The Red Strings Of Fate //✔️//

7 | The Decision

At first it hits Reese a lot harder than she thinks.

"I'll think about it." She tells Carter, who looks utterly and completely shocked at this answer, but the older understands. Carter understands that he isn't just asking if he can borrow some extra flour to bake cookies. No, he's asking for a complete life change for four different people.

What he doesn't know, is that Reese is one of these people.

Carter leaves Reese feeling heavy, an odd burning sensation growing in her chest. Reese returns to work, mind clouding over with strange feelings. As the evening wears on, Reese's chest feels heavier and heavier, to the point that it gets painful. She begins to wonder if she's about to have a heart attack, when a sudden coldness runs through her. Reese feels like she's going to be sick.

She is going to be sick.

Reese thanks the stars that none of her tables need anything, feet carrying her to the restroom where she quickly bounds for the closest toilet, puking her guts out. Sharp pains rip through her lungs as she empties her stomach contents, a prickly feeling scratching at her throat, and the floral smell contradicting with the raunchiness of the club bathroom.

Wait.

Floral?

Reese's wipes the tears from her eyes, widening in horror as she sees nothing but black within the toilet. She reaches in slowly, pulling out a few dark petals.

Flower petals.

No.

Reese feels her heart thumping in her chest, mind racing in every different direction. She reaches for her pocket, pulls out her phone and scrolls through the pictures. Reese comes across the series of pictures she took at the park, when she was supposed to draw something ugly and beautiful at the same time. The flower she took a picture of has the exact same petals as the ones she just threw up.

The black baccara rose.

Reese knows what this is. She's heard the stories, learned about it in school, read plenty of books on it, but it still surprises her. Still knocks the wind from her aching heart. Of all the things that could go immensely wrong in her life,-- and by fuck, they surely have-- this takes the cake. Reese knows she was just handed a death sentence by life, knows that any God out there is laughing at her pain.

Reese Parker knows that she has hanahaki disease.

.

When Reese arrives home from the club, she shoots Jordan a text to let him know that she is alright, even though she isn't.

As Reese paces in her dorm, she reminds herself of multiple things, trying to distract her mind: there are only three weeks left of school, so she needs to call the building manager for the apartment complex she's decided to move into so she doesn't end up homeless. Once again: there are only three weeks left of school, and Reese still has not finished her final portfolio-- fuck, she needs to sign up for classes for next semester, doesn't she? Because she's already a student, she gets first pick. Shit, Reese can not let that get too late.

An itching in her throat interrupts her thoughts, Reese clearing her throat, a single black petal shooting up from her esophagus. Reese feels tears form in her eyes, as she finally lets her mind wander to Carter. Her soulmate is so in love with someone else, and Gemma is a good person. Gemma is always so kind to Reese, and helps her with anything she needs. This would be so much easier if Gemma was a bitch, but she isn't. Reese can't find it in herself to part the two, not on her account.