Corvus (Stars and Sails, Book 1)

Fifty-three

"What's going to happen now?" Ollie asked.

Jade smiled softly and attempted to smooth out the worry lines worn into his freckled forehead. "Shh," she whispered. "We just keep fighting."

Hatred was a powerful thing. It had changed Jade into someone she wasn't. She was still healing. She wondered how long it might take until she was half the person she used to be when she was younger—someone who wasn't so worried or skeptical about everything. She didn't want that to happen to Oliver who was finding it harder and harder to forgive.

Oliver frowned and tossed back and forth on the squeaky cot until he was comfortable against her side again. "Is he..." he trailed off, leaving her with a defeated huff.

"Is he what?"

"You think he's still alive?"

Just the mention of Fairburn was enough to tighten her jaw and set a fire burning in her temples. "Yes, I do," she replied. "But I promise—I'm going to keep you safe. He won't hurt you again."

A silence rolled through the cabin. Rays of dull sunlight danced through the window, illuminating all the dust and dirt that flitted through the air. Oliver rolled out of the cot and dusted the wrinkles out of his clothes. Jade sat up and studied his face. He closed his eyes and tilted his head. "You don't have to promise me anything. We're in this together." His eyes brightened until there was something just a little impish about his face.

Jade grinned at him, fixing the knot that her hair was lazily tied into. "Do you want to stay? Dr. Nejem is supposed to stop by and look at my wounds."

"Why would I stay?"

"Ollie, please," Jade lowered her voice. "I really don't want to be alone around him."

Oliver crossed his arms. "I do."

Jade sat up on her elbows, the look on her face souring. "Can I just vent? He really frustrates me."

"Because you want to kiss him?"

"What? No! That has never crossed my mind." Jade fell back on the cot and covered her sunburned face. Luckily, it hid the blush growing on her cheeks. Oof. She'd totally thought of it. But she was really just getting it out of her system. That didn't change the fact that her face was burning thinking about it all over again. "Get. Out." She ordered.

"It's just speculative, cause I want to."

"Out." Jade frowned, her nose twitching.

There was a knock on the door. Jade clenched down on her teeth. Oliver grinned sheepishly before he opened the door. "Doctor Nejem," he greeted. "We were actually just talking about you". Jade covered her face with her hand.

"Good things, I hope." He took Oliver's face in his hands and brushed his hair out of the way so that he could see the graze wound clearly. "You need to let the wound breathe. You are not going to heal this way.." Oliver stared straight up at him the entire time, features soft like he was mesmerized. Jade rolled her eyes. Sabik looked at her. "Good afternoon, Harris."

Jade tried to smile politely, but she ended up looking just as pained as she truly felt. "Hello, Doctor."

Sabik brushed Oliver's hair back once he was satisfied with the healing. He walked over to the desk, setting his medical kit on the desk. "I came to look at your injuries."

"Oliver is going to stay," Jade said, straightening the flat, rock-hard pillow on her cot just to keep herself busy.

"You just told me to leave."