Grow stronger
George's mind raced, remembering Amara's warnings about secrecy. He couldn't reveal the truth about her, not without potentially putting both of them in danger. "What about her?" he asked, his tone guarded.
"Well," Nebula pressed, a hint of curiosity in her voice, "You two seemed to work well together. Almost like you know each other for years. Were you with her this whole time? Is that why you were unreachable?"
George felt trapped. He couldn't tell Nebula the truth, but he also couldn't bring himself to outright lie to her. He settled for a half-truth. "No, I wasn't with her. After the fight, we went our separate ways. I don't know who she is or where she went."
Nebula studied him intently, clearly trying to gauge the truth of his words. "I see," she said slowly. "And you have no way of contacting her?"