Luca came back from the bathroom with damp hair and a towel around his neck.
The scent of mint and something clean followed him.
Noel was still sitting on his bed, laptop closed, lights dimmed low—just enough for the warm hue of the desk lamp to draw soft shadows across his face.
Luca dropped the towel on his chair and glanced at Noel. "Still thinking about it?"
Noel looked up slowly. "Maybe."
Luca laughed under his breath. "You say that like it's a no."
"It's a maybe," Noel corrected, voice calm, unreadable.
Luca raised both hands in surrender. "Okay. I'll take maybe."
Noel lay back again, this time fully stretched out on the bed. "You really liked the movie, huh?"
"Yeah," Luca replied, dropping into his bed, arms behind his head. "It's got that slow-burn thing I like.
The kind of story that doesn't rush. Lets everything unfold."
Noel glanced at him, curious. "Like life?"
