They hadn't mentioned me once. Not a single time, from start to finish.
No one cared how I felt.
Whether I might actually die.
A moment later, I opened my eyes slowly. The conversation between the three of them cut off at once.
"Miri!"
My eyes were hollow as I fell into Malcolm's warm, trembling arms. Above my head, his voice cracked with joy.
"You're finally back. I missed you so much."
"The System can block your pain, right? Use it now. We'll get rid of Lorna and—"
"Malcolm!"
Cole's voice sliced through the air, sharp enough to stop Malcolm mid-sentence.
Malcolm turned, confused, and met Cole's wide, stricken eyes.
"It's Lorna."
Malcolm's body went rigid. He jerked back three inches, pulling away from me.
I tugged at the corners of my mouth, playing dumb.
"Malcolm? Who's this 'Miri' you were talking about?"
The air in the room solidified.
So quiet I could hear all three of their heartbeats, uneven and panicked.
"You misheard."
Finn was the first to speak, breaking the silence.
"Lorna, the car accident scared Malcolm half to death. He was rambling. He's just worried about you."
Malcolm nodded frantically in agreement.
His face was stiff, the color all wrong.