“Will,” I say, reaching the camellias. I press my hand against my chest, trying to catch my breath. Deep pinks and oranges stain the sky.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4D4vZz2JBk
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCNkGfaMTH
“What are you doing here?” Madame Pommier stands up from behind the camellia shrubs, an emerald pendant in her hand.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07SHML56td
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKIxlyvRnVy
“What are you doing here?” I say with surprise and a tiny prick of irritation at seeing her in our secret place.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxPgZxHe0T
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlzYD4qd6e
“The veil is thinnest here,” she says. “This is where I’m sealing it off.”716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhJDBLGJOv
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2AMm3MiFP
My heart catches. “No, wait. Please. Can you stop it for just a little while?”716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygDOCFa24G
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQPb7q0yQe
She shakes her head. “Once it starts, it can’t be stopped.”716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMcBpqtAxS
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrve3gUhnw
“No,” I murmur, clutching the bottom of my sweater. Will.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolqs87OJNg
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzuQKBbp7R
“Cami.”716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGl0Ko7nWft
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWoPMbzVxyx
My head snaps up. Roanna stands there, her giant curls wilder than usual. Her specs reflect the sunset, so I can’t see her eyes.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqsQfngubH
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLYmaqvapE
In my selfish desire to be with Will, I finally see Roanna’s side.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8Jhj6ISNt
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0SvBCbMIB
“You were right, Ro,” I say, my voice breaking. “I’m sorry.”716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRjSNsZQ0k
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jAvCza6cJ
Roanna hurries to my side and hugs me.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRzxNYusi5
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIWkpqhMzd1
“Cami,” an even softer voices says.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1pBNOw0YP
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4dsfp2XtY
All three of us look up. It’s Will, but it looks like I’m seeing him through a frosted window. I release Roanna and take three big steps forward so I’m directly in from of him. I hesitantly reach a hand out, almost expecting it to go through him.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxiiaxP5lk
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBh8i3YX4dF
“Cami! No!” Madame Pommier says sharply. “If you touch him with this closing in progress, we have no idea what it could do. You could be pulled into his time.”716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0HtclRlq7V
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyTlRw6XFP
“Or he could be pulled into ours,” Roanna says.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOzo6qWf7A
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOccuBGxVFy
Her gaze is off to the side. I follow her gaze and see a pretty, young nurse standing there, faint and transparent like Will is. She watches us with wide eyes.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdEKiPuzoo
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWzh1sfyqO
“There will have to be an exchange,” Madame Pommier says. “Equivalent exchange.”716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeza8DqFW9p
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkuPwjfEhQ
“Do it,” Roanna says quietly. “It’ll be okay. I understand now. I belong there.”716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHOwnroPV9
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Lub23aNdK
There’s a finality to her gaze that terrifies me, but the sun is going down quickly, and there’s very little chance to think about it.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAgmtzVEfh
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjq9cByfFr
“Can’t you both stay?” I ask. My voice barely comes out.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAc900rZ2xe
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCtdLENMCK
She shakes her head and walks over to the nurse, holding a hand up. Turning her head to face Will, she says, “Just do it. Touch her.”716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC17LzPpU9z
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypDPuA9wx8
“Stop it. I can’t allow you to do this,” Madame Pommier says. But she seems unable to move out of the circle she’s made in the dirt.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjKEZohDSn
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0qdKXkXCU
Will’s hand closes around mine, and the image of him begins to sharpen at the same time as Roanna’s image begins to dim and frost over. She smiles at me. Her hand is locked with the nurse’s.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhjszKEX3A
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJKJsF9T6R
“Goodbye, Cami.” Even if I can’t see the tears in her eyes, I can hear them in her voice.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOAhSXJPYF
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuSEd1Q4bE
I want to reach out toward her, but Will anchors me in place. He pulls me closer to his body—which is warmer than it’s ever been before—and watches her. Through him, I can see he recognizes within Roanna the longing to be elsewhere and how it feels to belong somewhere other than where you are.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMAayt7Pvs0
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAPZtCJ5At
“It’s a psychiatric hospital,” I tell her, even though it’s already too late. “You don’t want to go there. You don’t want to be a patient.”716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDOriu9MWD
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHBhwVsuRY
“A patient?” Now I hear the smile in her words. “I intend to be a doctor. Cami, there’s one more thing you need to do.”716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9XqOHbaDA
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5stZ1ka7Y
And somehow, I know what it is.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCXUL1BwmY
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYZuqCWXc8
“Cami, don’t,” Madame Pommier says, taking a step toward me.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwDrgwIaIC
716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBUZ9laxn9
The emerald glints in the vanishing light. I thread my arms around Will’s neck and pull his mouth down to mine.716Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4v0zoJoRBF
Penana
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