Set Me Free ▪︎ Joel Miller ▪︎

▪︎○ Forty ○▪︎

She would see good to her promise to Ellie, she would get her to the fireflies and be there till their tests were completed. Then - granted Joel and Ellie wished to join her - they would return to Jackson and build a meaningful life there.

That was her hope and she clutched onto it with both hands, afraid to let it slip between her fingers.

"Liv?"

That familiar Southern drawl pulled her from her thoughts smoothly as her brows dipped and her head turned to look at the older man and teen staring at her with evident concern. She shook her head as if ridding it of the thoughts plaguing her, then with little effort, she mustered a smile for the two. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"He asked if you were okay?" Ellie told her gently, as if Olivia were suddenly at risk of breaking at any wrong word spoken.

"I'm fine," she lied. "Just ready to get this over with," she shrugged half heartedly whilst avoiding Joel's intense gaze on her.

"Alright," she heard him say before he slid slowly off Callus and walked to the metal gate that was blocking them from exiting the building. He reached out and gripped the smooth metal, giving it a hard tug until it began to slid aside, opening up. However, before the gate could open all the way, the horses began to back away in a near panic; snorting and whining while the girls sat atop them with frowns.

Joel reached his hands out calmly to the two horses, trying to calm them. "Woah, woah, easy... what is it?"

"Sounds like runners," Olivia noted, just about able to hear the familiar screams and groaning that echoed from above them.

Joel nodded, "stay with the horses. I'll go check it out." He told the two females whilst slipping through the opening in the gate and sliding it firmly closed behind himself.

"You sure you don't need help? Sounds like more than a couple."

"I'll be fine, Liv. I don't want them runnin' off. I'll be right back."

"Just... don't die on me." she tells him like so many times before, and again like he often did, he replied with the same simple word that always came to mind when she did.

"Ditto."

Ellie smiled at the pair, watching them with a fondness in her eyes that had only grown with all the months they had spent travelling together. She saw their growth as it happened, not only as individuals but also as a blossoming romance. They were cute and well suited, even on their less than good days. She saw the care they had for one another, even now as Olivia watched Joel jog up the stairs to deal with the group of runners with a deep concern for his safety in her eyes. That love she felt for him shone through.

They loved each other.

"He'll be okay," the teen confidently assured with a smile.

Olivia nodded, finally tearing her gaze from the stairs and turning her head to give Ellie her full attention. "I know," she says with a smile of her own, appreciation dripping from her warm tone.

"So, have you told him yet?"

"What?"

"You know... that you love him?" Ellie says pointedly, raising her brows as if to empathise how obvious it was.

Olivia's heart raced nervously, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable as her hands came together, wringing anxiously. She shook her head whilst trying to come up with an appropriate response but none worthy of being uttered came to mind. "W-What?" she stuttered through an unconvincing scoff.

"I'll take that as a no," Ellie sighed with an exasperated head shake.

"El, I don't know what gave you the idea that I-"