A few minutes passed before she heard someone walking close by. She glanced around, but couldn’t see any movement.
After putting the gun in her left hand, Olivia wiped the sweaty palm of her right one onto Jake’s boxers. Then, just like Pops and Mikey had taught her, she took her stance and pointed the weapon toward the direction of the sound.
Keeping her finger off the trigger, Olivia held her breath as the footfalls became more prominent. Her heart felt like a jackhammer, pounding against the inner walls of her chest.
This was it.
If she saw anyone other than Jake, she’d be forced to shoot. Could she do it? Could she take a life when she’d vowed years ago to do all she could to save them?
Yes.The answer came instantly and without question. She would kill in a heartbeat, if it meant saving Jake.
A dark figure stepped around the base of the tree, and Olivia’s trigger finger twitched a millisecond before she saw Jake’s face.
He still had his gun in his hand but holstered it as he walked toward her, which meant there was no immediate threat.
She sighed loudly, her shoulders sagging with relief. Her hand shook as she flipped the safety back on and lowered her weapon, the solace she felt from knowing he was all right mixed with the stream of other emotions. As her internal fight to regain control continued, Olivia did her best to school her expression, praying Jake couldn’t see just how completely messed up she’d become.
****
“We’re clear.” Jakesecured the snap on his holster. “It was just an animal. I saw a few small tracks in the dirt close by, but none were human.”
Olivia gave him what looked like a forced smile. “Good. That’s good,” she answered too quickly.
Jake swung his legs over one of the large roots. Hating the fear in her eyes, he asked, “You okay?”
Moving toward her, he zeroed in on the way she kept shifting her weight from foot to foot. As he got closer, he noticed her entire body was shaking as she fought for control.
Swearing under his breath, he closed the distance between them. In a series of swift moves, he took the gun from her hand, checked the safety, and secured it in his tactical thigh holster. Then, he pulled her into his arms.
“I’m sorry I left you alone.”
Jake had thought it was the right decision, but fuck-all if he even knew what that was anymore.
Olivia hugged him back at first, but then abruptly pushed against his chest and backed away. “I’m fine.”
Jake frowned, the move and her sharp tone taking him completely off guard. He could practically see the wall she was putting up between them, and damn if that didn’t hurt.
He tried not to take it personally. Olivia had seen and experienced things no person should ever have to, and her emotions were probably all over the fucking map. Rightfully so, but still—
“You sure you’re okay? Because you seem kind of—”
“Just let it go, Jake,” she snapped, before adding a quiet, “Please.” The pain in her eyes was impossible to miss.
Ah, baby.She was hurting, and Jake wished like hell there was something he could do to make it better for her. Maybe there was.
“Look, Liv. I know it’s not easy, but I really think talking about what happened to you and your friends would help.”
She lifted her stubborn chin and looked him straight in the eyes. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Damn it, sheneededto. Easier said than done, though. Jake got it. Didn’t like it, but he got it.
Changing the subject, he said, “I know we’ve only gotten a few hours of sleep, but,” he nodded towards her wrapped feet, “if you feel up to it, it would be to our advantage to start moving now, rather than waiting until the sun is fully up. According to the map D gave us, there’s a cave along the way. We could use that to take a break from the sun and still make it into town by this evening.”
With that adorable chin still in the air, Olivia gave him a clipped, “Okay.”
Jake stared at her for another moment before grabbing his pack from the ground. Pulling out two protein bars, he tossed one to her. “Here. We’ve got a lot of walking ahead of us. We’ll need the energy.”
They both ate quickly and took turns with the canteen. Knowing she would still be sore this morning, Jake handed Olivia some ibuprofen before putting everything back into his bag and slipping his arms through its padded straps.
