“Is someone following you?”
“No.” Reno realized he had to admit to something uncomfortable and really wished Jaewon would let him go so he could go back to burying his face against Sebastian. “I looked through Luka’s phone.”
“Reno.”
“Not like that.” Reno squeezed his eyes shut. “I swear, I didn’t snoop. You know I’m not like that.”
“Explain," Jaewon ordered, and Reno latched onto it.
“He is very sick and will miss his flight today. He ask me to text his roommate explaining this and I saw Joy.”
“Like a photo of her?” Sebastian asked.
“No, a text chain. I didn’t open it.” Reno peeked an eye open and found Jaewon’s expression sympathetic. “I think I acted normal to Luka. I didn’t bring it up. I don’t want to scare him since it probably isn’t her.”
Sebastian carefully unwrapped himself from Reno and then led him to sit on the couch. Jaewon sat on the ground in front of him, and as Sebastian rested next to him, close enough for their thighs to touch, Reno was so grateful for the contact that it hurt.
“If it is her, you have a right to be afraid,” Sebastian said, and Reno’s heart went back to trying to choke him.
The door opened and Reno watched Arnaud walk in, drop his backpack on the ground, then widen his eyes at the picture the rest of his band was making.
“What is it?”
“I think Reno forgot to tell Luka his ex's name.”
Arnaud looked confused, and Reno realized with a sinking dread that Sebastian might be correct. He’d made such a habit over the years ofneversaying her name, or letting it be spoken in his presence, that it was likely Luka hadno idea.
“Oh no.” Reno felt like someone had thrown cold water down his spine. “Ohno. I?—”
“You aren’t required to tell your new partner your ex's name,” Arnaud said and sat on the ground next to Jaewon. “What’s the big deal?”
“There’s someone named Joy in Luka’s phone,” Jaewon explained, and Reno watched the confusion on Arnaud’s face turn to horror.
“That’snotgood.”
“No, it’s not,” Sebastian agreed.
Jaewon raised his hand. “We don’t know it’s her. There are a lot of people named Joy in England.”
“What do we know about these friends Luka made?”
Reno swallowed, trying to remember through the simmering panic in his chest. “Rosé is one of them. Luka talked to me about her—she seemed nice. I don’t know the other girls’ names.”
Arnaud had his phone out. “What does she look like?”
“Tall, very pretty.” Reno put his head in his hands. “I don’t know anything else.”
“What about where they went?” Arnaud asked, his fingers flying over his phone.
“Oasis, Hannover, Eagle.”
“Suspicious he’s been getting into those places unless he’s saddled up with elites," Sebastian said. “I don’t like the feeling of that.”
“I’m on it," Arnaud said. “Give me Luka’s number.”
“Please don’t do anything crazy," Reno pleaded, watching Arnaud's determined face as he held his phone out. “I’m begging.”
“I will be perfectly sane about this. I swear.”
