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CHARLOTTE-ALEXANDRIA woke up with an intention to keep her emotions in check. She repeated her mantra to herself: "It's fine, we're friends. It's fine." She knew she had to push her feelings for Luke aside, no matter how difficult it was.

She soon realized how hard that was especially when the dude was her roommate.

The day was a filled of packing for the roadie. Charlotte helped Luke and Jack with their gear, folding clothes and making sure they had everything they needed.

"You sure you packed enough snacks, Jack?" Charlotte asked, trying to keep the mood light.

Jack grinned. "You can never have too many snacks. Thanks for the help, Lottie."

Luke, who was busy organizing his things, kept sneaking glances at Charlotte. He was trying to act casual, but the tension between them was palpable. Every time their hands brushed or they exchanged a glance, it felt like the air was charged with unspoken words.

Charlotte could feel it too, but she forced herself to focus on the task at hand. "I think that's everything," she said, zipping up one of Luke's bags.

"Yeah, I think we're good," Luke replied, his voice slightly strained.

Jack, noticing the awkwardness, decided to break the tension. "I'm going to pick up some food for us. Any requests?"

"Surprise us," Charlotte said with a smile, grateful for the distraction.

As Jack left, they both opened their mouth to say something but the doorbell rang. Charlotte went to answer it, her heart skipping a beat when she saw who was standing there.

"Mrs. Kholer," she said, surprised. John-Luke's mother stood on the doorstep, her eyes red-rimmed but filled with determination.

"Charlotte," she began, her voice trembling. "Dr. Ramirez told me what you did. That you didn't stop trying to save him."

Tears welled up in Charlotte's eyes. "I... I couldn't just give up," she whispered.

Mrs. Hernandez reached into her bag and pulled out a small item. "I wanted to thank you," she said, handing Charlotte John-Luke's hospital band. "This is for you. To remember him by."

Charlotte took the band, her fingers trembling. "Thank you," she said, her voice breaking.

Mrs. Hernandez gave her a sad smile before turning to leave. Charlotte watched her go, her heart heavy with emotion. She closed the door and walked back to the living room, staring at the band in her hand.

Luke looked up as she entered. "Who was that?"

"Uhm, John-Luke's mom," Charlotte replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Luke brows furrowed."The baby form the NICU?" he asked softly, Charlotte nodded her fingers messing with the band.

She looked up at him, tears spilling down her cheeks. "The night I left to the hospital, John-Luke died. I tried so hard but..." Her voice broke, and she couldn't continue.

Luke's eyes widened with shock. "Oh, Charlotte. I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"She thanked me for trying to save him. She gave me his hospital band." She held up the green band.

Luke stood up, crossing the room to stand in front of her. He reached out, gently taking her hand in his. "You did everything you could, Charlotte."

She looked up at him, tears spilling down her cheeks. "It doesn't feel like enough."

He pulled her into a hug, his arms wrapping around her tightly. "You're incredible, you know that? You care so much. That's one of the things I..." He trailed off, the words hanging in the air between them.

Charlotte looked up at him, their faces inches apart. For a moment, it felt like the world had stopped, and all that mattered was the two of them. She could see the conflict in his eyes, mirroring her own.

Just as it seemed they might close the gap, the front door opened and Jack walked in, bags of food in hand. "Hey, guys! I got the food!"

Charlotte and Luke quickly stepped apart, the moment shattered. She wiped her eyes and forced a smile. "Great, I'm starving."

Jack looked between them, sensing he had interrupted something. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Charlotte said quickly. "Just... had a visitor. Let's eat."

They sat down to eat, but the charged moment lingered in the air. Both Charlotte and Luke were lost in their own thoughts, each wondering what might have happened if Jack hadn't walked in. As they ate, they both tried to push those thoughts aside, no matter how difficult it was becoming.