Jason’s POV
I knew why Lucian left me alone, and I didn’t wish to fail him. Not just because of him, but I needed a chance to talk with her as well. I had wronged her more than anyone would have, and I knew she would never forgive me.
That was the reason I stayed away from her, thinking I didn’t deserve her anymore. But today, I wanted to forget everything and talk with her.
I went to her and stood by her side, looking into the page of the diary she was reading.
Alice had written about Eira, her newly found friend. There were notes about her—what kind of a person Eira was, what things Eira liked, and every bit of information as if Eira was a project she had taken on.
Alice even cursed Eira’s grandparents for being so strict with her, and she didn’t hold back her displeasure through her words.
"Not just in this diary, but whenever you were not with her, she would always talk about you. She loved you as much as she loved us," I said.
Eira wiped her tears and nodded, her fingers tracing the words written on the page as if she could feel Alice through them.
"I feel like I might go crazy from missing her," Eira said in a low, choked voice mixed with sobs. "I wish there was a way I could bring her back."
"If there was, we would have done it already," I said. "We can only keep her alive in our hearts."
She hummed once more and continued to cry. I gently moved closer and hugged her, letting her cry as much as she wished.
She didn’t reject my hug. I knew she was lost in the emotions she was feeling to realise it was me.
Once she was calm, I said, "Eira, will you ever forgive me?"
I didn’t know where to start. I said what came to my mind first. The quietness of the past six years may have dulled my skills with words.
Finally, she seemed to recognize what I said and moved away from me as I released my arms around her.
She looked at me, and I said, "I want to apologize for what I did to you. I am sorry. I should have..."
"There’s no meaning to this talk," she interrupted me, meeting my gaze straight with her resolute one. The emotions she was feeling till now, had vanished in a moment as she looked at me.
"I forgive you, just because I have killed your sister, even though it was unintentional. As her brother, what you did was right. You have the right to hate me and get angry at me. I take that blame of killing her and will pay for that sin. But..."
I held my breath. If she had cried, shown her anger, and blamed me for the things, it would have been easier. But the way she looked at me, I knew I had lost her already.
"But, my heart will always hate you, despite my mind forgiving you," she said coldly. "I can be wrong to hate you, but I can’t lie to myself or to anyone. This is what it is. And you will be nothing more to me than just my friend’s brother. In my life, your place is only that... Alice’s brother. Do not expect anything more."
I looked at her for a moment and said, "I accept it."
"Good," she said and turned to leave, holding Alice’s diary and something else she picked from the table in her hand.
"But, we are still family," I said to her, "And I’ll be doing what a family should do."
"Suits you," she said and walked downstairs.
I turned to look at the small photo frame with Alice and Mom in it.
My thumb caressed Alice’s picture. "If not for that incident, I would have fulfilled your wish of having her in our family. But now, I have wronged her, so I have to pay for it. I hope you forgive me for hurting your friend."
I placed the photo frame back, looked around the room for the last time, and went downstairs. No one was there. It seems they were already outside.
When I went outside, I watched as Eira went straight to Roman. She had something in her hand she got from Alice’s table.
"This is for you," she told Roman.
Roman looked at it in a surprise as it came out of nowhere.
It was a handwoven bracelet that often she-wolves crafted for the one they liked.
Roman accepted it, and she said, "Alice once made this for you, but never got the chance to give it to you. So I am giving it to you on her behalf."
Roman was clearly speechless to hear it. He had always considered Alice like his own sister, and it really came out as a shock to him.
Yes, my sister liked this bastard, who wasn’t aware of her feelings anymore. Lucian and I were shocked to find it out as well. Alice always came to protect Eira whenever Roman bullied her, but secretly she liked him.
Out of so many good males around, our sister had to choose this bully. She proved when they say girls preferred bad boys.
But in the end, they were never meant to be.
"I hope you honour her feelings," Eira said, meeting his surprised gaze.
Roman hummed and said, "Help me put it on."
Eira gladly did it and secured that bracelet on his hand.
Eira admired it on his wrist in appreciation. "Alice would have loved to do it herself. But I believe she is happy that it finally reached the man she made it for."
It wasn’t right for him to wear something given by another female as he had a mate now, but sometimes, such things could be accepted when the situation is like this. Honour the feelings of the dead, and fulfil the wish that came from your mate.
I thanked him in my heart to not reject my sister’s feelings.
We all headed to our cars to return home.
Lucian put his hand around Roman’s shoulder and said, "You would have been our brother-in-law if Alice was alive."
"Lucky bastard," I commented as I joined them.
"I smell burn," Roman said with a chuckle.
"Well, both important women in our life, one loved you already and the other you have already marked," Lucian said with a fake playful sigh. "Truly a lucky bastard."