Page 88 of The Fate Of Us

I admitted to Eleanor before that I felt like Anastasia was written for me. She waspractically a fictional version of myself, regardless of the eerily similar childhood trauma, and that went for the outfits too.

There hasn’t been a scene where I haven’t asked the wardrobe ladies what the chanceswere of production letting me keep all these outfits. They politely told me no each time, even when I came in one day and reminded them of the fast fashion pandemic, and that my taking these outfits would actually have a positive effect on the earth.

A hard pass, was what they practically all told me.

Which was really sad, because I felt my pupils dilate the moment I saw today’s outfit; aplain white summer dress with a square neckline and puffy shoulders, pulling me in at the waist and draping down to my thighs. The corset-style midsection had gold embroidered flowers, tiny ones, running along with golden vines and shiny golden leaves to match. My hair was curled, half of it pinned to the back of my head with a bow to match, with golden detailing adorning that, too. Sage green Converse covered my feet, my frilly socks poking out of the ankle.

It was a crime they couldn’t let me keep it. But I wouldn’t stop hunting until I found aversion for myself.

All my plans fade from my head the moment I spot him.

He was standing in the fake high school hallway that had been finished this morning,royal blue lockers lining each of the walls. He looked light years different from the man I saw this morning, and it had nothing to do with the football jersey and distressed jeans he was wearing either.The deep green and gold shades perfectly complimented the tanned tones of his forearms.

I’d never seen his eyes as bright as they were now, not on a movie set anyway. Usually,he’d crawl into the shadow he’d built up for himself over his twenty-six years walking the earth, and the most expression he’d plaster on his face before someone called ‘ACTION’ was the tiniest smile and the curtest of nods.

His smile right now was as bright as his eyes. Wide, and happy.

I’d missed it.

Like his feelings were infectious, I felt the corners of my mouth pull into a smile. Iwatched his eyes dip to it as I reached him, before they glided back on me, and his smile got wider. If that was even possible.

A laugh slipped through my nose. “This is weird.”

Those pretty green pools sparkled. “Very weird.”

I walked around him, my shoes gliding across the white linoleum like it was a frozenlake, before leaning against one of the lockers. “It doesn’t feel right not glaring at you.”

He follows me as I settle my body. “It doesn’t feel right not being quiet.”

I fold my arms. “Do you want me to stop talking?”

He steps closer, his breath hitting my cheeks as he rolls up the sleeve of his jersey. “No,never.”

I’m surprised I have the energy to do anything after that, let alone blink at him as Istraighten my body, his height no match for mine. But I loved that, if anything.

“Me too.”

Our mistake then was letting silence invade us for a second too long. I search his eyes toodeeply, he takes in my smile too much. Our faces were laced with just as many bad memories as our thoughts were, and I could see the moment he remembered. He can tell when I do, too.

Missed calls.

The pier.

No-show.

We disappear.

Seven Years.

We reappear.

Silence.

Kiss.

Now.

My head falls forward, coming into my hands. I sucked in a few deep breaths, Nate notbudging as he towered over me.

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