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There are moments in life that only last for a single second, but they stretch and stretch and feel like they last longer than they do. The moment Joshua and I shake hands on our little, stupid deal, I feel it.

The handshake lasts for a moment, seconds really, but the warmth and sparks last just as long as the New Year's Eve fireworks in London. My breath hitches and gets lost in my lungs. His skin feels smooth as anything, our hands are a perfect fit – mine are small enough to be encapsulated like a tiny kitten in his palm. The moment is almost like an orgasm, it's so powerful and encompassing. Which is ridiculous, because an orgasm is bliss, and I hate Joshua.

But I promised I'd try, and as our hands move up and down with the handshake, I catch his eyes as he says something unintelligible. I'm drowning in the connection between us; it's completely undeniable.

We're Fated all right. Owen is absolutely convinced that this is all psychological. For a small second, I started to question myself last night, but now I'm here, touching him, I know two things: I'm Fated to Joshua Anderson, and that I have never, ever had these feelings with Owen.

Well, I can feel his emotions, but I've never, ever had this strength of anything with Owen like this. For Fated Ones, I've always known our tether is pretty mundane and low in strength to what people have said it's like online. I always assumed because we've literally known each other all our lives.

"So, uh, how long have you been with your... fiancé?" Joshua asks when the moment was over.

I scoff. "I said I would try not to hate you. That doesn't change in an instant because I felt something there."

He chuckles. "What'd you feel?"

"I don't know, some like weird magic type shit. Magic isn't real, by the way, but you know in the movies when they go on about the sparks and weird stuff. Yeah, like that, unfortunately. I read up on the internet when two Fated People touch or whatever for the first time, they get those feelings. A bit like true love's first kiss, but without the kiss," I admit.

He nods. "That's what I felt, too. This is... this is going to sound forward and strange but is it worth me meeting Owen? We can finally see if we do have a connection, and he can see that I'm no threat."

I roll my eyes. He's right, it would make sense. I just don't want this arsehole anymore in my life than he already is. I liken him to a flea; the old family dog used to get them every damn summer because he was outside so much. Fleas are unwanted, annoying, and they just never go away, much like Joshua.

"I suppose it'll be a good idea. I'll talk to him later and get back to you... via email?" I question.

"I can give you my number, it's probably best if we want to discuss the Fated thing, we do it personally," Joshua says. "I can put my number in your phone?"

As much as I really don't want him in my life, I suppose he's yet again, right. I hand it over to him.

He taps on the screen, and I feel the nerves radiating through him in my veins. It's so weird because the more I feel from Joshua, the more I realise that things with Owen aren't like this at all. He hands my phone back, and our fingers brush.

Against better judgement, I take the phone in my other hand and hold his hand properly. The effects aren't quite as strong as the first time, but I want to know more.

His eyes meet mine and though I loathe this with every fibre of my being, I know I promised I'd try. Plus, I want to know how this works exactly.

He relaxes, and I feel every inch of my body relax just after his, almost like his calm is transferring like a cold wind in a storm.

Every single part of me is yelling at me that I hate this, that I hate him, but I cannot deny the way my heart is beating harder and louder than I've ever known it, the surge of calm that washes over me like a slow, gentle wave against a boat. It's like I was made for him—

That's ridiculous.

"This is... so strange," I admit quietly.

"We can't deny this tether to each other anymore, Amelia. I can feel a lot more now we're touching. Random things pop into my mind like your favourite flower is the camellia... I saw you with one in the coffee shop the other day, it's all making sense. Your favourite drink is tea, your favourite colour is white—"

I shake my head. "How can you see all of that?"

He chuckles. Our hands don't move, though. Part of me wants to tear my hand out of his, but the majority doesn't. It's comfortable, it's meant to be.

"You tell me. I don't have the answers. Are you getting anything?" he responds.

I focus. All these random facts start filling my mind like flashcards.

"Your favourite coffee is a caramel latte, your favourite colour is red, your favourite food is sweet and salted popcorn," I mention. I open my eyes and find him grinning like an idiot.

My mind is in turmoil. I put my phone down and use both my hands to caress his left wrist.

"Can I?" I ask gently, against my better judgement.

He nods silently, so I push the sleeve back of his grey hoodie, and see the Knot Art. His skin is smooth, some of the hairs are black to match the ink, but I stare at the black and grey ink that makes the art. My finger traces his skin, the tip of my deep red painted nails clearly affecting him as I feel the shivers reflecting in my brain.

It's the same one all right, even down to the little lines within the Knot to make the 'rope' part of it. The shades of grey are the same.

"Am I feeling your hatred for me dying down?" Joshua jokes.

I scoff and let his arm go. "You're gonna have to work harder than that."

"Fair enough," he answers. Though something inside me is genuinely wondering if I got him wrong.

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Sitting beside Owen that evening while he plays on the console is one of those moments that last forever because I don't know how to bring up the Fated thing with him. I keep thinking back to the moment when I touched Joshua and how insane it felt, how overwhelming it was, how right it was, even though I just... didn't want it.

I've known Owen literally all of my life, but never have I had such intense emotions as I did then.

"Owen?" I ask.

He hums in response and pauses his game. His hair has gone a little spiky where he's clearly been rubbing his hand through it all day with the stress. His hair always looks a little hedgehog-like after a stressful day, and it makes me grin.

"Can I... ask you something?" I ask.

He nods and puts the controller down. I do something I'm quite nervous to do and grab his hand.

I feel nothing. Just the familiar warmth of Owen; the man I've known for nineteen years, the man I've loved since I was twelve. But I don't feel the rushing emotions or feelings of him, of being Fated.

I wonder if it's because I know him, so I'm just used to him, or whether it's something deeper.

