“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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHNw1arrDG
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“What are you doing here?” Madame Pommier stands up from behind the camellia shrubs, an emerald pendant in her hand.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZtO2uGPz0
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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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2v9d6aMxu8
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“The veil is thinnest here,” she says. “This is where I’m sealing it off.”725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtMbbHgNB6
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My heart catches. “No, wait. Please. Can you stop it for just a little while?”725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtvhjr2EdO
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She shakes her head. “Once it starts, it can’t be stopped.”725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpzAqqm9IU
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“No,” I murmur, clutching the bottom of my sweater. Will.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjMoSxdcGf
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“Cami.”725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡec8rNH8Doz
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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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnhM5e33Kc
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In my selfish desire to be with Will, I finally see Roanna’s side.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4eoJ1o5GyF
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“You were right, Ro,” I say, my voice breaking. “I’m sorry.”725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIgQXRoqmT
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Roanna hurries to my side and hugs me.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAhjwvT2bF
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“Cami,” an even softer voices says.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwUpjZTYT2
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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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtWCWZBJft
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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.”725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3pev3KEbk
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“Or he could be pulled into ours,” Roanna says.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL7RbkoUNGC
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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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCZG9iMraM
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“There will have to be an exchange,” Madame Pommier says. “Equivalent exchange.”725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3iudxy768U
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“Do it,” Roanna says quietly. “It’ll be okay. I understand now. I belong there.”725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOXozMpwyB
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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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVky3ODobc
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“Can’t you both stay?” I ask. My voice barely comes out.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5luLCADy0
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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.”725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQdHfp2KTL
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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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSItJhkLKz
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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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGr7d8FjSs
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“Goodbye, Cami.” Even if I can’t see the tears in her eyes, I can hear them in her voice.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbOKijGMbS
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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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIqKoPJ7FK
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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.”725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtIhWsUQwy
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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.”725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuhzGXn9O8
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And somehow, I know what it is.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaWqAFbSKM
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“Cami, don’t,” Madame Pommier says, taking a step toward me.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNCOYY2QTk
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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.725Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsh2u2mDJZ
8964 copyright protection721ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjIiaRMHtq 維尼

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