Page 30 of Fallen Flame

“I needed some fresh air, Ollie.”

“Stop calling me that.”

She ignored me. “I didn’t think sitting outside for a few minutes before being locked in my room for the night was wrong.”

“You’re not being locked in your room.”

She laughed without any real humor. “Yeah, sure. I guess you guys aren’t physically locking it, but this is a lot to handle when I’m used to doing whatever I want, whenever I want.”

“We’re keeping you safe, and I can’t do that if I don’t know where you are.”

Her expression shifted into a smirk. She threw me a wink. “Then I guess you need to do a better job of keeping track of me. I’m not at the bottom of your whiskey glass, Ollie.”

“No one calls me that.”

She lifted both eyebrows. “Looks like I do.”

“This isn’t some joke.”

“I didn’t say it was.”

“You need to start taking this more seriously.”

Her smirk fell away. “Oh, like you?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you take everything seriously. I bet you schedule the time you’re allowed to relax.”

“I don’t.”

She tipped her head. “You’re a stick in the mud.”

“I’m trying to keep you alive.”

“And I’m sitting fifteen feet from the building.”

“You disappeared.”

“I walked outside.”

“Without telling anyone.”

“I didn’t realize I needed to file a flight plan before leaving my room.”

I dragged a hand over my face, trying to hold on to the small amount of patience I had left. “I was trying to give you space.”

“That’s generous.”

“This is different for you. I get that.”

“Do you?”

“Yes.”

She studied me. I didn’t look away.

“You’re used to your own place,” I continued. “You’re used to going where you want and not explaining yourself to anyone. Now you’ve got people watching you, asking where you’re going, and telling you what you can and can’t do.”