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Taking a deep and shaky breath, she headed for the stairs before she could stop herself, or before she passed out fro to do As her hand rested on the doorknob, a thought hit her She turned and walked through to her office She took the long strand of papier-mâché beads from the bowl on her desk and slipped theo with the outfit, but they felt right For some reason the fact she’d worn them on her last professional photo shoot, before the accident,to wear now Her hand trembled as she stroked the beads She was literally half the woman she’d been the last time she wore them

“It’s going to be okay,” she whispered out loud

Her stomach lurched She knew that it was a lie She probably wasn’t going to be okay She was probably going to make a fool of herself in front of the town and the national press Her scars would be revealed, the coat would slip or the ould blow—so would happen She was sure of it And then all anyone would talk about would be the scars Not the fact she was healthy and alive Not the fact her shop needed the business Not even the fact she was fighting again

“It hasn’t happened yet,” she said aloud “Nothing is set in stone You don’t knoill happen You don’t”

Now she was really beginning to feel like she’d lost her mind

With a shuddering deep breath, she opened the door to her shop and stepped out into the crowded high street For a second, everything was surreal She was dressed like a cheap hooker on a Saturday afternoon in Invertary Her steps faltered Then someone shouted above the crowd

“Isn’t that Kirsty?”

Slowly everyone turned towards her Kirsty forgot how to breathe With great effort she sround did not open up beneath her She took another step and another; her hips began to sway as they remembered the walk she’d perfected as a model And before she knew it, she was halfway across the road

There was no going back now

Lake felt the at towards the front of her shop The excitement in the chatter went up a notch

“Holy s “for her fans” next to his tuxedoed cut-out “It’s Kirsty”

Everything within hih the crowd He rew eerily quiet They parted for hi he knew, he was standing on the paveth fur coat

“Shut your trap,” Betty said beside hi your fancy suit”

His mouth snapped shut

Kirsty walked straight at him as cameras clicked and flashed Her eyes never left his Those deep, smoky eyes She stopped in front of hi the coat shut at her neck