“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.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MfsjQybQ8
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“What are you doing here?” Madame Pommier stands up from behind the camellia shrubs, an emerald pendant in her hand.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnAwBYxTJd
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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.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7Ev5qQ6Js
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“The veil is thinnest here,” she says. “This is where I’m sealing it off.”703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTKzaiL9Af
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My heart catches. “No, wait. Please. Can you stop it for just a little while?”703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41zsgG6wLd
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She shakes her head. “Once it starts, it can’t be stopped.”703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy17NORAakM
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“No,” I murmur, clutching the bottom of my sweater. Will.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofRykt8Ybq
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“Cami.”703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JlPwI1Pdt
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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.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCKFdp9oXo
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In my selfish desire to be with Will, I finally see Roanna’s side.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMddlNA4Qcc
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“You were right, Ro,” I say, my voice breaking. “I’m sorry.”703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡniyRQYCZ8L
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Roanna hurries to my side and hugs me.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuuWBUCQPE
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“Cami,” an even softer voices says.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNvkVbWwHM
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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.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgC7TKp2Bd
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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.”703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDL7JNKXs3R
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“Or he could be pulled into ours,” Roanna says.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaTCWPAl3F
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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.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqibpqyCSz
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“There will have to be an exchange,” Madame Pommier says. “Equivalent exchange.”703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauHxPeDpY5
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“Do it,” Roanna says quietly. “It’ll be okay. I understand now. I belong there.”703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAgdkBZNjY
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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.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6sF3C7DKk9
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“Can’t you both stay?” I ask. My voice barely comes out.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoL3nNzthlG
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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.”703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQu7aEIalEK
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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.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwAS5t2c2O
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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.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAk7NYmUkLW
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“Goodbye, Cami.” Even if I can’t see the tears in her eyes, I can hear them in her voice.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsIzbg797g
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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.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEKqLV21Ly
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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.”703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBg7UnTESm0
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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.”703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUvlCZeWMk
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And somehow, I know what it is.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYW1IFXhhsy
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“Cami, don’t,” Madame Pommier says, taking a step toward me.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6LWHfoBIQ
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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.703Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmqfYEV2Zm
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