Either way, it answers an unaired question in my brain, and I regain my composure. "I know you don't wanna talk about it, but I was wondering if you'd just do me a favour and meet with my lecturer tomorrow or whenever—"

"The one you think you're Fated with as well?" he asks.

I sigh. "Please stop pretending this isn't happening, please, just satisfy my curiosity before I try and cut this out?"

He groans. "Fine, but I'm telling you, sweetheart, it's in your head."

"Then satisfy me," I offer.

He kisses the tip of my nose. "Fine, I have Friday off, we can meet him then, check out the Knots and prove that this is a bunch of bullshit."

I just nod in response. He's so convinced that it can't be happening, I suppose the best thing I can do is just prove it to him on Friday.

After a moment, he picks his controller back up and continues with his game. I grab my phone and send a message to Joshua. 'Hi Joshua, Owen has the day off on Friday, so we can meet then. Amelia.'

I change to the internet tab on my phone and bring up a private browser, just in case. I type into the search bar: 'Can you have two Fated Ones?'

I remember last time I searched this, I didn't find much, and as I can see again, there isn't much on it at all. It's either not possible, or been shut down on the internet, or just not spoken about. I don't fancy rereading all those conspiracy theories, so I sigh.

I look at Owen's Knot Art as he presses the buttons on the controller. I always thought I felt something when I looked at his tattoo, but the more and more time I can feel Joshua, the more and more I doubt myself and my emotions.

It's strange to think that my card when I got given my tattoo said Owen, England, and his said Amelia, England, but Joshua and I are very clearly tethered.

My phone buzzes in my hand. A message from Joshua: 'Friday afternoon is good with me. Just let me know what time and where. I'm feeling your confusion, is everything okay?'

I roll my eyes. This is definitely inconvenient. My wrist burns, warms, fires... he must be thinking about me, I assume.

I send an experimental message back: 'Are you thinking about me right now? My tattoo is burning. I wonder if I touch it, do you feel it?'

The message is marked read immediately and I watch the three dots as he messages back:

'I don't know, try it? Message me before you do it, then after and I'll let you know?'

I message him back to tell him I'm about to touch my tattoo as it carries on burning.

After I put my phone on my leg, I see Owen out of the corner of my eyes engrossed in his game. I put my index finger and middle finger on my Knot Art, stroking the length of it. It's around five centimetres on my wrist, black and grey. I remember looking it up and it resembles a Celtic Heart Knot. I read up they use so many different types of knots when making the tattoos, it's random what type of knot you get, but each pair have their own little distinctions. It's kind of always fascinated me how they can get so many distinctions in every single pair, but I suppose I'm not a Knotsman Artist, so I don't know their little secrets.

The burning eases as I swipe my fingers over the tattoo, changing into a more comforting warmth across the tattoo, seeping into my veins and washing over me – almost like an orgasm but not of pleasure, of comfort.

I remove my fingers from the Knot and grab my phone again. 'Did you feel that?'

He's typing even as I send my message, so I know something happened at least, and then his message pops up. 'I did – it was like a warm feeling; I assume as you touched it. So, I touched it at the same time, and then I got what we felt earlier at the shop. Like a comfort overwhelmed me almost?'

I sigh and answer slowly: 'It is strange. That's how I felt, well I didn't feel anything until you must have touched your Knot as well. It must be the tether thing.'

"I'm gonna be a while, why don't you go have a bath or something?" Owen asks quietly.

I nod and kiss him as I stand up and walk past.

When I lie down in the bath, I move back to the internet on my phone. I feel a weird pull in my mind, and I know it's Joshua feeling stressed. A part of me wants to message and ask him why, but it would just continue this weird connection, and I don't want that shit.

I want to know why in the hell haven't I ever felt like this with Owen? Even with the Knot? Even if we don't get the emotional tethering because we've grown up together, surely, we would feel something when our Knots are touched or something?

I search for something new: 'Why do I not feel anything when I touch my Fated One's Knot?'

A few conspiracy websites come up. Nothing much in concrete, science, or academia. I click reluctantly on the forums I read the other day.

'Maybe you're misinterpreting their Knot?'

'Maybe they are faking their Knot?'

'Maybe you're just not Fated.'

They all say the same thing differently: if you don't feel anything, you're not Fated.

But why would I have the card with Owen's name on it?

One thing sticks out to me from the three forums I checked, and I think it's entirely bullshit, but I tap it out anyway: 'Can you fake your Knot Art?'

I scroll down the pages, some list dark web as I get further and further down with ways to draw over your Art, somehow to cover them up with makeup, something about turning it into temporary tattoos so people can't see it.

I'm overreacting. Why would Owen do it? I know for a fact it's not Joshua that's fake or faulty because I can feel him. But as I look on a few more sites in my private browser, I find one thing that's true: you can fake your Knot Art, but not permanently.

We all know the price of that. I shake my head. It's bullshit. He wouldn't. Owen's always been true, he has nothing to gain by faking his art.

I close the browser, but something doesn't quite feel right still. There are still unanswered questions.

The pull of stress gets harder in my head until it's a full-on migraine. He's stressing about something bad. I stare at the Knot on my wrist and do something completely random but knowing it might just work. If anything, it'll stop this headache of mine, I don't care about him.

My index, middle and ring fingers go to the tattoo on my left wrist, and I stroke the Knot slowly. After a couple of moments, I feel the stress beginning to melt like chocolate under heat.

I feel that warmth comfort flushing through me all over again. It forces my eyes closed, the stress dissolves into a euphoric peace as I relax back in the water.

I just did something good. I let my fingers drop off the Knot into the water and I feel the effect flow and ebb away slowly.

It might be hatred that fuels me every time I think about him or when I'm near him, but somehow, I think being Fated to Joshua might be okay.

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