He Turned My Exam Into a Joke, I Turned the Page Chapter 09

He Turned My Exam Into a Joke, I Turned the Page Chapter 09

The lights over the barbecue joint glowed warm and hazy, and smoke from the grill, thick with

char and sweet-spicy dry rub, drifted halfway down the block.

Luke ate his barbecue rib tips distractedly.

“Congrats on being free!” Mason raised his beer. “Come on, cheers!”

“Cheers! Cheers!”

Seven or eight cups clinked together.

Foam spilled over and splashed across the table.

Luke tipped his head back and drank half his cup. The cold liquid slid down his throat, so

refreshing that his eyes narrowed in satisfaction.

He was a little buzzed.

Holding his phone, he stared for a while before his eyes finally focused on the screen.

He clicked his tongue.

Sienna still had not replied.

She had never been like this before.

Whenever he texted her, she almost always replied right away.

Even if she missed his message because something came up, she would call him back as

soon as she saw it.

What was going on tonight?

“Luke!” Zoey leaned across the table, holding out an ear of grilled corn on the cob. “Try this.

It’s so good!”

She brought it straight to his mouth.

Luke pulled himself out of his thoughts and took a bite.

“It’s okay.”

“What do you mean, it’s okay? It’s obviously amazing!” Zoey glared at him unhappily. “You’re

so picky.”

Luke smiled but did not answer.

He turned and looked toward the intersection.

Sienna still had not come.

Half an hour passed.

Everyone had drunk enough to start talking about the future.

Some talked about the exam questions, some talked about summer plans, and others

chatted about where they wanted to travel.

“I might go to the Maldives,” Luke said.

Zoey leaned against his shoulder. “What made you think of going there?”

Luke took a bite of brisket and said vaguely, “Because Si…”

Because Sienna had wanted to go there.

Zoey sat up straighter, her expression subtly changing.

Luke barely stopped himself in time. “Nothing. I just want to see it.”

“Oh, right.” Mason looked up suddenly while gnawing on a chicken wing. “Where’s Sienna?

Why isn’t she here yet?”

Luke took out his phone.

“I’ll ask her.”

He called.

The line rang and rang.

No one picked up.

He called again.

Still no answer.

“What’s wrong?” Mason asked, wiping his mouth.

“She didn’t pick up.”

“Maybe she didn’t hear it on the way,” Zoey said, unconcerned. “Just send her the location.”

Unease began to rise in Luke’s chest.

“You guys keep eating. I need to go check on her.”

“Oh, sit down.” Zoey grabbed his sleeve.

“She’s not three years old. It’s not like she can get lost.”

Mason chimed in too. “Yeah, Luke. Eat first. Don’t worry.”

“You know what Sienna’s like. She’s slow about everything. She’s probably still dragging her

feet at home.”

Luke shook off Zoey’s hand.

He called the server over and paid the bill first.

“You guys keep hanging out.”

“I still don’t feel right about this. I have to go check.”

The Parker house was silent.

Ding-dong.

Luke stood outside the door, his heartbeat growing faster and faster.

A sudden, baseless panic wrapped around him.

When no one answered the door, he stepped onto the electrical box and drainpipe, then climbed in through the window of Sienna’s room.

The room was empty.

In that instant, countless terrible thoughts flooded Luke’s mind.

Had Sienna gotten into an accident on the way home?

Had someone kidnapped her?

Or had she misjudged her medication dosage and ended up in the hospital again?

He fumbled for the light switch in a panic.

What he saw was an emptied room and, on the desk, a letter written in neat, delicate

handwriting.

There were only a few brief lines.

[Luke, I’m not going to AU.]

[You don’t need to look for me either. I think we were never meant to live in the same world.]

The letter was signed,

[Sienna Parker.]