iMate

Claire ran her straightener through her hair over and over. It was such a monotonous movement that it almost helped to calm her nerves. Not quite, but almost.

The knock against her bedroom door nearly startled her, but she knew immediately that it was Sydney. She was the only person who gave that same string of quick knocks.

“Your mom let me in,” Sydney said, heading straight for the foot of Claire’s bed.

Sydney’s head tilted in confusion the moment she caught sight of Claire’s outfit. The girl, who usually stuck to wearing jeans and a One Direction shirt, was wearing an oversized sweater, boots, and leggings. Squinting both her eyes, Sydney spoke again. “You look nice.”

“You think so?” Claire asked, turning quickly on her heels to gauge Sydney’s reaction.

“Yes.” Sydney lowered her eyes again. She knew Claire well enough to know that she had something up her sleeve. “Why do you look so nice, Claire?”

Turning back to the mirror, Claire widened her eyes. “No reason.”

“Claire.”

“Sydney.”

“Claire.”

“We’re going to meet One Direction, okay?”

Sydney groaned, as she fell back onto the bed. “Not this again.”

“We have to, Syd.”

Claire ran the straightener through her hair one last time, before clicking it off. She turned back to Sydney, with her teeth tugging at her lip. Her head lowered, as her eyes began to wet with her well-practiced fake tears. It was her puppy dog look, and it was nearly impossible to resist.

Groaning again, Sydney sat up. Her lips were pursed, as she gave Claire one last look over. Her bright blue eyes were practically begging Sydney, and deep down, the girl knew that Claire was going to go whether Sydney was with her or not.

If Sydney didn’t go, Claire would get into a mess of trouble and she couldn’t let that happen. Without Sydney there to keep her levelheaded, there was no telling what Claire would do.

Another groan escaped her lips as she spoke. “So, did you get backstage passes or something?”

“Not exactly.”

“Passes for a meet and greet?”

Her eyelashes batting, Claire shook her head..

“Claire.”

“Sydney.”

“Claire, what did you do?”

With a smile, Claire turned away from Sydney and back to the mirror. Pushing her hair behind her ear, Claire’s eyebrows lifted.

“I got their hotel room number.”



With her hand wrapped tightly around Sydney’s wrist, Claire kept her body low, ducking between cars in the parking garage. Fans were surrounding the perimeter of the hotel, blocked off by a small yellow gate.

Luckily, Claire and Sydney didn’t have to worry about dealing with the crazy fans, because they were going to the back of the hotel, through a city alleyway that almost no one knew about. It was reserved mostly for staff and garbage trucks, and the occasional food drop off for the kitchen.

Sydney’s free hand was wrapped around a paper bag, decorated with the Nando’s logo. It was their ticket in, and the only reason Sydney was carrying it was because she feared Claire would lose it if she didn’t.

On the opposite side of the parking, Claire spotted a security guard making his usual round. Tugging Sydney’s hand, Claire pulled her behind the large escalade that had taken up two parking lots. She quickly shoved her finger over Sydney’s lips before she could make any type of noise, and Sydney didn’t try to resist.

When the guard finally passed them, Claire leapt over one of the concrete barriers that separated the lanes, and Sydney was soon to follow her, using twice as much grace as she had.

The edge of the parking lot was near and Claire knew they only had a few feet more before Sydney would deliver a slap to her face. There was one thing Claire had yet to tell Sydney.

Claire pressed her hands to the edge of the parking garage, gripping tightly onto the concrete wall. Sydney’s eyes widened, as she came to the conclusion all on her own.

“Left or right?” Sydney asked, her voice tense.

Claire looked back to her, flashing a worried smile. “Straight?”

Sydney groaned, the sound echoing through the parking lot, bouncing off of cars and concrete. Her hands flew to her sides, as her head turned up and let out another sigh.

Claire moved to shush her, but before she could, Sydney was speaking, her voice an angry whisper.

“You can’t be serious.”

“It’s only about eight feet off the ground.”

“Eight long feet.”

“Eight short feet.” Claire looked back towards the edge, leaning over it slightly. It really wasn’t that far of a drop and she could help Sydney when she got down. “The door is right there.”

“And then what?” Sydney’s voice was low, as she tried to talk Claire down from the edge. “We pose as delivery girls bringing food to Niall?” She held up the tattered paper bag, which held glorious amounts of food.

“It’s going to work.” Claire’s eyes continuously moved between the ledge and the door, as she calculated how much time it would take to get to it.

“What exactly do you think is going to happen? You’re going to go up to the boys’ rooms and they’re going to instantly fall in love with you? Do you realize how crazy that sounds?”

Claire’s teeth tugged at her bottom lip, and Sydney immediately regretted speaking the words.

As much as Claire hated to admit it, Sydney was right. There was no way she could go into that hotel without looking like a complete loon. There was no way she could climb those fifteen flights of stairs without looking like a madman. There was no way she could make Liam fall in love with her.

Her breath left her lips in a deep sigh.

Claire didn’t know what to do. She knew Liam was her soulmate – her iMate told her that – but she didn’t know what to do about it. She couldn’t even find a sensible way to meet him, let alone make him fall in love with her.

The boy she was destined to be with was nearly impossible to reach. He was so close to her, but he might as well have been miles away.

Destiny had told her that she and Liam should be together, but it didn’t give a single hint on how to make that happen. He had millions of girls dropping at his feet and she was just another face in a sea of people. He was unreachable, untouchable, and impossible to get close to.

Fate told her that they should be together, but fate put so many things in the way of making that happen.

How could fate be so cruel?