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Celine’s POVI stepped out of the bathroom stall with my legs feeling heavy and weak. I fixed my clothes and walked slowly toward the sink.The bathroom was quiet, except for the soft sound of running water.A woman stood beside her little daughter at the sink, bending slightly so she could help her wash her hands. The girl was small, maybe four or five, with soft curls and bright eyes. She was laughing quietly as her mother guided her hands under the tap.“Rub, rub,” the woman said gently. “Like this.”The girl copied her, giggling.I stood there for a second and just watched them, feeling a flutter in my chest at how beautiful they both looked together.A mother and her child.I looked at them through the mirror, watching the way the woman smiled at the little girl like she was the most precious thing in the world, and in that moment, I so badly wanted to have my own child. My own little bundle of light that would giggle as I helped him or her wash their hands.The little girl turne
Celeste’s POV“I will leave,” Celeste started in a calm voice, as if she had already run through every possible outcome in her mind. “But first… I want a favor.”Celine frowned, because of course Celeste had to make things difficult, her brows arching in surprise almost immediately.“A favor?” she asked cautiously.Celeste nodded, meeting her sister’s gaze steadily. There was a small twinge of guilt in her chest, one she tried to ignore.“Two weeks,” she said. “Just two weeks. If, in that time, you find any reason not to trust me… I will leave. I will never come back. I will never speak your name again. We will be… estranged. Strangers. End of everything.”Celine’s lips parted slightly, as if to speak, but Celeste held up a hand, cutting her off before she could say anything.“But,” she continued, her voice softer now, almost fragile, “if I give you a reason to trust me… if I actually help you get Lucien back without any negative motives… then you will trust me. You will stop making m
Celeste’s POVThe strong smell of coffee and sugar inside the café made Celeste worry Celine might get sick and she’d have to bear the burden of taking her back to the hotel. Plates clinked. She relaxed a bit when she saw how unaffected Celine appeared to be. Small conversations blended into one steady hum of the shop that made it a bit hard to think clearly.A woman who appeared to be in her late sixties or so was standing gallantly in front of the counter, demanding they change her coffee for the second time. The first was because she thought there was a smudge on the cup, which there wasn’t actually. It was just a drop of coffee. And the second was because she had apparently told them to use brown sugar, not white.Celeste sat across from Celine, absently stirring her tea even though she hadn’t taken a sip yet, desperately trying to tune out the chaos ensuing just a few feet behind her.Celine was eating slowly, like every bite required effort. However, slowly, she was almost done
Celeste's POV Celeste's phone buzzed sharply against the nightstand, dragging her from a shallow sleep. She squinted at the screen, rubbing her eyes awake, then froze when she saw the name flashing at her: Ava.She rolled out of bed quietly, careful not to disturb Celine, who was still curled up on the other bed, her hand resting lightly on her stomach as if she could hold herself together by sheer will alone. She looked so… peaceful. For a moment, Celeste just stared at her, wondering if she’d ever looked like this before.I don’t think she had. Not even when we were kids, she thought to herself.She picked up the phone and walked slowly toward the bathroom, holding it to her ear.“Hello,” she said quietly into the phone, turning instinctively to where her twin lay. “What do you want? Why are you calling this early?”“You know why I’m calling,” Ava’s tone was as impatient as the first day she met Celeste at the bar, the day she wanted to sink into the ground and never come back up w
Celine's POVI swallowed hard, but it was too difficult to get rid of the bile in my throat.“I’m fine,” I whispered in answer to my twin's question. I wouldn't have, but I had a feeling she wouldn't give up until I did. I have no idea what her plan was, and the confusion of that alone was enough to overwhelm me.Silence followed, and for no reason I can fathom, I just let it loose. Unable to hold and calculate, I just let it fall. It had been building; my tears had been sitting and waiting, and finally, they were free.I turned my face into my pillow, pressing it hard against my mouth to stop any sound from escaping.But my shoulders started shaking anyway. Then my chest tightened until breathing hurt.I didn’t want her to see me like this. I can't have her live here.I cleared my throat and gave it another shot.“I’m fine,” I tried again.But it came out as a sob. I sat up abruptly, panic rising. My stomach churned in discomfort and fear.A sharp wave of nausea rolled through.“No,”
Celine's POV The room was almost completely dark.Save for the little light that slipped in through the thin gap in the curtains, shadows shifted slowly whenever a car passed outside or the streetlight flickered.I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling, something I had been doing for a long time now. I wasn’t sure how long.Minutes.Hours.Maybe both.Sleep refused to come, no matter how much I tried. My body was exhausted; every muscle felt heavy, every bone ached like it had been carrying too much weight for too long. But my mind wouldn’t stop, my mind wouldn't slow down.Beside me, on the other bed, Celeste breathed evenly, oblivious of the chaos in my mind, the one her presence naturally attracted.The sound filled the quiet room, soft but impossible to ignore. I turned my head slightly, watching her silhouette in the darkness. She was facing the other side, her back to me, one arm tucked beneath her pillow.Asleep. Of course she was asleep; she thrived in moments like this.No







