Liam was still stationed by the window, his silhouette reflecting against the glass, his fists clenching every few minutes as he kept watch for anything unusual.
Raquel had finally curled up on the couch, her shallow breaths breaking every so often, her nightmares refusing to leave her alone.
Mira slipped past them both and padded into the kitchen, she shut the door softly behind her, and pulled her phone from the inside pocket of her hoodie. The screen came on, but she didn't go through her usual contacts. Instead, she slid her thumb across a hidden app, tapping into the encrypted number only two people in the world had access to.
It rang once. Twice. Then—
"Everett." His voice was calm, as if he had been expecting the call.
"It's me," Mira whispered quietly, careful not to draw the attention of either Liam or Raquel.
A pause, then the sound of movement on his end. Papers shifting, his chair creaking. "Talk to me."
