“You’ll lose.”
Jaime held Olivia’s gaze, startled by the hard tone, the closed-off, determined expression staring back at her.
“Sometimes, yes.”
Olivia canted her head. “So, you’d fight a fight you know you’ll never win?”
“If it’s the right one, yes.”
“But who decides that?” Olivia asked.
“The right fight isalwaysthe one resulting in the least harm and the greatest benefit for the most people.”
Olivia shook her head as an unfathomable smile spread across her lips.
“What?”
“Nothing. I just recalled a game I used to play as a teen. A friend had bought a book filled with all kinds of ‘Would you rather?’ questions. Ethical and moral conundrums. We’d go over them and answer.”
“Am I right to assume your answers tended to affirm your last name?”
“You’re assuming it was always Gray.”
Jaime’s eyebrows rose as her gaze dropped to Olivia’s left hand.
“Not all married couples wear rings.”
“You’re married?” For a second, Jaime wondered if the fries she was eating had gone bad. Could fries even go bad? Rancid, yes, but bad? Although rancidwasbad, and—
“No. I’m a born Gray.”
Jaime clenched her jaw, dismissing the urge to throttle Olivia. “So?”
“Perhaps.”
“Again, so?”
Olivia gave her a quizzical look. “Oh, you mean the questions?”
Jaime dipped her head.
“Well, one question in particular came to mind when you mentioned a fight worth fighting. If you have the power to prevent a car crash killing two people, one of them your best friend, or a plane crash killing 300 strangers, which one do you choose?”
“The plane,” Jaime answered immediately.
Olivia’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“I’ve never met anyone who gave that answer, mind you, I only played the game as a teenager.”
Jaime wasn’t sure if she should feel pleased or insulted. “It’s the most logical decision.”
“But your best friend?”
“Would understand that 300 lives are worthier than two.”
“Remind me never to apply to be your best friend,” Olivia quipped.
