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They say there's no place like home. Or rather, it's a quote from The Wizard of Oz, but I like to think it's a saying too. Whoever they are also say that home is where the heart is. The moment Joshua puts me down on the kitchen side and he stands between my legs to kiss me senseless, I know one thing: this is my home. These four walls make me feel like I'm home. But more than that, this house aren't just somewhere I feel wanted, they contain my home. If home is where the heart is, then my heart is being held by Joshua, and that makes him my home. Wherever he is: this world, another world, this home, a different location... wherever he is, that's where my home is.

Now he's home, and that mark that Josh told me about is gone. He's home for good.

His hands roam my body, stroking every curvature and savouring every inch. Spring blossoms on my skin as his eyes drink me in, the smile on his mouth confirming the relief and pure ecstasy that overtakes my mind through our connection.

"Whatever we did, it worked," he whispers in my ear. "And I couldn't be happier."

I grin and take the opportunity to kiss his neck. His stubble feels rough, but it suits him.

"Welcome home," I say.

"Best welcome home ever."

For a full minute, I pull him to me, and we hold each other. He feels real, and it takes me another moment to remember that he is real. It's finally happened, and though it's only been a few weeks since this happened, it's enough time for me to thank whatever is up there that we won't be parted ever again.

"Amelia, what happened with Owen?" he asks eventually.

Just his name brings the heckles up on the back of my neck like a cat being pissed off. "I don't want to spend this time—"

He smiles and his left-hand cups my cheek. "We have all the time in the world now. Trust me, it's taking every inch of self-control I have not to rip your clothes off, but it's not stopped haunting me since I left."

"You were only gone for two days, Joshua," I mention, and arch an eyebrow.

"Two days too long."

"Agreed. Hence why I don't want to discuss that. Anyway, before you rudely interrupted my morning, I was trying to make coffee," I say.

He steps back and helps me off the kitchen bench before perching on a chair. I make the two mugs of coffee and put them on the table before either of us says anything more.

"So what happened?" Joshua asks.

I snort. "Welcome home to you, too. Really romantic welcome!"

"I mean, that was pretty romantic, I thought. But hey, we have all day."

I chuckle before turning serious and delving into the truth, "Basically, a very long story short: Owen paid off a guy to have the information about who we were Fated to before our eighteenth birthdays. We're never meant to be Fated to each other, so he paid the guy off again to fake his Knot. He was Fated to this girl called Sophia, who we used to both be friends with. She's Segregated because she has no Fated One because of Owen. He admitted to doing it, but for me and him. I went back yesterday to try and sort it out, but he got... possessive. So, Josh offered for me to stay here, hence me being here. I... last night I concluded that I need to break up with him, and find his Fated One, Sophia."

He nods and sips his coffee. "Possessive, how?"

"Basically, he started going on about how he could get me in trouble if I reject him because he's got it so to any eye, we're Fated. He tried to physically stop me from leaving. He didn't hurt me, but he got physical. But I'm gonna go to the coffee shop today. If I do it while he's at work, he can't act like that again," I explain.

He tenses up, physically and in my mind.

"Joshua, don't. It's done, it's been and gone. Josh actually offered to go beat him up, but with the whole Fated thing, I thought it was better not to. Look, it's just... I'm going to end it with him. I'm then going to find Sophia. I think I've found her Facebook page anyway, so I'm going to send her a message."

"Why do that? Why not just report him for what he's done? We've found each other now, it'll work out for us, and the government can deal with him," he counters.

I sigh. I mean, it's not a bad plan.

But when I think about Owen, a small part of me thinks of all the good times. I don't want to hurt him, but I also want revenge for what he's done to three other people.

The other thing is, revenge isn't mine to get for Sophia and Joshua. Revenge is for me, and if I report him, I will just hurt myself rather than enjoy it.

"No, I just want this to be over with. I'll go there today, end our relationship."

"Move in here," he says.

I arch an eyebrow. "Move in? We're not even... I don't even know how to..." My voice stops, unable to form a coherent sentence.

He laughs. "I mean, I don't mean full-on sharing a bed and you know, whatever. I mean, if you want to, I'm up for that, but I mean, I have the spare bed you're already using. I... if you want to, that is."

I want to jump up and down and kiss him, tell him I'd love to do a full-on relationship move-in, but I don't even know what we are. I'm still technically engaged to Owen, and I haven't even been on a date with Joshua yet.

Yet.

"That'd be amazing, thank you," I whisper.

"You don't have to thank me."

I finish my coffee, and I can feel the tension between us rising like the steam from my coffee. He can clearly tell where I'm going with the caffeine courage.

"Amelia, I—"

"I think we should go on a date."

We both fall silent after speaking at the same time.

"Damn, I wanted to be the one to ask," he mutters.

I chuckle. "I didn't even ask, though. I was just going to say, after today, maybe we could. Should? I don't know. I... I don't know what we are, but I know I don't actually hate you, so maybe we should explore it? I don't know, I've never been good with this shit."

His eyes meet mine and I can see the amusement dancing the waltz on his expression. "Then leave the idea with me, and when you've ended things with him, I'll ask you."

