Reborn In a Murderer’s Embrace (Dexter) novel Chapter 403

Stella looked at Colin, her eyes filled with concern. "Can Phoebe ever go back to her old self? She's kind of freaking me out."

Colin shrugged, his voice steady. "I like her any way she is."

"But don't you think she's a bit...scary? Too detached. I miss the old Phoebe," Stella pressed on.

"I like her any way she is," Colin repeated.

Stella sighed. "She seems too cold now."

Colin's voice cracked with emotion. "No... It's already perfect. At least you're alive. She has emotions now, at least... understands friendship."

I slowly opened my eyes, realizing I had dozed off against the wall.

Stella was praying non-stop, trying to distract herself with conversation.

"Can she really not go back? How terrifying will it be when she regains all her memories?" Stella's voice quivered slightly.

She was scared.

Scared I'd become a stranger to my own kin.

"What if Phoebe becomes emotionless again, like she used to be? What do we do then? She surely won't need us anymore..." Stella feared I'd abandon our friendship, Colin included. "It seems she truly didn't understand love..."

Colin looked down, a hint of sadness in his gaze, but he finally spoke. "I just want her to be alive."

To live well.

"Your brain is 80% intelligence and the other 20% is all Phoebe, isn't it? Lovesick much?" Stella teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"It's not..." Colin seriously corrected her. "It could be all Phoebe."

Stella felt like she was force-fed a dose of romance, rolling her eyes as she tossed a pebble she'd been fiddling with towards the sealed wall. "How come they haven't made it out yet? Isn't Finn supposed to be a genius?"

"Somebody's holding them back," Colin said with certainty.

The culprit... was definitely among them.

Someone didn't want them to escape, constantly dragging their feet.

So, even with two geniuses among them, it wasn't guaranteed they'd make it out quickly and safely.

"Have you figured out who it is?" I asked Colin.

He turned, his eyes lighting up before he rushed over to hug me.