You Are Mine Little Sister (by Syra Tucker) novel Chapter 205

She bit down on her shaky lower lip, her gaze dropping to the table as her shoulders rose with a shaky breath. Her hands clenched together like she was holding herself in one piece.

"I know you have every reason to be mad at me. Even I wouldn't forgive myself for what I did. But I'm sorry, Lilith. I'm ready to do whatever it takes to get your forgiveness. Just please...don't take this chance from me."

A tear touched her flawless face. "I've waited my whole life to be a mother. I was so sure I'd find you. I dreamed of spoiling you beyond reason. I love you, Lilith, more than you can imagine. You know," A broken laugh escaped her as another tear followed the first. "When you were a kid, you'd always come to my room. Gretchen hated us for that; hated the fact you were always choosing me over her. Even her motherly pretending couldn't break what we had. What we had was stronger than her."

She laughed again, but even a madman could tell the sound was laced with grief.

"I'm so sorry. I can take anything you dish. But what I can't take is you hating me. It'll completely destroy me, Lilith. Please."

I watched her for a while. I tried to see the guilty mother in front of me, but all I saw was the black-winged angel who had hurt me twice.

"My name is Rali," I said as I pushed to my feet. "And I believe we're done with this meeting."

She looked like I'd just torn her heart out with my bare hands.

"Zerali, no. Wait." She surged to her feet and caught my hand before I could turn away, "Please please please. Just listen to me."

"I've been listening to you for what feels like a lifetime already and all it's done is confirm what I already knew; this meeting was a mistake."

I turned to leave again, but she pulled me back by the hand and to my surprise, dropped to her knees.

The movement was sudden. Undignified.

Vlyrissa Thorne, the untouchable and divine woman in white, collapsed at my feet, her face breaking apart as tears poured freely, unrestrained, unbeautiful.

"Please... I'm so sorry, my baby." She sobbed. "What I did is inexcusable, but I cannot live with your hatred, Zerali. I built my entire life around being perfect for the day I found you again. Everything I became, I became for you. Please,don't take this chance away from me."

The mighty had fallen.

Seeing Vlyrissa Thorne this broken was a sight I never imagined this world could give me.

"Wow; what an irony," I scoffed. "Just a few weeks ago, it was me on my knees begging for help, now look at you."

Her head bowed fully, her quiet sobs collapsing inward as if her spine could no longer carry the weight of her sins.

"Please, Zerali."

For one fleeting second, I almost felt sorry for her.

Almost.

But the graveyard of pain she had planted inside me was deeper than pity could ever reach.

"Goodbye, Vlyrissa." I fred my hand and walked away, leaving her there on her knees.

****†

RALI

Standing at the balcony, watching the rain spill from the sky did something to my mind. The world blurred into silver streaks, and for a moment, my thoughts followed each falling drop like it was a memory being washed out of me. Every splash felt like a replay of my life hitting the ground and shattering.

The door opened behind me and that distinct smell hit me; the one that had always belonged to him.

Being back at his house had helped strengthen my memories in a lot of ways. The missing pieces were stitching themselves together whether I wanted them to or not.

He stopped an inch behind me. I felt the quiet heat of his chest at my back, close enough to cage me without touching.

"It's cold. Get inside." He did everything with authority, like he wasn't expecting anyone to disobey him.

I rubbed my palms over my arms. The cold had seeped into me, but I liked what it did. It felt like punishment, and I believed it was deserving for someone with the kind of ill fate like mine.

"Do you think I did the right thing?" My voice came out thin, almost ashamed of itself.

"If you're asking about not forgiving Vlyrissa, I'm the wrong person to be a judge of character."

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