Silver - By Kailin Gow Page 0,57

me

I knew what it meant and instantly felt that jolt of envy.

Having turned eighteen a few weeks back, she’d final y received her Life’s Plan.

“I final y got word from the Committee. Can you believe it? I hold in my hand my Life’s Plan.”

“And you managed to hold that bit of information back this long?” I said, teasing her.

“I love you and want this birthday to be special for you, but now that everything is practical y settled, we can talk about moi.”

“So, what does the future hold for toi?”

Before she could answer, the waitress arrived with our order.

“Everything looks delicious as usual. Thank you,”

Sarah said with a quick, polite but dismissive smile. She was eager to tel us about her Life’s Plan and it showed.

Beaming with pride, she pul ed out her electronic pad, inserted the smal chip she’d received from the Committee and turned the screen to Liam and me.

Ignoring the plate of hot food before me, I read through the introduction, though I basical y knew it al . She came from the affluent Diamond Suburbs, was the only child to Mick and Fay Murray who both happened to work on the very Committee she’d just received notice from.

“Okay, so you guys already know that part,” Sarah said as she guided the page further down. “Here’s the interesting part.”

I smiled as I envisioned the life that had been plotted out for her. She was to attend Arcadia University where she would meet her future husband in the Elite Society. Both would go on to work for the Committee and live in the Diamond Suburb.

“Oh, Sarah. I’m so excited for you.” I final y picked up my little burger and sank my teeth into it.

“I knew you’d be. This is exactly what I wanted.

Exactly what I was hoping for.”

“Do you know how lucky you are to receive a Life’s Plan that is just as you wanted it?”

“I know. I never would have thought.”

I turned to Liam who’d sat silently through the exchange, his mammoth burger almost half gone. A wistful smile warmed his face as he looked at me. That look of love that came so often stil warmed me just as much as it did on our very first date. He slid his hand around my waist and pul ed me closer and I knew where his mind had wandered to; his own Life’s Plan.

He was set to marry a girl he’d known al his life. It could hardly be anyone else but me. Everyone agreed we were the perfect match. He would someday take his dad’s place as Governor of Arcadia, but would start at the Committee. He, too, was slated to live in the luxurious suburb of Diamond.

How many times had he told me his Life’s Plan had to include me? Countless. And every time he did, my heart raced a little faster. Life would indeed be perfect; a beautiful home in an exclusive neighborhood, a loving and gorgeous husband, and my best friend living nearby. What more could I hope for?

I couldn’t resist leaning into him for a warm snuggle.

He wrapped his arms around me, kissed my forehead and chuckled in that soft way he had when he knew I was feeling amorous.

“Cool it, you guys,” Sarah snapped. “I’m stil here, in case you hadn’t noticed. Besides, this is my Life’s Plan we’re happy about, remember? You’l have your chance in a few weeks, Kama.”

Yes, I wanted to scream. And I hoped I wouldn’t have to wait long. While some people waited weeks, as Sarah had, many got their Life’s Plan within days of their eighteenth. No doubt mine would greatly resemble Sarah’s and Liam’s. We were basical y cut from the same cloth, even if our childhoods were slightly different, and our destinies were bound to include one another.

The sensation returned again, drawing my attention away from the table and pul ing me out of the diner like a magnet. I looked out the window, looking for the source of my distraction.

Across the street, simply standing there, tal , dark and strangely out of place, was a young man of such intensity, the hair on my arms rose. He was like no other man I’d ever seen, confident, sure and so attractive in his gloom. His fashion sense was from another world, or at the very least from another town.

While the occasional blue jean was seen here and there, most young men of Arcadia wore stylish and elegant slacks. But this intruder dared