We are not going back

Chapter nineteen

The front door creaked open, and I looked up from the couch, where Kamala was sitting beside me, holding an ice pack to my ankle. We had been laughing about something light-something that felt far removed from the chaos of the last few days. But the laughter died in my throat as Olivia stepped inside.

Her presence was immediate, filling the room with an unspoken tension. Her blonde hair was slightly disheveled, her expression guarded, though her eyes fixed on Kamala and me with an intensity that made my skin crawl. She paused, just watching us. For a brief moment, I saw something flash across her face-something sharp, something hurt.

Kamala noticed her too, straightening in her seat. She gave me a quick glance, then stood up, offering Olivia a polite smile. “Olivia… I should go. Let you two have some time.”

Olivia didn’t say anything as Kamala excused herself. I could feel the weight of her stare, even as Kamala gently squeezed my shoulder on her way out. The front door clicked softly behind her, leaving just me and Olivia in the room, the air thick with tension.

I tried to sit up straighter, wincing as my ankle throbbed beneath the ice pack. Olivia’s eyes flicked to my foot for a split second, then back to my face. But there was no concern in her gaze. Only coldness.

“You broke your ankle?” she asked, her voice devoid of warmth, like she was pointing out a stain on the carpet.

“Yeah,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. “When I jumped. During the riot.”

Olivia crossed her arms, her lips pressed into a thin line. “And you did all that to save Kamala?” There was a bite to her words, an edge I didn’t like.

I frowned. “She was in danger, Olivia. I couldn’t just leave her-”

Olivia cut me off, stepping closer, her arms still tight across her chest. “The rioters weren’t going to hurt her, Eleonora. You know that, right? They were after the people running the show, not Kamala. She was safe.”

I stared at her, disbelief knotting in my stomach. “You don’t know that. They broke into the White House, Olivia. It wasn’t a peaceful protest- they were looking to hurt someone. She could’ve been killed.”

Olivia scoffed, shaking her head like I was the one who didn’t get it. “They weren’t going to touch her. You risked your life for nothing.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My jaw clenched, and I forced myself to stay calm. “I didn’t know that at the time. And I couldn’t take that chance.”

There was a long silence. Olivia’s eyes darkened, and she took another step toward me, her voice lowering. “Is there something going on between you and Kamala?”

Her words hit me like a slap. My heart stuttered, and for a second, I couldn’t find the words. “What?”

“You heard me,” Olivia snapped, her eyes narrowing. “Is there something going on between the two of you? Because from where I’m standing, it sure looks like there is.”

My chest tightened. “Olivia, are you serious right now? You think that’s what this is about?”

Olivia’s hands dropped to her sides, fists clenched. “I don’t know, Eleonora. You’ve been spending a lot of time with her. You saved her life like she’s—”

“Like she’s what?!” I interrupted, my voice rising despite my best efforts to stay calm. “She’s the President of the United States, Olivia! What was I supposed to do, let her die?”

“She’s not your responsibility!” Olivia shot back, her voice sharp. “You had no business throwing yourself into danger like that. Do you even care about how this looks? How this affects me?”