Page 55 of The Restoration Program

Nicole’s scalp prickled. “Iamher.”

Nodding, Anthony and his glassy gaze came closer, and Nicole wrapped her arms tightly around herself. Her legs weren’t cooperative. Anthony gave a slow, disbelieving shake of his head.

“It—shemoves just like a person! What does she feel like? Like plastic—or skin?”

Before Nicole could react, a curious hand barreled for her. She froze like a deer caught in headlights and felt like she was choking on something. Anthony’s fingertips barely brushed her before Ryan snatched his wrist. If Ryan had grabbedherwith the same pressure, he would have shattered her.

Electrified, she scrambled to the opposite side of the desk, desperate for somewhere—anywherethat wasn’t in the middle of these two destructive titans. Meanwhile, Ryan’s voice rang in her ears, “What the hell are you doing?”

She stopped short at the edge and looked down. The jump was comparable to twenty feet—people could survive that, right? She’d look fucking crazy to Ryan and Anthony, but then she could make it to the potted snake plant by the window and have peace and bealonewhere no one could touch her, grab her, seize her.

“Dude, calm down. I wasn’t going to hurt her!” Anthony protested as Ryan herded him for the door.

“You can’t justgrab a person, Anthony. Look at her! You scared her shitless!”

“I barely moved!”

“Get out, please. I need to fix this.”

Nicole squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn’t bring herself to jump, so she stood there with her feet rooted against the polished wood. Her head spun as she hyperventilated, helpless to stop it. If he’d grabbed her, Anthony could have squeezed—maybe just curiously, maybe testingly, like a child. He could have splintered her ribs like little pretzels and left her bleeding internally in his sweaty palms. He could have dropped her and left her catastrophically battered on the carpet.

Did the Restoration restore NüPrints who died? A third chance at life felt gratuitous. She had never asked, and now her own mortality felt so much more fragile.

“Nicole.”

Ryan lowered into view, a barrier between her and the sharp drop off at the edge of the desk. A gasp stuck in her throat as she snapped back into the present and looked around. Anthony was gone. The office door was closed and the blinds were drawn, but she could see people behind trying to get a look inside.

“Hey. Hey, it’s okay.” Ryan soothed. “It’s just you and me.”

He reached for her, a frown creased between his eyes. Nicole stepped back frantically.

“Stop it!” she shrieked.

“I was just—”

“You were just trying to fix everything, like always.” Nicole’s voice shot out of her like it was someone else’s, wild and shrill. “All you fucking do these days is try to make things better. Well, guess what? That’s impossible.”

He recoiled. Shock washed over his expression. Her temper hadn’t flared like this in a long time. Nicole wiped the sweat on her brow. Shame crept in while Ryan stared at her, looking utterly paralyzed.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that,” she said, voice cracking.

“What am I supposed to do, Nicki?” he asked softly.

“I… I… I don’t know.” Syllables stuck like syrup in her throat. She clutched at her hairline. “Y-you’re amazing, I-I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry.” His eyes grew wet, his stare deepening with concern. “I think you’re having a panic attack—let me help you. Please.”

The switch within her flipped again.

“No, don’t touch me!” She shoved at his hands with a hateful noise. “I’m not a scared little animal that needs to be rescued!” She staggered away from the edge and rammed her spine against the side of the computer monitor. She glanced at it, the way it towered like a monument.

Too big.

Too ridiculously, comicallybig.

Like everything else. Like every single person in the world.

“Nicole? Breathe. Are you okay?”