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Change was a funny word. Joshua found it encompassed so many different things; change of person, change of circumstance, change of ideas. People found themselves afraid of change, yet he always found himself indifferent. He worked out it was probably because after years of Drifting, he was used to the change in worlds and people.

Now he was fixed and a non-Drifter, he found himself afraid of change. Everything had altered in the last few weeks, and it had finally settled like spring in his head. He'd found his Fated One, he'd been forced out of a job he wasn't qualified for, applied for new ones, and yet, he'd settled.

The thing he'd worked out most, though was that Amelia had changed him. In the small time they'd gotten to know each other, she'd changed his very foundation. Before her, he didn't believe in monogamy; because of the Fated One system, he believed one person didn't have to be faithful or with one person forever to be happy. He'd thought you could settle down, have children with your Fated One because you needed to and then find others to make yourself happy. Yet, since he found her, he found himself not wanting anyone else; he would get jealous when she was around Owen, he looked at her and only wanted to make her happy.

He used to care about what others thought about him. Being a Drifter made Joshua on edge, constantly needing people to think he was normal. Yet since he found Amelia, he only really cared about what she thought.

He sat opposite the coffee shop, on a cold bench and sighed. He could feel her stress rising like a kettle waiting to be boiled. It riled him up, but he knew she was going to experience it: she was breaking up with her childhood sweetheart, it was never going to be easy. Despite his lies and faking Knots, Joshua knew she would always have a tie to the man. They still grew up together, they still had fallen in love. She may have lived a lie for a whole year, but he knew how difficult it would be. He was surprised she hadn't mourned the relationship yet, and he was waiting for it to happen.

Just like he had with Brianna, though she had not faked anything. Amelia had found out her whole life had essentially been a lie.

He felt the steam of anger within his veins as it rose within her. He assumed she'd dropped the bombshell, and he hadn't taken lightly to it. Joshua wanted to touch his Knot to calm her down, but he knew it would have been inappropriate. She needed to do it without any interference.

And then he felt her fear. It was as thick as syrup, and he knew it had to do with Owen. That was when he knew to step in.

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Neither Joshua nor Amelia spoke a word from the moment they left Owen yelling in the coffee shop until they reached his car. He slid into the driver's seat and sighed. Josh had told him he'd had the car for a year, and though Joshua enjoyed the feel of a sports car, it suddenly felt claustrophobic as Amelia sat there in silence. She hadn't done her seatbelt up, so he assumed she just wanted a moment to sit with her empty ring finger and thoughts.

"I said I'd go and pick up some stuff from the house. Do you mind coming with me?" she muttered.

"Of course," he answered. For the first time in a long time, he couldn't work out how to deal with the situation. He could tell she was devastated, but he didn't know whether comforting her was appropriate.

He opted to reach his hand across to hers. Without another word, she responded, and their fingers moulded together so tightly, it reminded him of the Knot Art on both of their wrists.

"I know this might sound... ridiculous coming from me, but it'll be all right, you know. He's just throwing empty threats like a petulant—"

"Yeah, but what if he does do something, Joshua? He clearly had a few contacts that can be bribed and smooth-talked. What if he does go to the government? What then? It's all right that we've found each other now, but that doesn't mean they'll let us off. He's—I don't want to go over it again. But what if he does?" she asked.

"Then we'll deal with it then. For now—" Joshua looked out of the window for a moment. "—for now, we deal with the present. Let's not waste this. You know the truth, so you deal with life after that fact. There's no point worrying about his idle threats or empty words."

"Did you mean to say empty threats and idle words?" she joked.

"No, I meant what I said," Joshua said. He rubbed a thumb over the back of her hand. He could feel her troubles easing in his mind. "Let's go get your things, take them back home and forget about him, all right?"

She nodded and caught his gaze. "Thank you. It hit me the moment you walked into that place... how lucky I am to have you. To have you here for good."

He squeezed her hand and gave her a small smile. "Never thank me."

The moment passed when her phone buzzed. He kept silent and started the car, but he knew who it was as he felt her annoyance.

He drove. She tapped something on her phone and sighed when she was done.

"So... I just messaged Sophia, his Fated One. We used to be friends with her growing up. She had a major crush on him for... years. Even when he and I were together, years after even, she'd try to come onto him. In hindsight I wonder if it was the tether or something," she said.

"Could've been. We'll never know, but it doesn't matter in a way, does it? As I said, focus on now and whether she responds or not. Did you have her card and information in the box along with yours?" he asks.

"Yeah, it's all in the bedside drawer in your room," I say. "I could show it to her if she responds to me. Or even if she doesn't."

Joshua nodded as he pulled the car into a car park space by the house. "Sounds like a plan. Are you ready for this? Do you want me to stay in the car?"

She shook her head. "I'd rather you come in, if you don't mind."

He smirked a little. It amused him how she always sounded so unsure of herself, unable to voice what she wanted without it sounding like she wanted him to do it. He wished she could just tell him yeah; I want you to come in without the if you don't mind. But it was what made her adorable in his eyes.

"Of course," he agreed.

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He hovered in the hallway of the house Amelia had shared with Owen for the fifteen minutes she was upstairs. He didn't want to pry, so unless she asked, he was going to stay put.

