· · ──── ·𖥸· ──── · ·

· · ──── ·𖥸· ──── · ·

Peace is a subjective thing, but I think anyone will say that a peaceful life is one without drama or conflict. Months ago, I would have considered peace what I was going through: an okay relationship with what I thought was my Fated One, doing my degree and just getting on with things. Now, I think a peaceful life is what I have with Joshua: no drama, pure love, and happiness. For about six days now, I've been having this feeling that something is going to go wrong, but for once in my life, things are seemingly good.

"You just wait, the bad thing is going to be my essay marks," I mention.

Sam just snorts. "Oh, come on, you're good at it. Plus, you have the brains at home to help you with it!"

I chuckle. "To be fair, he hasn't helped me once, apart from helping me to get one single citation in one of the essays 'cause I couldn't find it. That's all he's done. But I can guarantee whoever is now marking my work knows why they are, and they'll give me a deduction because of my relationship with Joshua."

"They can't do that, though, right? If they do, you can report it and get someone else, anyway? Plus, the man has left, correct? So, he couldn't mark your work anyway," Chris says. He's been over in England for a few weeks now, and his English was impeccable anyway, but it's gotten even better. He's also secured a home and a job already, and they both seem super committed. It's an amazing change for Sam, and she's definitely mellowed out since he arrived, something she calls herself 'the best thing that ever happened to me.'

"True. I don't know, I just hope I get a decent grade," I mention.

"If you don't, just get him to write the essays for you and then submit new ones," Sam says with a shrug. "Anyway, we better go. Chris is meeting my parents in an hour."

"Holy shit, good luck! They're... characters. In a good way, I swear!" I joke.

They both stand up with a grin and we all hug each other goodbye. They go one way out of the coffee shop, and I go the other. I walk past a few of the shops, looking in the windows of each one as my phone buzzes.

'Hey, my angel. Hope you're okay. I put some spare money in the joint account – go and buy a new outfit. And yeah, I mean the whole thing from underwear to dress to shoes. It needs to be like, really nice, I'm taking you out tonight. Love you.'

I blink for a few seconds and then check the account before phoning him.

"I knew you'd phone me, I could feel your disbelief," he answers on the second ring.

I chuckle. Of course, he did. "Well, you give me two hundred quid spare money... what're you planning? Is this about that thing you keep getting excited over but won't tell me anything about? Where's the money come from?"

"Maybe. Just... trust me for once in your life," he answers. "It's that spare money of Josh's. I know we said we'd save it, but I have plans. Just... trust me."

I scoff. "You make it hard, Joshua."

"I mean, you don't want me to interpret that sentence—"

"Naughty," I retort. I keep my thoughts to myself on that saved money. We have a house, a car, so it's not like we're saving for something in particular, but this has better be good if he's spending it.

"But I'm serious, get yourself a nice outfit for tonight. Like a nice dress or something. I mean, please don't expect, like, the Ritz, but just a nice dress."

I hum in response. "I mean, you mentioned new underwear, so I guess this surprise—"

"Yeah, please don't finish that thought while I'm at work," he quickly says. I laugh, feeling his arousal in my brain. Idiot.

"Okay, I won't. You killjoy. Is work all right?" I ask.

"Yeah, good, just finished my break, so I better go. I love you," he answers.

"Love you too, see you tonight!"

· · ──── ·𖥸· ──── · ·

Finally satisfied after an hour and a half of traipsing around the shops and finding something red, because it's his favourite colour, and then going to get my nails done, I pick the takeout coffee up and start on my way home.

"Amelia!"

I know that voice. The high pitched, smooth voice of Sophia. She grins at me, and I know for a fact before she says anything more that this is the Sophia, the one that is meant to be from this world and not the other Sophia who would be in her place.

"Yeah, it's me, I... I'm not the other Sophia. Let's sit and drink these together?" she asks.

I nod instantly, my mouth unable to form words right now. It's not been long, it's only been about a month and a bit since we met and found out all the shit she's been putting up with, but it feels like a long time. As we sit opposite each other, I take her in. Her long blonde hair has been cut to a bob that ends by her ears. She's wearing more youthful clothing than I last saw her in; the sundress and sandals say it all. Her makeup is less subtle and more obvious. She looks good. Something must've happened to her.

"How are you?" I finally ask after a sip of my latte. I don't usually buy coffee, but after stressing about clothing choices for whatever Joshua has planned tonight, and then going to get my nails done, I need the caffeine hit.

"I'm doing really well, thanks," she answers. "How about you, and Joshua?"

I nod. "Good as well. Life seems to be... peaceful at last."

She grins. "I feel that. I know he didn't want to be involved in the whole mess, but I messaged him a few weeks ago to say thank you for giving me Reece's number. He helped me with the whole... Drifting thing."

I remember Joshua showed me the message she sent a few weeks back. "I remember. He didn't respond because he didn't feel it appropriate, you know?"

