Executive Orders

CH 18 | Fears

The words blurred one into the other, suddenly unintelligent, but the tone was understandable - harsh, demanding, unforgiving.

Olivia squeezed her eyes shut as she turned away from the both of them, hands tightening into fists as the past and present echoed inside her head.

She fought the memories away before they could take anchor in her mind. And then it was just Jake's voice again.

"I heard what you said." Olivia turned back to face him; feeling the last of the adrenaline in her system drain away, leaving her slightly shaky. She hated the feeling - it felt too much like weakness. And you never show weakness - not to me, not to anyone! A last echo from the past seared through her, feeding her growing anger.

"And?" Jake demanded; he was obviously still upset.

"And what?" She wasn't in the mood to explain herself.

"What you need to do -" Jake stepped closer and before she could stop him, he was reaching out, his hand closing in on her upper arm.

Her anger blazed up as she snatched herself from his grip. "What I need to do is what?"

"I'm not your enemy, Olivia." Jake snapped, obviously stung by her rejection. "But all of what just happened because you were out here alone and unprotected, It wasn't the smartest thing you could have done - and you know the reason why!"

"That's not your decision to make - and it's none of your business!" Olivia snapped back. "And as for this, it's been handled. It's over!"

"Is it?" Jake was so angry that his words came out in chaotic bursts of anger. "You're out here - knowing that the - the life you've chosen - to stand in the sun -"

"That's right - my life!" Olivia stepped forward. "It's mine to live it as I choose -"

"That's enough!" Harrison's voice overrode both of theirs and that had the effect of shutting them both up."

What he'd seen in Olivia's face had set off an alarm and his protective instincts roared into life.

He held out his hand to Olivia.

"Keys." He said the words in a tone that made it clear that he wasn't going to accept any argument from her. "We're leaving - now - and I'm driving."

Harrison breathed a silent sigh of relief as Olivia began rummaging through her purse.

"I don't think that you should be going anywhere alone." Jake said.

One glance at Olivia decided him; whatever the other man wanted,whatever he thought - whether he knew it or not, Jake was done.

Before she could speak, Harrison took a step forward. "No offense, Jake - but right now, I don't think that Olivia gives a damn what it is you think - and I know I don't."

The look that Jake shot him startled him. It was as though between one breath and the next, Jake became an angry stranger. Even stranger was that even as Harrison stared at him, Jake's angry expression dropped from his face as though a switch had been flipped.

The sudden shift brought a shift in Harrison's own awareness, one that sent a brief prickle of wariness through him, but his concern was on Olivia and that meant that there was no time to argue about or think about Jake.

That was something he'd regret later.

***

Neither one of them spoke until they were out of the garage and Harrison had turned the car in the direction of the White House.