“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.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAe2E3NPz4
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“What are you doing here?” Madame Pommier stands up from behind the camellia shrubs, an emerald pendant in her hand.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqzgnNH4Bi
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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.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEMrvjUOKb
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“The veil is thinnest here,” she says. “This is where I’m sealing it off.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNdFVJg4HW
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My heart catches. “No, wait. Please. Can you stop it for just a little while?”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRXf4zCwz7
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She shakes her head. “Once it starts, it can’t be stopped.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNmfmRHT1b
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“No,” I murmur, clutching the bottom of my sweater. Will.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYuDETx8Qz
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“Cami.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡktl7hSgdht
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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.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihSNmCYlbP
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In my selfish desire to be with Will, I finally see Roanna’s side.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRDB77F775
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“You were right, Ro,” I say, my voice breaking. “I’m sorry.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrgGrCebFw
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Roanna hurries to my side and hugs me.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9ONUZcyoo
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“Cami,” an even softer voices says.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7svu8vW35
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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.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5keh6Nl2V3
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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.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaEu0JSWGZ
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“Or he could be pulled into ours,” Roanna says.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3sYA1Z1jD
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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.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUrJJNRPoa
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“There will have to be an exchange,” Madame Pommier says. “Equivalent exchange.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZfQp19MU7
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“Do it,” Roanna says quietly. “It’ll be okay. I understand now. I belong there.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bZcz6U65O
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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.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVefZqgOwe
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“Can’t you both stay?” I ask. My voice barely comes out.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoYOd9OjQD
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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.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpL3ks4gIBy
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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.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXf4k2Dgo1g
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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.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24j4aEHTGM
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“Goodbye, Cami.” Even if I can’t see the tears in her eyes, I can hear them in her voice.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2bJ8TqcCd
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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.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wnzSgOw8c
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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.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhJcjujId0
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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.”810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcsCJDA7b4
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And somehow, I know what it is.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJf6QiQ07z
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“Cami, don’t,” Madame Pommier says, taking a step toward me.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jBmdzZGcG
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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.810Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1ipJChTxj
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