Gladers choice | TMR | Thomas | Minho

Chapter Thirty Three

Newt stood by the door, watching them all with that protective but tense expression he wore when things were serious. "Be alert tonight," he said, his voice low but commanding. "No mistakes. We don't get a second chance out there."

Alby, next to him, nodded in agreement. "Stick together. The plan's set, but things could go south fast. Don't do anything stupid."

Lyra gave a stiff nod, slinging her pack over her shoulder, her eyes darting briefly to Minho. He was watching her, his expression unreadable, but she could feel his presence like a steady pulse at the edge of her awareness. The earlier kiss still lingered in the air between them, unspoken but impossible to forget. She had no idea how to process it, not with everything else going on.

Just as she was about to turn away, she noticed Teresa approaching from across the room. It made her stomach flip in an unsettling way. Lyra and Teresa had barely spoken since Teresa had woken up, and there was an unspoken tension between them. Lyra didn't exactly dislike her, but there was something about her that felt... off. Perhaps it was the fact that Thomas seemed to trust her so implicitly, or maybe it was the way Teresa had slotted into their group so quickly, but Lyra couldn't shake the feeling of distrust.

"Hey," Teresa greeted her, her voice quiet but direct. She stepped closer, her eyes studying Lyra in a way that made her feel uncomfortable. "You okay?"

Lyra blinked, a little caught off guard. She didn't expect Teresa to care. "Uh, yeah," she replied, her voice a little too quick. She forced a shrug, trying to seem indifferent. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Teresa smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I saw you and Minho arguing yesterday. It looked pretty... intense." She gave Lyra a pointed look, her gaze unwavering. "Just wanted to check in."

The memory of the argument—of their kiss afterward—flooded Lyra's mind, and she felt her stomach twist. She forced herself to gulp down the sudden wave of panic, trying not to let it show on her face. Of course she saw, Lyra thought, the image of Teresa standing there, watching them, vivid in her mind. She'd looked directly at them, and Lyra had known, even then, that Teresa wouldn't let it go unnoticed.

"It wasn't a big deal," Lyra said, her voice stiff. She forced a shrug, glancing down at her feet as if the conversation was casual, even though her pulse was racing. She didn't trust Teresa. She didn't trust the way she always seemed to be analyzing everything around her.

Teresa didn't seem convinced, though she didn't push further. Instead, she smiled—an attempt at something friendly, perhaps. "You and Minho make a good team," she said, her tone light but probing.

Lyra felt a knot tighten in her chest. She didn't like where this conversation was going. "Yeah, we work well together," she replied carefully, trying to keep her tone neutral. She wasn't about to give Teresa anything more than she had to.

But Teresa wasn't done. "I know he's your ex," she said softly, her tone shifting slightly, almost testing the waters. "That must be... complicated."

Something in Lyra snapped, though she kept her expression composed. A flicker of frustration coursed through her, and she gripped the strap of her pack a little tighter. Teresa had no idea what she was talking about—no idea of the history between her and Minho, the emotions that had tangled and twisted over the years. And now, after everything that had happened, this was not the time to bring it up.

"We're fine," Lyra said, her voice a little too sharp. She took a breath, forcing herself to soften. "It's in the past." She hoped the finality in her tone would end the conversation.

Teresa tilted her head slightly, clearly not fully buying it, but she didn't push. "Well, good," she said after a moment, her smile returning, though it didn't reach her eyes. "It's good to have people you can trust."