“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.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyx4gQlFnn
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“What are you doing here?” Madame Pommier stands up from behind the camellia shrubs, an emerald pendant in her hand.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBuUef4fkY
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“What are you doing here?” I say with surprise and a tiny prick of irritation at seeing her in our secret place.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBGVvL9yj7
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“The veil is thinnest here,” she says. “This is where I’m sealing it off.”803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQHIb6Dzzb
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My heart catches. “No, wait. Please. Can you stop it for just a little while?”803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrsfoA3Nu0
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She shakes her head. “Once it starts, it can’t be stopped.”803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbvxCiCSkL
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“No,” I murmur, clutching the bottom of my sweater. Will.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mUotyh5AE
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“Cami.”803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRGrGqjTZT
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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.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhK1JRCBtHg
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In my selfish desire to be with Will, I finally see Roanna’s side.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1EkpVcui1A
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“You were right, Ro,” I say, my voice breaking. “I’m sorry.”803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAPAfceWvQ
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Roanna hurries to my side and hugs me.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdigsZ0z9ZB
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“Cami,” an even softer voices says.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsucoSbohO0
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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.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08tvqGdBsz
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“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.”803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMtvJyfmyW
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“Or he could be pulled into ours,” Roanna says.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNkfZlUH3L0
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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.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWsE30tiKw
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“There will have to be an exchange,” Madame Pommier says. “Equivalent exchange.”803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QIpnalI48
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“Do it,” Roanna says quietly. “It’ll be okay. I understand now. I belong there.”803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzd3vSRChT
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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.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNDjwZBqmI
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“Can’t you both stay?” I ask. My voice barely comes out.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYrYPAdK9A
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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.”803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81wFNHiaXt
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“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.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8zVMwgcnp
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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.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFa9XJ8ucm
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“Goodbye, Cami.” Even if I can’t see the tears in her eyes, I can hear them in her voice.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlX7D6k0ywg
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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.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUzsLEU1Ec
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“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.”803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcay7dIV9yN
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“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.”803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZivNsPYVyY
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And somehow, I know what it is.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pFbhqkAj9
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“Cami, don’t,” Madame Pommier says, taking a step toward me.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaGwvLSvDu
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The emerald glints in the vanishing light. I thread my arms around Will’s neck and pull his mouth down to mine.803Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq25DCe27FJ
Penana
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