Page 72 of The Fate Of Us

My eyes slowly cracked open as a sigh slipped out of me. The voice in my head became an evacuation siren, warning me not to utter a single word to her, but my heart on theother hand…

“Because I found the Polaroid of you kissing Asher, and I knew you’d found someoneelse to love, instead of me,” I whispered, somehow on the verge of tears.

I knew she wouldn’t remember this in the morning, so selfishly I took my chance toconfess to her what I’d been holding in for too many years. It was a coward’s way out, I knew that. I knew that I’d have to say those words to her again, when she wasn’t overcome with sleep, or too many drinks.

But that’d do, for now.

I fully felt her fade away then, her dreams taking over the reins as she snuggled upunder the sheets.

“Sleep tight, Firefly,” I whispered to her, before leaning over and placing a kiss on theback of her head.

A kiss she wouldn’t remember. A kiss that I’d fall asleep thinking about.

Chapter twenty-two

Adaline

It’sthesunlightthatwakes me up, pouring through the window and decorating the roomwith the prettiest yellow hew.

I shuffle underneath my sheets, a thread of thankfulness that I'd remembered to wash them the night beforewrapping around me. The faint notes of fresh linen and coconut engulfed me and whisked me away back into the sleepiness I’d floated out of. I could happily stay like this all day, falling deeper into my fluffy pillows that cradle my head, watching the day fade across the room, charting its course until the moon eventually takes over.

I’d nurse the hangover that feels like a second skin, while drowning myself in PeptoBismol so I was as bright eyed and bushy-tailed as I could be for the half day of shooting today.

But as I stretch my legs and wiggle my toes, my achy eyes break open, the unfamiliardecor becomes less blurry. And then it hits me; I’ve never seen this room in my life.

I bolt upward, my head throbbing from the speed, reminding me of just how deep mylove for Zinfandel truly went. My hands cradle my head, the pounding easing up slightly, before I creak my neck upwards, scanning the room for clues on what exactly happened for me to end up here.

Nothing about the room was familiar. Nothing. The sage green feature wall was new tome, although I did make a mental note to ask whoever owned this room where they’d gotten that paint colour from. I eyed myself in the mirror that sat in the corner by the window, noting the lies I’d been sold about this mascara being smudge-proof,andthe eighteen-hour wear on the foundation was a load of crap, apparently.

But still, as I picked apart how I’d woken up, the mirror in which I was doing so was newto me.

A honk from outside shifted my gaze out of the window, the pale blue morning skytaking my attention. Wherever I was, I was high up. I felt like, if I wanted to, I could steal one of the clouds and swap it for one of the pillows that had the rest of my foundation on. The buildings that made up the skyline only became familiar when I realised I wasn’t far from home, seeing as though the view from here was nearly identical to the one out of my office.

Even so, that didn’t make my heartbeat slow down. I still had no idea where I was, whathad happened when Asher left, or who I’d—

A piece of paper on the bedside table calls to me. So does my phone. And the water. Andthe makeup wipes.

I lean over, the pull of silk underneath me making me remember that I was still in my gown, but I’d deal with that later. My hands fall onto the note first, before risking the water, and weirdly, the more I read, the more my heartbeat slowed down.

Morning,

I left you some clothes on the dresser, but if you want to wear something else, then there are more clothes in the closet by the door.

If I’m not awake, make yourself at home, I’ll tell you all about how you ended up here as soon as I do.

This is Nate, by the way, so if you don’t feel like sticking around there’s cash on the coffee table in the living room for a cab.

I dropped the note.

How the hell did I end up in Nate’s apartment? Like… how?

Before I do any thinking, I take the water from the table and gulp it down, savouring howsweet it tastes, how utterly soothing it felt. I return the empty glass to where it had been, reaching for my phone and settling back into the sheets.

My heart did a quick one-eighty when I saw the missed calls from Goldie. Three of them,to be exact. She wasn’t the type of person to spam call me. If I didn’t answer, which was rare, she’d know I was busy…

My eyes glaze over the notifications.

Something must have been wrong. I could feel it. So I dragged my thumb across thescreen as quickly as I could to call her back—

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