Page 42 of Beautiful Sinners

Aoife voices quietly, “How could you not tell me?”

Dierdre appears momentarily stricken before she’s able to compose her features.

“Shit,” she mumbles, rubbing her forehead. “I knew the day would come. The doctors always said you’d remember when you were ready. I just didn’t expect…”

Aoife balks. “Didn’t expect?Surely you knew something would happen, otherwise, why send me to the same college you knew damn well Tristan, Hendrix, and Constantine were attending?”

Dierdre runs a hand through her short hair. “It’s complicated.”

I can feel Aoife’s muscles lock up. “It’s not that complicated. Every day from the second I woke up in that hospital, youliedto me.”

“I protected you! I kept you safe!”

Dierdre’s shout has everyone’s eyebrows raising.

Like a coil that suddenly springs to life, Aoife flies forward, but I pull her back.

“You claim to have kept me safe, yet you manipulated me into going to the one town in the world where I would be in the most danger! Do you have any idea what I’ve been through this past week? What I’ve done?”

“Synthia, sweetie, please let me—”

Aoife lets go of my hand and juts it out in front of her, palm facing out. “Do you see the blood of the men I killed yesterday because I sure as hell do? It won’t wash off no matter how hard I scrub.”

Hearing her say that punches me in the gut and makes me realize that Hendrix is right. Aoife was too good for this life, her heart too pure. In the Society, those qualities are a curse because nothing innocent and beautiful stays that way for long—which makes me a selfish bastard because I won’t give her up. Ever.

Hoping to be the voice of reason for once, I say, “Look. We’re all dead tired. Whatever needs to be said can be done tomorrow.”

Dierdre lets out a dejected puff of breath but nods in agreement. “Synthia, please know this. No matter what you think, I love you with my whole heart. I hope you’ll give me a chance to explain everything.”

Something akin to panic breaks through my anger when she starts to walk away. My hand races out to catch her, and I pull her to me, crushing her in my arms. I allow a moment of profound gratitude to settle between us. Regardless of the hurt I feel, I’m also thankful as fuck my sister is alive.

“She doesn’t belong with you,” Dierdre hushes next to my ear before she slips free and vanishes from sight.

CHAPTER 15

“Well, that was…” Painful. Surreal. Soul-crippling. I don’t know what to feel.

Turning around, I snuggle into Tristan’s chest. I think we both need a hug right now. He buries his face in my hair and strokes a hand up and down my spine that does wonders to ease the tightness that has taken root in my shoulders.

“Awkward as fuck?” Hendrix finishes for me.

I don’t agree or disagree. Tristan and I will talk with Alana tomorrow and, fingers crossed, get some much-needed answers.

Hendrix cracks three eggs at once into a bowl. I’m riveted as I watch him do it three more times. He has to teach me how to do that. I’m lucky if I don’t run half the egg down the side of the bowl when I try to crack only one open.

“When did you learn to cook? Everything you’ve made has been amazing.”

Hendrix’s head lifts as he washes his hands under the faucet. His self-satisfied smile lets me know how much he likes my compliment.

“Self-taught. When I couldn’t sleep, I’d sneak down to the servants’ kitchen. Cooking helps relax me.”

“Want some help?”

“I’ve got it.” Constantine brushes a kiss to the back of my head on his way to join Hendrix behind the counter island.

After washing up, he pulls a knife from a butcher’s block behind him and begins dicing the onion Hendrix left out next to a small wooden cutting board.

The lulling sway of my body with Tristan’s puts me in a trance, and I think I may nod off for a few minutes as well, because the next thing I know, Hendrix announces that the omelets are ready.

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