Chapter 25 – Luke
LUKE
Luke was at his desk Tuesday morning when he overheard two members talking after the eight o’clock session.
"...Richard Hallicks ordered everyone to attend Friday evening," a woman was saying. "All-hands meeting. Something about an emergency visit from the trustees and the power grid..."
Luke's stomach dropped.
Friday. His 40th birthday party.
"Should be interesting," the woman continued. "Guess I'm canceling my dinner plans."
Luke's hands stilled on his keyboard. An all-hands meeting. Friday night. The same night as his party.
The same night, Jack had promised to be there.
Luke tried to push the anxiety down. Jack had promised. He'd be there.
But that uneasy feeling wouldn't quite leave.
He told himself he was being ridiculous. Jack knew about the party. Had known for weeks. And it was just a work meeting. Jack could leave early, or skip it, or tell Hallicks he had a prior commitment.
Except Jack didn't do that. Jack didn't skip meetings, leave early, or put personal commitments above professional ones.
Luke knew that. Had always known that.
Amir bounded through the door, grinning. "Luke, my man! T-minus three days till the big 4-0 bash! Should be a good one, Mister!"
Luke forced a smile. "Yeah. Should be great."
His phone buzzed. Text from Dale: “Your party is shaping up to be quite the social event. You deserve it. XO”
Luke stared at his phone. Then, before he could talk himself out of it, before he could remember that he was supposed to be "cool" about this, he texted Jack:
“Still on for Friday?”
He regretted it immediately. Too needy. Too anxious. Exactly what Jack didn't want from him.
But Jack's reply came fast:
Then: “Something seems to be stirring with Hallicks, but I can handle it.”
Luke read the message three times.
I can handle it.
Not "don't worry" or "I'll be there no matter what." Just... I can handle it.
Luke wanted to believe him.
I can handle it.
That's what Jack always said.
Shortly after lunch Wednesday, Jack walked through the front door of The Ridge.
"Got your charger," Jack said, holding it up. His voice was clipped, professional, like they were colleagues conducting business. "Got a minute to talk about Friday?"
Luke's body tightened up. "Yeah. Come on back."
He led Jack to his office and closed the door.
Jack leaned against the door, standing like he was already halfway out of there. "I'll come by around 6:30. Won't stay too late."
"Jack—"
"I know it's your birthday. I know it's important. I just... there's a lot happening with this Hallicks thing, and I might need to bring him and some VIPs we're meeting Friday afternoon. Would that be okay?"
Luke blinked. "You want to bring your boss to my birthday party?"
"It's complicated. The meeting might run late, and if it does, I can transition straight to your party with them. It makes sense logistically."
"Logistically."
Jack's jaw tightened. "Luke, I'm trying to make this work."
"You don't have to rush off after you get there."
"It's your party, your crew." Jack wouldn't quite meet his eyes. "They don't even know about me, do they?"
"Know what about you?"
Jack waved a hand dismissively. "Never mind. I'll manage."
"I thought you weren't in the closet at all."
"I'm not. Forget I asked." Jack ran a hand over his hair, still short but growing out. "And now my parents want to come visit next week, which is great, but the timing is terrible with everything happening at the university..."
Luke stepped closer. "Jack, stop."
Jack looked up.
Luke’s arms were crossed in front of him when he said, "Are you coming to the party or not?"
Silence. Just for a beat. But Luke saw the hesitation, the calculation happening behind Jack's eyes.
"Yes," Jack said finally. "I'm coming. I'll be there."
"You're sure?"
"Yes." More firmly this time. "I promise. I'll be there."
But something in his voice didn't match the words. Something careful and controlled, like he was saying what Luke needed to hear rather than what he actually believed.
Luke stepped closer and hugged him. "Jack. It's okay."
Jack's arms came around him, but didn't quite relax. His body was rigid, tense, as if hugging Luke were one more item on a checklist he needed to complete before getting back to campus.
"Let's just be cool about Friday," Jack said into Luke's shoulder.
Luke pulled back. "What do you mean, be cool about Friday? If you can't come because something important came up—"
"I said I'm coming."
"Then what does 'be cool' mean?"
Jack's expression shuttered. "It means don't make this into a thing. Don't blow it up into something bigger than it is."
"It's my 40th birthday."
"I know that."
"And I want you there."
"I know." Jack's voice had an edge now, frustration bleeding through. "And I said I'll be there. Can we just... not do this right now?"
Luke felt a cold dread, and then a hot flash of … anger? He wasn’t sure. "Do what?"
