Page 46 of The Criminal's Custody

“Olivia!”

I enthusiastically wrap my arms around my best friend, bringing her in for a tight hug. It’s so nice to see her pretty face again. I have to say, I’ve really missed her.

And I know she misses me. In her own introverted bookish way.

She’s got this tawny brown hair that falls to her shoulders, the exact same shade as her eyes. Her skin’s all creamy and smooth. I’ve caught on that she sometimes doubts how she looks, but in my eyes, she’s just incredibly pretty, no doubt about it.

“Can I come in?” I ask her. “Is thatallowed?”

Olivia just frowns at me. “Of course. This is your home as much as mine. Get inside, you lunatic.”

I shut the door behind me. I can see Olivia has done little to the place since I hastily left: my bed is still there, and so is my trademark chaos of clothes on top. I tried to pack as much as I could when I was in a rush to leave, but I still left a lot behind. I am a messy person, that’s for sure.

“Sit down,” Olivia says. “Let’s talk. Tell me everything.”

I snuggle in close to her on my bed.

“First of all, how are you going?” I ask her, eager to avoid any talk of Damon Penmayne and debts and sadness.

“Yeah, pretty much the same,” she replies.

“Still re-reading that little book of yours?” I ask.

I’m referring to her battered copy of Wuthering Heights. Olivialovesthat book. It’s a running joke betweenus that I just always see her reading that thing instead of doing normal college things like parties or boyfriends.

Well, how wrong I was on that whole boyfriend thing...

“Still am.”

“And what about your professor?” I ask. “Yourlover. How’s all that between you two going?”

This time I’m referring to Professor Penmayne. Spencer Penmayne. The hot new professor on campus who Olivia has started seeing privately. I’m the only person here who knows they’re secretly dating, mostly because I accidentally walked in on them as they were...doingit.

And Spencer is Damon’s brother. A whole other freaking layer on top of the crazy cake that is my life at the moment.

This is so very weird.

But I’m sure Olivia knows nothing about Damon and me and the little agreement we’ve set up.

“Ava, I know you really don’t like the Penmaynes,” she mutters.

I smile at that. I told her – when she first came to Crystal River - all about that powerful billionaire family. I told her how she should never, in a million years, get herself wrapped up with them.

Oh, how little she knows...

“I might not like them, but I’m interested in you and how you’re going,” I say. “Penmayne or not.”

“Things are going great,” she replies.

“Great?” I ask. “As ingreatgreat?”

“Yep. We’re serious.”

Olivia says that in the softest and cutest way. How can you not love her when she’s so damn adorable?

“Wow.”

“I really like him, Ava,” she says. “And he really likes me.”

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