“Oh, well, okay. Who are you staying with?”

She avoids my gaze again. I don’t like this. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She rushes off, faster than she should with her knee.

Concern gives way to the confusion and frustration seeping in my bones as I’m left to remember the last time Olivia walked away from me with little to no explanation. Letting her walk out of my life was my biggest mistake. Though I know her storming off doesn’t mean she’s leaving me again, considering she’s stuck with me for PT, I’ll be damned if I let this go.

I catch up to her and grip her by the elbow. “Hey, what are you doing?”

“Leaving.”

“Fuck that, we’re not done here.”

“I’m pretty sure we were.”

“You shut down on me when I mentioned your dad. I wanna know why.”

She scoffs. “Trust me, you don’t.”

“Olivia.” Her name is a command on my tongue, and her back straightens at the tone.

She lets out a deep sigh. “My father and I aren’t close and you know this.”

“I know that, but that back there was different. You never used to react like that to his name. Did…did something happen between you two?” I know I have no right to ask considering I had the opportunity to tell her about me and Po Po earlier. But something feels wrong here. If he hurt her, I’ll kill him with my bare hands.

I’m gutted when her wounded eyes meet mine. “No, Kai. Nothing happened. I’ve just tried my best to put strict boundaries between us since…well, since leaving. I just don’t like talking about him.”

She’s holding back on me but I’ll accept it for now since I feel more confident that he hasn’t physically hurt her. The emotional scars he’s left on his daughter are no better, but I don’t have a way to protect her from those. I can only hope she’ll let me help her heal them again. “Okay, if you say so. But my other question still stands. Who are you staying with?”

Her stare becomes distant once again, and I hate watching the coldness take over the eyes that were once the key to my happiness and freedom. “Why would you assume I’m staying with anyone?”

“Because you shouldn’t be staying alone during the beginning stages of your injury. You’re going to need assistance with certain things.”

“I’ve been fine so far.”

“Fuck, you are still the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met.”

“Oooh, now I’m stubborn. Earlier I was the strongest woman you’ve ever met. Funny, how things change.”

I know she’s teasing but it doesn’t sit right with me. I grab her chin and pull her head up until she has no choice but to see the sincerity in my eyes. “Don’t twist my words. The two are not mutually exclusive, Olivia. You are both incredibly strong and a giant pain in the ass, and I wouldn’t change a damn thing about you.”