The sun crept over the horizon, bathing Everdale in soft hues of orange and gold. Emily woke with a start, her heart pounding and her breathing heavy. The dream had returned, vivid as ever. But this time, it wasn't just one thread pulling her forward—it was two.
She sat up in bed, running a hand through her hair, her mind swirling with questions. Two threads? What did it mean? For years, she'd held onto her grandmother's stories, cherishing the idea that one thread connected her to her soulmate. But now, she wasn't so sure.
The memory of yesterday lingered in her mind: Ryan's piercing gaze, Dominic's warmth, and the strange sensation of being tugged in two directions at once. She glanced at her wrist where the red ribbon rested. For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw it glow, but when she blinked, it was just a ribbon again.
With a sigh, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and got ready for school.
---
The walk to school was quiet, save for the occasional chirp of birds and the crunch of leaves beneath her sneakers. Emily spotted Dominic waiting at their usual spot, his hands tucked into his jacket pockets. He smiled when he saw her, but there was something different in his eyes—a kind of hesitation.
"Morning, Em," he greeted, falling into step beside her.
"Morning," she replied, forcing a smile.
They walked in silence for a while, the easy chatter they usually shared replaced by an unspoken tension. Emily stole a glance at him, noticing the way his jaw tightened, the way his gaze lingered on her longer than usual.
"You okay?" she finally asked.
Dominic shrugged. "Yeah. Just… a lot on my mind."
Emily wanted to press further, but she couldn't bring herself to. Her own thoughts were too jumbled, too distracted by the invisible threads she could still feel pulling at her.
---
By the time they reached school, Emily's nerves were frayed. She spotted Ryan almost immediately. He was leaning against a locker, his eyes scanning the hallway until they landed on her. The intensity of his gaze sent a shiver down her spine.
"Who's that?" Dominic asked, his voice laced with curiosity—and something else Emily couldn't quite place.
"That's Ryan," she said, keeping her voice neutral. "The new guy."
Dominic's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't say anything more.
---
Emily tried to focus on her classes, but her mind kept wandering. During lunch, she found herself in the courtyard, away from the bustling cafeteria. She needed space to think.
The sound of footsteps pulled her from her thoughts. She turned to see Ryan approaching, his expression unreadable.
"Mind if I sit?" he asked.
Emily hesitated but nodded.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Ryan broke the silence.
"Do you ever feel like there's something bigger at play? Like your life is being guided by something you can't see?"
The question caught Emily off guard. She looked at him, her heart racing. "Why do you ask?"
Ryan smiled faintly. "Just a feeling."
Emily studied him, trying to decipher the meaning behind his words. There was something about him that felt familiar, like she'd known him in another life. But how could that be?
Before she could respond, Ryan stood, slipping his hands into his pockets. "See you around, Emily."
And just like that, he was gone, leaving her with more questions than answers.
---
The rest of the day passed in a blur. By the time school ended, Emily felt like she was drowning in her own thoughts. She was walking home when she heard someone call her name.
"Emily!"
She turned to see Dominic jogging toward her.
"Hey," he said, slightly out of breath. "Can we talk?"
"Of course," she said, though her stomach churned with unease.
They sat on a bench near the park, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the ground.
Dominic took a deep breath, his hands fidgeting in his lap. "I've been thinking about us… about how close we've always been."
Emily's heart skipped. She knew where this was going, and she wasn't sure she was ready for it.
"I care about you, Em. More than just a friend," Dominic admitted, his voice steady but his eyes filled with vulnerability.
Emily opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. She cared about Dominic too—he'd been her rock for as long as she could remember. But what about Ryan?
"I… I don't know what to say," she finally whispered.
Dominic nodded, a bittersweet smile on his face. "It's okay. I just needed you to know."
---
That night, Emily sat by her bedroom window, staring out at the quiet streets of Everdale. The red ribbon on her wrist felt heavier than usual, as if it were trying to tell her something.
She closed her eyes, focusing on the sensation of the threads. They were still there, pulling her in two directions—one toward Dominic, the other toward Ryan.
For the first time, she wondered if she could choose.
But deep down, she knew the threads would lead her where they wanted, whether she was ready or not.