Blind: An Arrow Fanfic

Chapter 22

With an excited yelp, she spontaneously launched herself at him, standing on her toes as she threw her arms around his neck, wrapping him in a tight embrace. "I knew you could do it!"

Slowly, almost reluctantly she noted, his arms enclosed around her as he held her lightly against him. "I couldn't have done it without you," he whispered, the warmth of his breath tickling her ear.

Pulling back slightly, she beamed at him. "No, Oliver, this was all you. I made it look pretty, but those were your words up there. Your ideas."

"I'm not out of the woods yet. They could still vote in Isabel's favour," he reminded her judiciously.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Not a chance," she countered. "But if you'd prefer we can hold off on all celebrations until it's official."

Chuckling, he leaned forward slightly. "Thank you, Felicity. For everything."

It was at that moment that she realized that they were still locked in an embrace, her arms resting on his shoulders while his hands splayed around her waist, their weight like hot brands on her skin. Looking at him, she knew the instant he realized it too. He stiffened slightly, his hands lifting away from her just as hers slid away from him. Blushing, she nervously adjusted her spectacles. "It was nothing, really."

Awkwardly facing one another, he half turned toward the boardroom. "I need to pack up." Glancing at his watch, he gestured for her to precede him. "My next meeting isn't for another hour and a half. Feel like grabbing a drink?"

Her heart rate returning to normal, she asked, "I thought we weren't celebrating yet?"

"Technically we're not. It's more of a let's-remain-positive kind of thing."

Smiling, she grabbed her purse as they exited the room. "Whatever. Sounds like a celebration to me."

"Or perhaps it's an excuse to," he said, returning her grin.

"You say it like it's a bad thing?"

Side by side they walked down a long corridor. "There hasn't been much to celebrate lately."

She cast a sympathetic glance in his direction. "How are things with your mother?"

He shrugged. "Tense. We don't really see that much of each other at the moment."

"You can't avoid her forever, you know," she reminded him gently as they took a seat at the bar on the ground floor.

He caught a waitress's eye. "There's not much left to say, Felicity. She knows how I feel and she just keeps making these self-absorbed choices."

Felicity quirked an eyebrow. "Seriously? I get why you're mad at her, but it's not like you haven't made some decisions in your life that you wish you could change."

"You're defending my mother?" he asked in disbelief as he removed his suit jacket and hung it over the back of his chair.

She held a hand up. "I wouldn't call it that, exactly. I'm merely trying to point out that she's made some mistakes. Surely you can identify with that? She's done some bad things, Oliver, but that doesn't make her a bad person."

He acknowledged her words with a faint nod. "I just keep thinking about Thea and how this would tear her apart."

"Why haven't you told her?" she asked curiously.

He went so still that she thought he wasn't going to respond. To her surprise, he did. "Because I'm afraid of what knowing the truth will do to her."

Felicity could understand that. Oliver had always been very protective of Thea. It made sense that he'd want to shelter her from any pain. "You can't protect her forever and I think that she's stronger than you give her credit for. Besides, secrets have a nasty way of coming out and I think you'd prefer that she heard it from someone she loved rather than someone with an agenda."