“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.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXuycEIH9sY
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“What are you doing here?” Madame Pommier stands up from behind the camellia shrubs, an emerald pendant in her hand.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRKdFuJIEG
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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.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMc8qKxHSLU
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“The veil is thinnest here,” she says. “This is where I’m sealing it off.”711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuLL8SPP3c
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My heart catches. “No, wait. Please. Can you stop it for just a little while?”711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ghlWwZrDA
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She shakes her head. “Once it starts, it can’t be stopped.”711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡor2HuHLs44
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“No,” I murmur, clutching the bottom of my sweater. Will.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7bfRmVlPmn
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“Cami.”711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBvvA46OE0
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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.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMuxBR6UnY
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In my selfish desire to be with Will, I finally see Roanna’s side.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDp8OxQrCt
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“You were right, Ro,” I say, my voice breaking. “I’m sorry.”711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmO9IGrmdZ
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Roanna hurries to my side and hugs me.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnK5Ntp42P2
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“Cami,” an even softer voices says.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YcPwnihwv
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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.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0Ecu39uGp
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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.”711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRENaVVev4t
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“Or he could be pulled into ours,” Roanna says.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjANWJ11DY3
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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.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGECMY2S5Q
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“There will have to be an exchange,” Madame Pommier says. “Equivalent exchange.”711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYk1VmKI3GZ
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“Do it,” Roanna says quietly. “It’ll be okay. I understand now. I belong there.”711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxBcpSCiZw
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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.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1XbjjGdTq
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“Can’t you both stay?” I ask. My voice barely comes out.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXjv2AW4Cfs
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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.”711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkC3ZQMX8m
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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.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFMjaaznFt
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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.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvCESGBwyz
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“Goodbye, Cami.” Even if I can’t see the tears in her eyes, I can hear them in her voice.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlvVVBkwJ9
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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.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZj9NIQ3vkr
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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.”711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZs41AeW7I7
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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.”711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZ9wxF1rJV
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And somehow, I know what it is.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKR5ZCIbxL
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“Cami, don’t,” Madame Pommier says, taking a step toward me.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3dLC8uJ3g
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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.711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUE8TqybvUK
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