Identity - Rewritten

Chapter Thirty-Four

August 2008

"You asked me once if I believed in fate." Junior's gaze is locked on the cloudy, moon-lit sky even as he speaks, the heavens reflected in his eyes.

Eloise smiles at the memory, threading her fingers through the grass below them. The night is cool, but she's significantly warmer now, wrapped up in Junior's favorite hoodie. 50 or so feet behind them, drinking and playing various instruments they'd brought along, is a group of maybe fifteen of Junior's– and now Eloise's– friends, but they're barely a thought in Eloise's mind as she looks at him. His long golden eyelashes have caught the light from the bonfire, and cast long shadows across his face.

"I did. You said that you couldn't believe our actions don't count for anything. That there's no way our entire lives are predetermined for us." Eloise turns her head to look at what she can see of the full moon above them. "What are you looking at?"

Junior ignores her question, and instead rolls onto his side, toward her. There's a sharp intensity to his night-dark eyes, so Eloise also rolls onto her side as well and props her head up under her hand.

"I changed my mind." Junior tone is incredibly serious, as though such a decision makes all the difference in the world.

Eloise quirks an eyebrow, and she doesn't bother to fight the upward tilt of her lips. "So you do believe in fate?"

"No, I think that it's not as black and white as that." He speaks carefully, like he's made the most important discovery in the world. "I think that not every action is predetermined, but there are just some people that we're meant to meet, some things we're meant to do, that happen regardless of what other choices we make."

Eloise nods, and mulls that over for a moment. "That makes a lot of sense," she finally decides.

Junior sucks his bottom lip between his teeth, eyes flicking up and down her face. "I think I was destined to meet you, Ellie."

She kisses him then, because she's never been as good with words as he has and she can't think of any that would adequately describe the sunshine blossoming in her chest. She can feel his smile in the press of their lips.

"I love you, Junior Ray," she says, when they pull apart.

His smile widens. "I know," he replies, and kisses her again.

They lay on the grass together for a while, Eloise wrapped in his arms, and she can't imagine anywhere else she'd rather be. But his breath begins to even out, and the rise and fall of his chest slows down, so Eloise turns over and shakes his shoulder.

"Junior. Hey," she whispers, watching his eyes flutter open.

His gaze focuses on Eloise. "Hey you. What time is it?"

"I don't know; late, probably. You fell asleep. We should head out."

Junior frowns. "But you were having so much fun."

That was true; before they'd gone to sit together on the grass, she'd sang and danced with their friends. She hadn't realized how much she'd needed that, before they'd arrived, and she also liked that it finally felt like his friends were her friends as well. They'd been cautious about introducing her to them, but she'd needed other people in her life.

"It's okay, I don't mind," Eloise says, though the prospect of leaving the bonfire does sadden her a little.

Junior shakes his head. "No, don't worry about it. I'm exhausted so I'll just go home with Luke; he was talking about leaving early. I'll get someone else to drive you back when it's over."