Max's phone buzzed. It was a text from Lucas.
"I'm in Thailand."
Max blinked, staring at the message. His heart skipped a beat before racing wildly in his chest. Without wasting a second, he quickly typed back:
"Where are you?"
A reply came almost immediately.
"In a cab. Send me your college's address. I'm coming to pick you up."
Max's eyes widened. He's coming here?! He panicked a little, quickly sent his college's location, and bolted down the rooftop stairs like a whirlwind.
He rushed to find Tik, spotting him near the cafeteria.
"Tik!" Max called out, slightly breathless. "Can you bring your car to the main gate? Right now."
Tik raised an eyebrow at Max's sudden urgency but didn't question it. "Sure." He left, heading straight to the parking area.
Max, meanwhile, rushed to the main gate, glancing around every second. And then, as if it were a movie scene, a cab pulled up in front of him.
The window rolled down slowly, and there he was—Lucas, smiling casually.
Max's lips tugged into a smile too. "Get out," he said.
Lucas looked confused. "Why?"
"Just come out," Max insisted.
After a bit of back and forth, Lucas finally gave in and stepped out. Max pulled out Lucas's suitcase from the cab, thanked the driver politely, and waved as the cab drove off.
Just then, another car stopped beside them. Tik stepped out and tossed the car keys toward Max without even glancing at Lucas.
"Don't crash my car, Max!" he called out before disappearing inside the building.
Lucas blinked. "That's your friend?"
Max chuckled. "Yep. That's Tik."
The two got into the car, and Max started driving. Silence lingered for a few minutes before Lucas finally broke it.
"You look good," he said, glancing at Max.
Max gave him a quick smile. "Thanks."
"So," Max asked, "why are you here? And where are you planning to stay?"
Lucas looked out the window. "I'm here as the temporary CEO of my dad's new company. I'll be around for a while. As for where I'm staying... probably a hotel."
Something about that made Max feel... weirdly relieved. He smiled slightly.
"You can stay at my place," Max offered.
Lucas looked surprised. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah," Max said. "If you're gonna be here a while, no point wasting money on a hotel."
Lucas hesitated. "Let me ask my dad first."
He made a quick call, and to Max's surprise, Lucas's father agreed.
Lucas grinned. "He said yes. Looks like I'm staying with you."
Max couldn't help but smile back. He started driving again, feeling oddly... happy.
But just as they neared his apartment, Max's eyes widened. "Crap," he muttered.
Lucas turned to him. "What?"
"I... I forgot I have class right now."
To be continued...