Hidden (Book 3 of the Immune Series)

Chemicals

Mya

"Good morning, guys."

Mom walks in the front door only moments after Finn and I have sat down on the couch in the living room. Finn drapes his arm around my shoulders along the back of the couch, resting one ankle on his kneecap.

He's never sat like that in his life.

I cross my legs, beaming over at Mom.

"Good morning!" we chime together, something we haven't done since we were little. The corners of Finn's mouth turn up, but he doesn't look over at me.

"Did you guys sleep good?" she asks, getting a glass of water and coming to sit across from us.

"Oh yeah," Finn says, "like a baby."

I stifle laughter, pretending to scratch my nose.

"Something wrong, Mya?" Mom asks, raising one eyebrow at me.

"No. I just agree. We slept like newborn babies."

Finn chuckles, and Mom just looks between the two of us in turn.

"I apparently missed the joke," she mutters, tilting the cup back and draining it. "Well, I'll let you get back to studying. I should go check on our guest. I'll see you later."

With that, she stands, dropping the cup off in the sink as she heads towards the spare bedroom. The door slams behind her, and Finn drops his ankle.

"You pushed it too far," he says, standing up.

"What? I just repeated it!" I say, gaping up at him.

"Exactly. It was ruined the moment it came out of your mouth."

I roll my eyes and stand up beside him.

"Listen, I found out some things-"

He cups his hand over my mouth, blocking the next few words. I scowl around his soft hand, breathing in the scent of soap on his skin.

"Not here," he hisses, dropping his hand and gripping my wrist.

I purse my lips closed, trudging behind him as he pulls me into the library. Once the door shuts behind me, he collapses into the leather chair. Light purple bruises line the skin under his eyes, and his shoulders slump forward.

Did he sleep any last night?

"So, what did you find out?" he asks, rubbing the back of his neck.

I take a deep breath, falling into the floor to sit in front of him, and recount the conversation I had with Sakir. Finn reacts at all the right moments, humming with surprise as I tell him about Sakir's father working with Mom.

"His dad's making a cure too?" Finn asks, sitting up straighter.

"Yeah, apparently."

"But it hasn't been created yet?"

"He said 'it's complicated'."

"What does that even mean?"

I shrug, exhaling in a long hiss.

"I didn't have a chance to ask."

Finn swings his legs down into the floor, resting his elbows on his knees.

"What gets me is his comment about the medicine."

"All that, and you're worried about the experiments?"

"Mya, mine is tomorrow," he says, meeting my eyes.

Goosebumps spread over my arms, and I shiver.