She finally appeared with a change of clothes and a small smile on her face. She was carrying a material suitcase.

"Put it down, I'll carry it," he offered. Without a word, she put the case down. He ran up the stairs and grabbed her case. He followed her down the stairs and left the suitcase by the front door.

She grabbed his hand and led him into the lounge. He noticed how one wall had flowery wallpaper, the other colours were dark red to go with it. The whole room had a feminine touch to it, and he noticed the photos on the mantel were mostly of them throughout the years, not many of recently.

"Can you do me a favour?" she asked him. "I want the console. Mainly because I'm feeling petty, but also because I bought it for him. Can you unhook it and pack it in here?"

He sighed and glanced between her and the black brick looking thing by the TV. "Sure." He wanted to argue with her that acting out of spite wouldn't get her anywhere, but he wasn't one to lecture her at that moment.

He did as he was told while she clattered around between rooms, packing bits and pieces into a separate bag. When he'd done, he grabbed the controller and all the other related looking shit from the side and packed it away.

She appeared and nodded. "I'll load these into the car if I could have the key?"

He shook his head. "I'll do it. You make sure you have everything." She nodded while he got to work. When everything was in the car, he walked back into the house. She was stood with one more carrier bag.

He approached her, put his hand around her waist and pulled her into a tight hug. He kissed the top of her head. "It'll be okay, my Amelia."

"It will be because you're here."

She looked up at him, and he watched as her expression melted. His hand inched across until he touched her Knot to calm her down. He felt her sadness melt away and become replaced with peace; it had done its job. Her free hand pulled on his until she leaned up and kissed him. He moved his hand away from her tattoo so he could cup her neck.

Joshua felt confused; he wanted to carry on, to kiss her until he didn't know what planet they were on, until the stars were the only thing around them. But he knew at the same time, she was doing this to make her own mark, to erase Owen from her mind.

"Amelia," Joshua whispered. She pulled away as he said it. "I think we should get going."

She nodded at the same time as he heard the front door open.

"Fuck."

Owen appeared within seconds, his eyes wide and full of rage. Joshua noted the smirk across his face, but it wasn't out of amusement, the man was crazy with rage.

"I thought something was going on here," Owen announced. "Now I find him in my house with my fiancé—"

"I said we're over, Owen. Just leave it." Amelia moved so she was slightly behind Joshua, and he could feel her fright in his veins, fuelling his adrenaline.

"We're out of here. Just move aside," Joshua said. He knew this guy would thrive and feed like a leech if Joshua or Amelia showed the slightest bit of anger, so he kept himself as calm as he could, as neutral as he could.

He tried to transfer this feeling to Amelia, pushing his urge to be calm through to her. She must have felt something because he felt her even out just a little.

"I'm not going anywhere. Amelia, you're my fiancé, my Fated—"

"Stop lying, Owen. We're not Fated. You faked it—"

"I may have faked it, but we have the same tattoos, Camellia. We'll all get in trouble—"

Amelia stepped forward, her calm demeanour still showing on the outside, contrary to her inside. Joshua beamed internally with pride: she was keeping cool and that was what was needed.

"Move away from the door, Owen, or I will phone the police and get you arrested for keeping us hostage. I can also get you done for faking your Knot, keeping me from my Fated One—"

"We have matching tattoos—"

"Do you really want to test me, Owen? Because I will do it if you don't move," she said.

Owen moved slightly to the right. "I know you've cheated on me, Amelia. I'm not thick."

She stared at him, and Joshua felt slightly out of place. He was waiting for a punch to land on his face, or to be pushed against the wall and threatened, but after a few seconds, nothing happened. He was rather surprised, but he still wanted out of there very quickly.

"I know you cheated me out of my whole identity, Owen. The difference is, I did what I did with the full facts, and I chose to do it anyway. You did what you did without telling me, so I had no choice in the matter. Technically, I didn't cheat, though, because we were over when I slept with someone else. I just hadn't told you yet," Amelia hissed.

Joshua watched as Owen's expression changed. Owen worked out what she meant: she had confirmed that she'd slept with someone else. She hadn't mentioned Joshua by name, but the implication was very much there, and they all knew it.

Joshua looked at Owen, and what reminded him of a snake in human form two seconds previously, changed. He reminded Joshua instead of a camel: spitting, unhygienic and uncomfortable.

Joshua ducked as soon as the first blow was about to hit him.

He wasn't so lucky with the second blow, which winded him in the stomach and he fell to the floor.

His eyes caught Amelia's as she dashed over, but the damage was already done. As he had a second or two to react, he realised that change was a funny thing. Merely weeks ago, he knew she would have done nothing in the same situation and let him be punched until he couldn't breathe so their Knot Tether was severed. She'd changed, and it wasn't all to do with Owen's lies.

But as the last blow landed, she screamed.

"Stop! Owen, I love him!"

Joshua's head moved slightly, and the adrenaline kicked in immediately. He knew what was about to happen, so he stood as quickly as he could.

But he wasn't quick enough.

She whipped Owen around mid-blow. The blow meant for him landed on her instead.

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