364. Chapter 364

Lucy answers on the first ring.

“Maggie loves me,” she says, and even though Lucy can’t see her, she’s preening.

“No kidding, Danvers,” she can hear Lucy grinning, and her heart skips a beat.

“No, but really – she said she loves me. And then she wouldn’t stop saying it, and I wouldn’t stop saying it, and I don’t ever want to stop saying it, and god, I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

“Such a long way from the badass agent I tried to send to Cadmus,” Lucy chimes wistfully, and Alex scoffs.

“Yeah, and you couldn’t even get that right, Major.”

“Regrets, Danvers?”

“You know I don’t think the dating prospects would have been great in Cadmus.”

“Yeah, that and you’d have been tortured to death.”

Alex freezes and Alex flinches, and even though Lucy can’t see her, she immediately knows something’s wrong by Alex’s lack of immediate retort.

“Danvers,” she starts slowly. “Why did Maggie say she loves you?”

“Because she… does?”

“Yeah, I know, I’ve known that for months, but why… now?”

“Because I… said it to her.”

“Ooh, nice one! But Alex, same question: why now?”

Her voice is careful and her voice is scared, and she forces herself to remember that whatever happened, Alex is safe, safe, safe.

Alex keeps her voice deliberately casual, calm. Cool.

“I got kidnapped and held for thirty-six hours and almost drowned in a cage tank thing.”

“Alex!”

“Lucy!”

“Shit, Alex, I’m getting the next plane out, how – way to bury the lead, Danvers, are you okay?”

“Actually, the lead was that Maggie loves me – “

“Only you, Alex.”

“I hope she only loves me.”

“No, I mean – only you would almost flipping die and come out of it with the major takeaway of a girl likes you.”

“She doesn’t just like me, Lane, she loves me, pay attention.”

“Oh my god.”

“Are you still coming?”

“What?”

“To National City. You said you were getting the first flight out.”

“Of course I’m coming, Alex. You almost died. You were tortured. I don’t care how much of a badass you are, you need to be around all your friends. And you don’t have that many to begin with, so…”

Alex ignores her quip, because she’s fixated on something else.

“Maggie called me a badass.”

“Oh my god, I’m gonna regret this, aren’t I?”

“Probably.”

“See you in a few hours.”

“She loves me.”

“Yipee.”

“A lot.”

“I’m hanging up now.”

“Maggie loves me.”

“I can’t imagine why.”

“Fly safe, Lucy.”

“Yeah. Yeah, of course, Alex. I’ll see you soon.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“But not in the way I love Maggie.”

“Oh my god I take it all back.”

But she doesn’t stop smiling the entire ride to the airport.