“Because it doesn't sound like it.”
His eyebrows lift. My tone came out sharper than I intended.
“I understand why you did it,” he says. “I just don't agree with it.”
I laugh once. “Well, that's reassuring.”
“Addie.”
“No, seriously. Carlos was seconds away from turning himself into a headline.”
“He already had.”
“Exactly.”
Oliver folds his arms. “You've redirected players before. Hell, I've watched you do it. You could've stepped in, steered the conversation somewhere else, and nobody would've thought twice about it.”
I set my phone on the nightstand and push to my feet.
“He was digging himself deeper with every answer.”
“But yanking him mid-interview? In front of twenty reporters?”
“He was being reckless.”
“You could have redirected it,” he says, tone sharp but low. “That’s literally your job, and I’ve seen you do it a thousand times. Instead, you humiliated him in front of the media.”
“It wasn’t humiliation,” I argue, “it was damage control.”
“It didn’t look like damage control, Addison.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means…” Oliver takes a deep breath. “It means I know Matt was watching. I think you saw him watching and panicked. And instead of worrying about what Carlos was doing, you started worrying about what Matt would think. You didn’t want to embarrass yourself in front of him, so instead, you embarrassed Carlos.”
My heart drops, and not because I think he’s wrong. It’s because I know that tone of disappointment.
I step back instinctively. “Got it.”
He frowns. “Addie.”
I turn and walk away. I don't even decide to. My body just does it. I’m halfway across the living room and nearing the door before I realize I haven’t taken a breath.
This is it, right?
We’re done.
He’s right. He’s angry. He thinks I’m bad at my job.
I pushed too hard, and now I’ve ruined it. Classic Addison. I need to grab my shit and get out of here.
I press a hand to the wall near the door like I need help staying upright. Everything is a blur. My body is bracing for impact, and he didn’t even raise his voice.
“Addie?”
I flinch when I hear his voice behind me.
“What?”
