Not just a phone — the latest model. Thin. Polished. The kind of thing kids at school would kill for. The kind of thing people like me could never even dream of touching. Brand new.
“I had it activated,” he says with a nod. “It’s yours. Fully encrypted. Private. Only your doctor and I have the number. If you want to reach me, for any reason, you can. Or don’t. That choice is yours too.”
I stare at it. I’ve used phones with prepaid minutes. This one is pristine. I don’t think I’ve ever had anything new in my life.
“Thank you.” I tear my eyes away from the device.
“I’ll let you get some rest. I can only imagine this has been quite the day for you.” He straightens his coat. “I’ll be staying nearby at the Ritz. Just a few blocks from here. Room is under Ashthorne, if you need it.”
Lucian starts toward the door again, but before he steps out, he glances back one more time.
“I meant what I said, you don’t have to be alone anymore, you have me. I’d like to come back tomorrow and get to know each other. How does that sound?”
“Sounds good.” I grin.
He returns the smile, nodding to us both.
Then he’s gone. Giving me the choice to decide which path I want to take.
The door clicks shut behind him, and for a moment, it’s just me and Maeve. The silence stretches out.
“You look just like him, except your hair is like your mom’s color.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
We fall into silence again. Maeve’s still holding my hand, but her eyes flick toward the tray.
“You gonna touch it?” she asks.
I look at the phone like it might bite me. It’s sleek and too nice. I’m not worthy of touching it.
“I don’t know,” I admit.
Maeve shifts closer and reaches for it, popping it out of the box.
“Damn,” she mutters, turning it over in her hand. “This is the one with the face recognition. These are nice.”
She hands it to me, screen still dark. I hesitate, then press the side button. It lights up. Clean, minimal home screen. Only a few apps. The background is plain. There’s one contact in the favorites list. Lucian Ashthorne. I add Maeve’s number from memory and save her in my favorites.
“I think he means it,” Maeve says after a moment. “About giving you a choice.”
I nod, thumbing the smooth edge of the phone.
“But what kind of choice is it, really?” I speak my thoughts. “Go with the rich guy I don’t know, or… what? Stay here and be nobody?”
She watches me for a beat, then says, “You don’t have to love him, Iz. But maybe… just maybe… you get to have something different now. Something better. Like the futures we talked about. As much as I want you here with me, I want you to have everything. If he can give you that, then you should get the hell out of here.”
I just stare down at the glowing screen, my thumb hovering over the icon that could call him back with a single tap. Freedom looks like a lot of things. Right now, it looks like a phone I didn’t ask for… and maybe a future I might actually get to choose. I set the phone down on the tray, still in disbelief. Maeve’s watching me, quiet. Waiting.
“I used to dream,” I say, almost without meaning to.
She tilts her head. “Yeah?”
I nod, eyes on the wall.
“When I was little… I used to dream that my dad who made waffles would find me and take me away. He’d see the bruises and save me and Mama.”
