I sucked in even more.
I released it.
I was procrastinating.
“Just do it,”Ibit out my impatience with my own danged self.
I nabbed my tablet, pulled up the text comm fromNata, powered beyond the nervesIfelt whenIprogrammed in the sequence, then requested the holo comm.
I stared as the bubble opened and closed on the display, and it didn’t take long before the wordAcceptedfilled it.
I clenched my teeth, let them go becauseIhad the need to suck in more oxygen, and finally,Iset the tablet beside me on the daybed beforeItapped the display.
My father’s holographic form sat across the room from me.
“Laura?” he said carefully, anxiously, and maybe a hint hopefully.
“I need something from you,”Iannounced.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“This isn’t a social comm,”Ishared.
“Sweetheart, you were shot at two days ago.”
My entire frame froze at the endearment.
He’d never called me anything like it.
“Are you okay?” he demanded.
“As you can see,I’mfine,”Isaid stiffly.
“I’ve been mad with worry.Evenyour mother commed, asking ifI’dheard from you.”
“The family did a vid that very night,Dad,”Ireminded him.
“You can fake things with makeup and vid-shopping and”—he skimmed a hand out in front of him—“holos.”
“Well, this isn’t vid-shopped.Thisis me, live and in person.”
“All right,” he replied. “Whatdo you need?”
“I need to know about her.”
Even his holo paled. “What?”
“Obviously,Ilearned my lesson the very long and hard way about the depths of your loss.”
He flinched.
I refused to process that, or how painful it obviously was for him, and kept going. “ButIneed to understand…her loss.”
He got even paler. “Isthe prince okay?”
“Aleksei’s fine,”Isnapped. “I’mfine.We’reall fine.ExceptAntheme.She’svery dead.”
“Oh,Laura,” he whispered. “Wereyou close?”
