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‘What’s delicate?’ I ask ‘Me? A you don’t want to break or upset?’

Miller leans into et our faces level ‘What are you talking about?’

‘You think I’ forced to deal with things that are beyond your ability, Olivia,’ he whispers,clue how to est tihtens up, rising to his full height The agony in his expression nearly floors e?’ he whispers, not co, so IRealisation dawns fast, and I glance up at the security ca us

‘Why is she here?’ My voice is even and strong

‘Who?’ Miller’s face is guarded and guilty ‘No one’s here’

‘Don’t lie to ins to puff under the strain to breathe through er ‘How much did you ain, and I seize the opportunity, using his momentary lapse in focus to push past him ‘Olivia!’

I land in his office less ladylike than I would have hoped, but I soon findmy purse under my arm Then I smile as I castReclined in Miller’s office chair, legs crossed, wearing a creaarette, is Sophia The air of superiority suffocatingat ot my number It’s inconsequential She wanted to pull ht into her hands

‘Sophia’ I make sure I’m the first to break the painful silence, and I also ensure I hold ’ I detect two things the– Sophia’s ht parting of her red lips, and Miller’s uneasebehind h heels carry me across to the drinks cabinet and I pour irl, I’hty tone makes my confidence vanish

I closehands, and when I’lass and turn to face arded carefully by both parties – Sophia thoughtful, Miller nervous – as I slowly bring the highball to lass back and gasp before filling it again

The tension in the rooistering condelass and sla hi I want to take that resilient part of him and hurt it It’s all I know

‘I ht curve on her red lips, ‘you’re in love with him and you think you can have him You can’t’

I don’t deny her conclusion ‘Because you want hiue with her or put her straight, and when I look at him, I see that there is no intention to I can’t even locate the sensibility to convinceanother shot of vodka for goodlike a statue by the door, hands in pockets, clearly briravation He looks at me with the expressionless, emotional beauty that captured me in the first place It’s rife His defence mechanism is on lockdown I stop before his tall, ht pulse of his dark stubbled jaw ‘I hope you’re happy in your darkness’

‘Don’t fucking push me, Olivia’ His mouth barely moves, his words hardly audible, but they are loaded with threatwhich I totally ignore

‘See you around’ I slaently, finding the stairs and taking theet to the bar and maintain the numbness that the alcohol has incited

‘Livy?’

I look up and see Tony and Cassie standing at the top of the stairs, both frowning down atto say to either of them, so I bypass them and round the corner to thearound, finding both of their expressions have morphed into worry And I knohy ‘In his office,’ I say, walking backwards so as not to delay enuinely worried, but I don’t waste ti need to stake my clai that call and Sophia state with such confidence that Miller belongs to her I know he doesn’t, he knows he doesn’t, but his lack of input and theher he h the crowd, the powerful beats of NiT GriT’s "Prituri Se Planinata" assaulting lass with a twenty ‘Vodka and tonic,’ I dee just as fast, and I’ back the tequila immediately, followed closely by the vodka The liquid burns its way down tome close h ‘Sauy next to–with every swig of alcohol, the feeling ofaway fast I like it A certain sense of detach