"Oh, no, I get that. I didn't expect him to. I just wanted to let him know how thankful I was. It... Reece really helped. He gave me all the info I needed, I just needed to make the decision. Owen and I had a long and serious talk. I... you were right when you said what he did, he did because he was in love with you. Whatever he did, he's done now, you know? He knows it's over with you and that you're with Joshua, and you're happy that way. He doesn't regret what he did, he regrets doing it the way he did it."

It hits me all at once, like a train of nostalgia that doesn't stop at the station I'm waiting at. Fast, all at once and forcing the wind to hit me afterwards. Owen and I shared a whole life together, and he and I will soon be turning twenty. The first birthday I'll experience without him by my side. It might sound silly, but it'll be a milestone of sorts.

I shared my life with him, and I have never had any doubt he did what he did for a valid and good reason. If he'd told me, I probably would've gone along with it – had I not met Joshua first – but he didn't.

It's been a few months since I left him now, and it feels freeing. It's like being let go from a chain you didn't know was holding you back, or like the dog that gets let off the lead in a field. It's like shedding the bra at the end of the day or undoing the tops of your jeans after a big dinner. But I also remember the good times, how we had fun and were best friends.

But I also remember Joshua's comment ages ago when I first left Owen. He might have been your childhood sweetheart, but you're not a child anymore.

Some things are never meant to be mended. They're meant to remain broken forever because not everything in this world is perfect. I suppose Owen and I were always meant to experience life together, but at some point, we were always meant to be broken because we were never Fated to be together forever. It would've been something that broke us; Joshua, Sophia, lies, betrayal... it wouldn't have mattered what happened, I would've found out eventually. If it wasn't the real Knots that would've torn us, it would've been finding out like I did.

And though it hurts, the longer time has gone by, the more I've accepted it for what it is. It's okay that he did it because I experienced and learnt. I grew because of what he did. It sounds like he has as well, and that's the best thing that he could have gone through, because he needed it.

I glance back at Sophia as she sips her drink. "So you decided to stay here?"

She nods. "Yeah, it took a while for me to decide on it, but after Owen and I had the heart to heart, I decided that I'd give him a chance. I could have gone there and been Segregated, but it wasn't great. After everything I've been through here, I kind of just want the life I should have had, you know. He apologised and said that he's trying to move forward from you, and we kind of just decided to try this out. We're friends for now, but we're living together, and we're currently going through the motions of finding out what the process is for telling the authorities what he did. Because you and Joshua are together now, it won't affect you. At worst, they might approach you as witnesses, but if we get in trouble, it'll be Owen and no one else. Or that's what Reece says, anyway."

I nod. This could be dangerous, but if Joshua knows Reece and can vouch for him, then I believe it. He seemed to help Josh out while they were Drifting, so I guess he can be trusted.

"It's good that you're gonna try and sort this out," I say. "You look good, Sophia. Like, so much better."

She smiles. "Thanks. I Declared to stay here, and it worked the second time. That was a week ago, and Owen's helped me kind of just... change my outside to represent the new life, you know? We're not... we're not together, but what we have works right now. I'm still angry at what he did to me."

"I can understand that," I say sincerely. I'm still angry, I think. Just like soap residue, the anger swirls around me every now and again, thinking how he held three people back for his selfish gain. It may have been with good intentions, but they say that about the path to hell; it's filled with good intentions.

"I just want to say thank you to you as well, Amelia," Sophia says as she finishes her drink. "If you hadn't found me and messaged, who knows where we all would have been. It might have been messy, but it has all worked out, and that's mainly thanks to you."

I shake my head. "No, that's not true. I think it would have worked itself all out eventually. Somehow."

"Well, thank you, anyway. I better let you go," she says and stands up. "I'll see you around."

"Bye, Sophia."

As she walks out with a wave in my direction, I start to wonder if she has a point. I wonder what would've happened if I hadn't messaged her. But it doesn't matter. Nothing really does anymore because it has worked out for the best. Though Owen and Sophia might not be together, they have worked it out, and it sounds like he's changing. Joshua and I found each other, and it's worked out amazingly.

I wonder if there is more to this Fated One thing than meets the eye. Sure, it's a thing to make sure people reproduce in a specific way, and though I don't know more about it than it's just the way the world is, there seems to be something deeper than soulmates. Owen tried to break the system, and he did hack it. He found a way to work it so he and I could have been together. But it didn't work, even though it could have. I could have chosen Owen, and no one would have found out in the authorities. We could have lived our lives as we had before Joshua came along.

But he did come along. He Drifted here, of all places, and stumbled into my life, and he broke what Owen paid to have done.

Maybe Fate does have a part to play. Because for all the power the authorities might have, for all the money Owen paid to fake his Knot and keep us together, Joshua came in and it's all worked out how the Knots decided long before I knew about it. Maybe there is magic in it somehow.

Whether there is or not, I'll never really know, but all I know is that whatever magic there is within my Knot, I fully believe in it.

· · ──── ·𖥸· ──── · ·