I smile before putting the mugs in the dishwasher. "He starts soon, so I'll go get ready and go and just get it over with."

"I want one thing before you do. Well, actually, I want two things," Joshua says as he stands from the chair. "I want one more kiss. I also want you to let me come with you. I'll sit in the car or outside, or whatever, but I want to be near you. If he kicks off, I'll be in there like a shot."

He cups my face with both hands. I stare into those chocolate eyes and wish I could melt in them. People wish they could die by chocolate, but I know for a fact I will; Joshua's eyes hold so much power over me that I love. They make me want to kiss him senseless and drown in him.

Which is ridiculous because I've never been this sappy over anything or anyone. Not even Owen, before all of this happened.

I jump right in feet first and kiss him so hard, I start seeing stars under my eyelids. I thought my lips would get sore with the number of times we've kissed since he turned up, but all they do is tingle and demand more.

He kisses back, softer than I'm going, but enough to match me in hunger.

But he pulls back quick. "If we don't stop, I will bend you over right now."

I arch an eyebrow. "You have to wine me and dine me first!"

He snorts. "Well, you've just talked yourself into abstinence until the second date."

"Who says there'll be a second?" I tease.

He taps my bum but doesn't reply.

"I'll go get ready. But you're standing outside."

"Glad to hear it."

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Owen sits me down on my throne at the back of the shop as if nothing has happened. The place seems to be full of life though, despite the complete void of anything in my heart. I don't feel sad, I don't feel happy, not even a sense of relief is washing over me. I just feel like this needs to be done. I'm going through the motions like a doctor giving CPR: get it done, do it, deal with the emotions and aftermath later.

I wonder if any doctors or emergency workers deal with their emotions on the job. They'd surely crumble like a weathered cliff in a tsunami. This is totally different to saving someone's life, but I feel like it would be like that.

Though in a way, I am saving lives by doing this. Mine, Joshua's and potentially Sophia's. We might not die but if we get found out, we'd be dealt with.

I still need to message Sophia. But now, I'm sitting opposite Owen in the shop. He's wearing a hopeful expression against his white shirt and grey trousers which he's worn on purpose. My favourite colour is white: bland, blank and ready to be filled with colour. He knows I like the way those trousers sit on him as well.

But he's not winning the war; he's hurt me in more ways than just a simple lie.

"What brings you here this early?" he asks. He's grinning at me, and I just can't bring myself to smile back.

The man I've known all my life is about to be hurt, and it hurts me to do it. But beyond that, I know it needs to be done. Sometimes hurting someone is better in the long run, like breaking up, because otherwise, lives would be on the line. The opposite of lying because you wanted to be with your childhood sweetheart and put their lives on the line to do that.

"Owen, I've done a lot of thinking, and... I hate doing this because of our history. I... I can't be with you anymore. We need to break up."

His eyes meet mine like a seatbelt clicking into his holder. "What?"

"I love you, and I always will in a way because you're my first everything. My best friend, my boyfriend. But there is no way to come back from this. You put my life in danger, other lives in danger, you lied, manipulated, and cheated the situation. I don't wanna argue anymore. But I need you to listen to this. You controlled this when you could've approached me before we got our tattoos, we could've made that decision together, but you didn't. I can't live like that anymore, and I can't not be angry with you for it and hold a grudge forever. I can't do us anymore. We're over."

He smirks. "Because of Joshua, right? You've fallen for him, so you want to be with him."

I roll my eyes at him. "No. It's nothing to do with him. Us breaking up is because of your actions, Owen. I don't want to sit here and argue semantics. We're over." To make a point, I take my engagement ring off and place it by his coffee.

Our eyes meet once more.

"You're throwing nineteen years down the drain because I tried to keep us together? Really?"

"Do not throw this in my face any more than you already have, Owen," I snap.

"Camellia—"

"No. This is over. I'm going to pick some of my stuff up—"

"You're staying with him, aren't you? Don't lie to me, have you been cheating—"

"You cheated me out of my life and identity, Owen, so don't you fucking dare throw that at me."

He stands from the chair at the same time as I start to exit the shop.

"This isn't it, Amelia! After everything I've done—"

"Like fake your fucking Knot, you mean. Like, keep me from my Fated One. Like, Segregate an innocent woman?" I snap.

The door chimes.

"Oh, here he is, the man who ruined everything!" Owen taunts. Joshua stands beside me, as much as I want to put my hand out and grab for him, I know it would be a stupid thing to do right now.

"Owen, just... stop. It's over, okay?"

"No, it's not, Amelia. You might think it is right now, but when you work out that no matter what you do, you can't get rid of me. We know each other like the days of the week. You can't live without me. We are Fated—"

"You're deluded." I sigh and turn away.

"Come on, just walk away," Joshua mutters.

"This isn't over, Amelia!" Owen calls.

I let Joshua guide me out of the shop. All four pairs of eyes of other customers, and the three colleagues of his staring right at me as I walk through the door, leaving me feeling completely exposed even though I haven't done anything wrong.

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