Silas lingers near the door, jacket in hand, like he’d been planning to leave for a while and had just been waiting for a moment where I wasn’t paying attention.
“Where are you going?”
“Back to the mill for a meeting with the rat lookout,” he said. “Got a call. Says he’s got the intel we asked for.”
I straightened, already pushing off the table.
“I’ll come with you.”
He shook his head.
“Stay here with the little mute. Focus on the homework assignment doc gave you guys.”
There was a faint smirk there, but the humor didn't quite reach his eyes. I knew he was disappointed about not being included.
“Alright,” I said. “Just be careful. And watch for his tells.”
Silas paused, glancing back.
“His knee,” I added. “He's got drug shakes, but when he’s lying, it’s different. Watch the knee, it bounces. Easy to miss if you’re not looking for it.”
“Got it.”
He turned toward the door again, already halfway out, when we both noticed Lena watching from the shadows. Sheemerged quietly and went straight to Silas. Her hands reached up, resting on his chest, as she pressed a small, unexpected kiss to his mouth. The kiss was brief, gone almost as quickly as it had started, like she had acted on instinct and then second-guessed it the moment it happened.
Watching her pull back, I tried to read it for what it was instead of what it wasn’t. There had been less touch since the safehouse, not more, and it was starting to feel like we were losing ground. Like whatever breakthrough we thought she had, slipped through our fingers the second we got comfortable with it.
But Dr. Hampton had been clear about that. Progress wasn’t going to be linear. There were going to be steps forward, then back again, and if we pushed too hard, we’d end up doing more damage than good.
So I didn’t call it regression.
Because she’d still crossed the room on her own. Still chosen to close that distance. Still pressed her mouth to his without being told.
Silas froze looking down at the runt.
“Be careful,” she whispered.
My brother's hard expression shifted, something unreadable passing through it.
“I will,” he said.
Then he was gone.
Lena waited by the door for a moment, as if making sure he wasn’t coming back. When he didn't, she exhaled quietly and padded over, taking the seat beside me.
I tapped the folder in front of me.
“I finished the briefing packets forour meeting with Command,” I said. “You want to take a look?”
She nodded.
I handed it over.
She flipped through it fast. Faster than I could track. Page after page, her eyes moved quickly, catching things I would’ve needed more time to process. It only took a few minutes before she set it down.
“Anything we should add?” I asked. “What do you think?”
Her eyes lifted to mine.
