around the corner. He'll make sure Luke pays.