Page 64 of The Fate Of Us

“Just one more question,” I said with a sniffle, lifting my eyes to catch her. “Did hehappen to mention… like… oh I don’t know… what I do in my spare time?”

Her head bobs to the side, a knowing smile telling me all I need to know.

“I’m not gonna get mad, because I get that keeping something like that to yourself forso many years… it must be frightening to finally speak it out into the world and tell people.” Her hand cups my cheek again, and never have I been more thankful for a person in my life. “But… I will kindly demand that I get to read every single one of them.”

It felt nice to have a laugh roll through me. “You want to read them?”

The comical way her eyes lit up made me smile, big and bright. “Are you having alaugh? Of course I do! Truthfully, that was all I could think about when Nate told me. I didn’t really pay attention to what he said after that, all I was imagining was what the covers of those books would look like.”

I shrugged. “Well, they don’t have covers…”

“Yet.”

We basked in each other's cheesy smiles for approximately three seconds before the familiarcackles from Cora and Rory broke into the room, as they emerged through the bakery door.

“Oh, hey Adaline.” Called Cora from behind me.

I put my twenty years of acting skills to use and dried away the tears and perfectedmy smile before spinning on my stool to face them. “Cora, Rory, nice to see you both!” I took a sip of coffee. “Excited for college in the fall?”

“Ugh,” was all the answer Rory gave me and she strode towards the back of thebakery, her drawn-in brows and lack of a smile odd for a girl whom I'd only ever seen smile.

Cora gave me a sigh, tilting her head as her eyes followed Rory. “She just found outher ex-boyfriend is coming to Liberty Grove. And normally I’d be all for a second chance romance situation… but not when the fella is a total wanker.”

“Amen to that.”I heard Flo mumble before bringing the straw to her lips.

I gave Rory a sympathetic smile as she walked away, before turning to face Cora. “Nodramatics with you then?”

She gave us a shrug before peeling off her cream cardigan. “Would you count someone finding an old video of you dancing on the tables of a club you weren't even old enough to get into and it going viral as dramatic?”

I side-eyed Flo, before meeting Cora’s silvery eyes. “Umm… yeah, when you put it like that.” I tilt my head at her. “Damage control not going well?”

I felt her eye roll in my soul. “No. It's awful. I feel like every person who sees me on the street has seen it.”Her hands raked through her shiny black hair. "I can't tell you how many times the words 'drop' and 'out' have left both our mouths this week."

A sorry smile graced my lips. “Well, I haven't seen it, if that makes you feel better.”I throw my eyes to Flo. "And I'm sure Florence hasn't…"

Flo's eyes were tracing the walls, avoiding eye contact with both of us while her lips twitched with a smile.

I caught the moment Cora noticed her avoidance, before she threw her arms in the air, her bob swishing as she called out, "Oh, well. That's great. Expect my two-week notice by the end of the day, Flo. It was lovely knowing you."

As Cora stormed off, a scowl that looked like a smile when the sun hit it crowning on her face, I felt Flo turn beside me. "I'm sorry!! It just came up and—"

"Whatever." Cora practically giggled before she burst through the door that Rory had glided through.

“You’ll both be fine,” Flo called, her voice halting Cora, her eyes back on us. “And if you canhandle rush hour here at the bakery, then you can handle anything that’s gonna be thrown your way.”

A chuckle fell from all our mouths, when a thought pinged in my brain. “Actually,”Cora’s eyes locked on me. “My sister is looking at colleges in New York, and I’m pretty sure Liberty Grove was one of the places on her list. Who knows, if she decides to come here, then you guys could potentially be roommates.”

Cora’s smile beamed, stars dancing in her eyes. “You mean Goldie Moore?Yoursister is coming here?”

“Mightbe coming here, so don’t get your—”

“Rory!” Cora screamed as she ran into the back, Flo mumbling something about notfalling on the tiles again before she zoomed past us. “We can’t drop out, Goldie Moore is gonna be studying—” Her voice faded out as she slipped into the staff room, muffled squeals sounding out only a few seconds later.

I turned to Flo, and her eyes narrowed. “Great, now that’s all they’ll be talking about allshift.” I had to hide my smile. “If one of them slips on the tiles because they’re daydreaming again, I’m going to have to change the floor to bubble wrap.”

Laughing, I dropped my head, feeling Flo move from beside me and head behind thecounter.

“I think I know the answer to this already,” Her voice pulled my head up, the morningsun making her and the lavender tiles behind her glow. “But are you coming to the premiere on Friday?”

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