Adrift → Ace; Nancy Drew [2]

xii. the reunion of flesh and soul

THE REUNION OF FLESH AND SOUL
CHAPTER TWELVE

The tightness in Olivia's heart that had been hitting her in waves in the liminal space suddening burst through her chest like a million strokes of lightning had shot through her. The pain was agonizing, diffusing through her body and prickling at every cell like needles. Most of all, it burned her heart the worst. Her heart throbbed and her chest stung in a way it never had before, completely distracting her from the five voices chiming around her with worry. Her name was unfamiliar to her as her friends called it out, purely because at the very moment, all she knew was the pain that was coursing through her body.

It was as though every feeling— every grain of sadness, of fear, of anger— that was locked away had finally made its way to the surface and Olivia didn't know how to cope. It was like everything she should have felt, but didn't feel, was urging, begging to leave her body but she tried to swallow it down.

Her breath hitched and as she sat up slowly, she felt every sore joint in her back crack and every muscle stretch as though she hadn't moved in centuries. Before she could open her mouth to say anything to the worried eyes that looked down on her, she threw her head to the left when she felt the bile rise up in her throat.

Olivia's eyes watered as she threw up onto the hardwood floor. In terror, her friends gasped as they saw black sludge hit the ground. Suddenly, the pain that felt as though it was traveling through her blood to her entire body had begun to fade. Immediately, her shoulders retracted from their tensed, hunched position and she felt like she could breathe again as a weight was lifted from her chest.

"Did... Did it work?" Nick was the only one brave enough to speak.

The pool of tears that pricked Olivia's eyes was their answer. Before she even opened her mouth to speak, Nancy had grabbed onto her shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace. At the feeling of several pairs of arms wrapped around her weak, cold torso, Olivia closed her eyes and allowed herself to sink into the warmth and love of her friends. Her mouth twitched and she wanted to say something, thank them, tell them she loved them and appreciated them, but only a light hitch of her breath had left her lips. Too overwhelmed, she couldn't utter a word.

Bess squeezed Olivia's arm warmly in response. Olivia didn't need to say anything. They already knew.

Lifting her chin from the crook of Nancy's neck, Olivia furrowed her brows. She knew Ace's touch anywhere, and it wasn't in the group hug with her. The moment she lifted her head and they all tore away from the group hug, Olivia's gaze met Ace's. He was standing only feet away with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes looked exhausted, circled by dark bags and drooping as he looked at Olivia warily, almost like he didn't believe it was really her.

"Ace?" Her voice cracked when she called his name, and immediately he let out a sigh of relief before walking toward her and pulling her to her feet and into his big, long arms. She giggled quietly, trying to blink away the tears in her eyes as she melted into his warm, loving arms. It was a feeling she never wanted to forget.