"This. The checking in. The needing reassurance." Jack ran both hands over his face. "I've got a hundred things happening, and I'm trying to juggle all of it, and I just need you to trust that I'll handle it."
"I do trust you."
"Then stop asking."
The words hung there between them.
Luke took a step back. "Okay."
"Luke, I just don't want it to become a thing. You know what I mean."
"No, actually. I don't. What are you afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid." Jack shook his head. "I have to get back to campus."
Jack was out the door before Luke could say anything else.
Luke stood there in his office, staring at the closed door. The room was vibrating with tension, but quiet.
Let's just be cool about Friday.
Translation: Stop asking me about it. Stop making me promise. Stop needing things from me that I'm not sure I can give.
What the hell did that mean?
His phone buzzed twenty minutes later.
Jack: “I'm sorry about before. I'm coming. I want to be there.”
Luke exhaled slowly and typed back: “It's OK. I understand.”
He understood that Jack was stressed. That the university thing was important. That Jack was trying to manage competing demands.
He still didn't understand why "I love you" had been met with "thank you," and "Will you be at my birthday party?" had been met with "let's be cool."
He didn’t understand why it was asking too much simply to want Jack to show up for him.
Luke woke at five on Thursday morning, his internal clock back to normal. He did his routine: coffee, gratitude list, walk with Marley. And was about to head to The Ridge when his phone lit up.
Mara: “Mom is here at the cafe. We need you. Party planning emergency—STAT!”
Luke's heart jumped. “What's wrong?”
Mara: “Get your ass here!”
Luke drove faster than he should have, mind racing through possibilities. Had the venue fallen through? Was there a problem with the food?
He burst through the café door to find Mara grinning at him over a cup of coffee.
"What? No! You're gonna give me a heart attack BEFORE I turn 40!"
She gestured to a chair. "Come on, sit. Have coffee. No drama."
Luke stared at her. "You're the worst."
"I know." She poured him a cup. "But you're here now, so let's talk."
Patty emerged from the kitchen with a notepad. "Okay, so we're all set for tomorrow. The great room at the inn is ready. Kitchen staff is handling the cake and hors d'oeuvres. I'm covering beer and wine. If anyone wants liquor, they can get it themselves at the bar."
"That's perfect," Luke said. "Thank you."
"Guest count is around thirty," Mara said. "Give or take."
"Sounds right."
Mara glanced at her mom, then back at Luke. "Is Jack coming?"
"Yes. Why?"
"I’m making sure we have the headcount right."
But there was something in Mara's tone, something careful, like she was trying not to say what she was really thinking.
"What?" Luke asked.
"Nothing. I'm just... People are excited to meet him, that's all. Dale mentioned he's looking forward to finally meeting your handsome friend who's got you smiling so much lately."
Luke shook his head. When had this become a debut?
He'd just wanted Jack at his birthday party. Simple. His boyfriend, his friends, his 40th. Nothing complicated.
But somewhere along the way, it had become more than that. It had become Jack meeting Luke's people. Jack being introduced to the community. Jack being Luke's date, or boyfriend, or whatever.
And Jack had said, “Let’s be cool about Friday.”
Like it was too much. Like Luke was asking for too much.
"He'll be there," Luke said, more to convince himself than Mara.
Mara reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "I'm sure he will."
But her eyes said something different. Her eyes said: I hope so, for your sake.
Luke drove back to The Ridge, Mara's words echoing in his head.
People are excited to meet him.
When had this happened? When had wanting Jack at his birthday party become wanting Jack in his life so publicly and undeniably, in front of everyone who mattered?
And why did that feel so terrifying and so right at the same time?
Some people worried about turning 40, but Luke had been telling himself (and everyone else) that it didn't bother him.
As it grew closer and closer, it had begun to nag at him.
Was this what forty looked like? Waiting for someone to show up? Trying to be "cool" about wanting things? Apologizing for needing reassurance?
Was it a cosmic coincidence that Jack was back right now? Was this turning 40 nonsense really about being afraid of facing the future like he'd spent his whole life so far, alone?
He believed Jack would be there at his party.
He chose to believe that, had to believe that.
But somewhere between late-night conversations, shared mornings, and quiet promises that felt like more than they probably were, wanting Jack had stopped feeling optional.
And he couldn't unwant Jack now.
Even if wanting him meant getting hurt, or if "be cool" meant Luke was supposed to pretend it didn't matter.
It all mattered to him.