Page 45 of Merciless Sinner

Her skin is pale, but I swear it get paler, turning to alabaster as she takes me in. She literally looks like how a person would if they’d seen a ghost.

Emotion seems to overwhelm her the closer I get, and when I stop before her, a tear tracks down her cheek.

“Olivia.” She said my name as if she’s trying it out. Since I’ve been doing that since I got here, I know how it feels. “My God, you’re really here.”

I nod, and strangely, this feels okay.

More tears come, and she reaches out to touch my face. From the gentleness in her touch, I can tell we must have been exactly as Seamus described. Like sisters.

When she pulls me in for a hug, I believe it.

Several people have hugged me over the last few days, but this hug has a warmth to it that feels safe and soothing.

It’s exactly the kind of hug that only a best friend can give.

“Oh, Olivia. I can’t believe it’s really you. You have no idea how happy I am to see you.” She pulls back so she can look at me again, but now she’s smiling with the deepest joy.

“It’s good to see you, too. But um… I’m so sorry. I can’t remember anything.”

“Seamus told me.” Her breath hitches. “He said you don’t remember anyone, but I was really hoping you’d remember me.”

Slowly and regretfully, I shake my head. “I’m sorry. I don’t.”

She brings a trembling hand to her mouth, pressing her palm into her skin, then she wipes away more tears.

“That’s okay. It’s okay. We have you back. It doesn’t matter how you came back to us. You’re here.” Her gaze floats down to my hand, and she gasps when she sees my ring. “Holy crap, look at your ring. It’s stunning. I’m so happy for you.”

She hugs me again.

“Thank you,” I tell her, but guilt pulls on my insides for wishing I could be anywhere but here.

* * *

It’s nearly lunchtime.

We’re sitting on the grass under the willow tree by the lake, still talking.

We spent the entire morning talking. She’s been with me nearly the same amount of time as Seamus the other day, but being with Amelia has been completely different.

She’s filled me in with a different category of memories.

Memories from school, work, and life.

Apparently, the only time we haven’t been together per se was during college. While I went to Harvard, she went to study journalism at Raventhorn University, a college most of the heirs in the Bratva attend.

However, as Raventhorn is a stone’s throw away from Harvard and they share a section of the campus, I still saw her pretty much every day. We even got an apartment together for the last semester of college. That was the extent of our separation.

Everything she’s said to me has been utterly fascinating. The most fascinating thing being my choice of career.

I wanted to be an antiquities specialist and work in a museum.Me.

The same girl who was nervous to work in a coffee shop because she didn’t think she had the right skills andbrains. I don’t know how I could have ever thought that about myself. Even if I didn’t know about my other life of academic achievements, most people are okay working in such places. But that was probably my anxiety getting the better of me.

“I can’t believe I did so much. And went to Harvard.” I smile, sitting forward.

“Yes. Harvard was just one of many colleges that accepted you.” She nods with vigor.

“I can’t imagine myself as an academic person. Not like that anyway.”

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