The promise of tonight’s underground car race seemed to snap Lyra out of her moody silence. She came skipping out of her room, humming to herself with a bounce in her step.
She was dressed in a camo outfit I didn’t recognize—edgy, stylish, and worlds away from the wardrobe I’d curated for her. The second I laid eyes on it, I knew exactly who had picked it.
Emma.
Lyra was staring down at her phone now, her cheerful glow dimming the moment she read the screen. No reply. I didn’t say anything, but I watched her shoulders tense.
She typed quickly. “Emma, are you mad at me? You know I didn’t want Mom to take me to school. I like you better... please don’t be mad, okay?”
Her fingers trembled with desperation. She was clinging to Emma like a lifeline.
I kept my distance, walked over t
