Set Me Free ▪︎ Joel Miller ▪︎

▪︎○ Six ○▪︎

The building trembles once more, creaking in a manner that intensifies Olivia's fear of the building collapsing as they jump over the stairwell railing and down into the lower floor, a slight groan escaping Ellie as she stumbles when landing on her feet.

"Stairwell's blocked," the girl observes with an exhausted sigh, "should we go back up?"

Olivia frowns, her heart rate picking up as she watches Tess turn to her right, staring out a broken window at the platform attached to the outside of the building.

"Ahh... this is crazy." Tess says whilst jumping onto the platform, causing it to sway slightly. "Just don't look down,"

"Are you serious?" Ellie asks the female smuggler, her eyes widening. Then, with a surge of courage, the teen steps forward and mimics Tess's movements.

"Liv," Joel calls out whilst turning to the frozen woman behind him, though she fails to acknowledge him. "Liv!" he tries again, managing to snap her out of her fear induced trance.

"What?"

"Come on, your up."

Olivia steps back fearfully, her head shaking and her body trembling. "I-I can't," she stutters with tears forming in her emerald green eyes.

Joel's brows dip with confusion as he steps towards her, searching her eyes for an explanation. Then, realisation dawns on him. She had an intense fear of heights and right now she was faced with her worst nightmare.

"Yes, you can."

"N-No..." she refuses, again shaking her head furiously. "I'll find another way around."

"There is no other way around." he tells her firmly.

"B-But-" her voice cuts out with a tremble, her eyes brimming with tears as she brings her hands up to rub at her face.

Joel's eyes soften slightly, his head tilting at the young woman before he drops his head in thought. He wasn't willing to leave her behind, so, that left him with the task of convincing her to step onto that platform.

"I need you to trust me," he drawls gently, earning an incredulous scoff in response.

"That's a rich request given you admitted a half hour ago that you don't trust me." she retorts.

Joel sighs, "I was angry."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Angry people say things they don't mean," he drawls lowly whilst avoiding eye contact with her.

His response coaxes a light laugh from the brunette, a smile resting on her lips. "I see your apologies have improved in the last ten years," she remarks sarcastically.

She sees it for the briefest moment; the ghost of a smile that passes by the older man's lips at her remark, the amusement that dances in his eyes before he shakes his head at her slightly and reaches out a hand towards her.

"Do you trust me?" he asks her finally, his eyes locking with hers.

Olivia pauses, her eyes searching his for something she is immediately able to find. That familiar warmth spreads through her chest, igniting something within her as she tentatively reaches our with shaky fingers to place her hand in his. "Yes," she whispers.

"I got you," he murmurs.

The two step closer to the broken window and the moment they do, Joel feel's Olivia's body tense and her hand grip his a little tighter. He feels her other hand reach towards his sleeve, curling her fingers in the material as she breathes his name, her gaze lifting to meet his own. "Please don't let go," she pleads.