I force my eyes upward and look at Mia for the first time. She's still beautiful. Not in an obvious Vanessa LeGrande or Bryn Shraeder kind of way. In a quiet way that's always been devastating to me. Her hair, long and dark, is down now, swimming damply against her bare shoulders, which are still milky white and covered with the constellation of freckles that I used to kiss. The scar on her left shoulder, the one that used to be an angry red weld is silvery pink now. Almost like the latest rage in tattoo accessories. Almost pretty.
Gayle FormanSometimes fate or life or whatever you want to call it, leaves a door a little open and you walk through it. But sometimes it locks the door and you have to find the key, or pick the lock, or knock the damn thing down. And sometimes, it doesnโt even show you the door, and you have to build it yourself.
Gayle FormanThere were signs. Probably more of them than I ever caught, even after the fact. But I missed them all. Maybe because I wasnโt looking for them. I was too busy checking over my shoulder at the fire Iโd just come through to pay much attention to the thousand-foot cliff looming in front of me.
Gayle Forman