Recover: Book 2 of the Magic Mutations Series | ✓

25: More to Miss

A week later our exams came to an end and we exited campus hand-in-hand. While Olivia was emanating feelings of relief and joy, I was anxious. Because I knew what she would want me to do when we got home.

"It's going to be okay," she softly said as we walked to our place.

"You don't know that," I grumbled.

She responded with a slight squeeze of my hand before saying, "I do. Because I trust you and I believe in you."

And at that, I had nothing to say. Her words didn't ease my worries, but I'd be lying if it didn't make me feel a little happier. Because, so long as I still got to hold her and kiss her and fall asleep to the lullaby of her heartbeat... how could anything she says or does not bring me joy?

So, a couple hours later, after we ate and showered, we sat cross legged on my bed staring at each other. Then she grabbed my hands in hers.

"I don't need to touch you," I mumbled. "The book said—"

"But I want to hold your hands," she replied.

With a slight nod, I warily met her emerald eyes and freed one of my hands from her grasp to caress her face. "I'll try to make you forget what that horrible man did, Ollie," I whispered.

"Thank you, Lukas." She leaned in for a quick kiss, but then immediately moved back to her spot, eyes locked on me.

And so I started the magic. Permeating it through my chest, up to my head and through my eyes, I started to swirl my gaze until she was locked in a trance. It was similar to how I compelled the guy before—though that time, I accessed my magic out of anger.

"Olivia?" I asked.

"Yeah?" she whispered, eyes locked on me, face expressionless.

"Remember that night in February... just after we finished our assignment for the Romeo and Juliet presentation?'

"Yes," she responded, eyes already starting to well with tears.

"I want you to go back to that terrible time. Right up to when you were walking to get your groceries."

"Okay," she breathed, voice wavering, brows twitching like she wanted to react to the memory flashing through her mind.

"Now tell me what happened. So that I have the details."

"I... he... I was walking down the street past some night clubs to the Tesco down the road. This man called out to me, but I tried to ignore him. But then he started following me. I told him to let me go, but then he dragged me down the alleyway. He..."

"Go on."

"He pinned me to the wall. He yanked my stockings and underwear down and he..."

"You can stop there. Go back to the part just before he pinned you... when he started dragging you."

"Okay..."

"Remember that part."

"Okay."

"Now I want you to think about the moment after. When you were on the ground and you looked up and saw me there."

"Okay."

"Everything in between those two points in time... every touch, every sensation... every smell and fear from that window... I want you to forget it happened, okay?"

"Okay."

"Instead, remember that blip in your memory as a time when someone did something horrible to you. But you don't have to fear it will ever happen again, okay? You can forget it. You can let that time, that experience, disappear into the memories to never be recovered, okay, Ollie?"