A Twist Of Fate (PREVIOUSLY A Purple Garden)

Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

Eight Years Ago

Curled up on the familiar softness of her bed, Sydney smiled to herself as she pressed her phone to her ear. "What's your favorite Disney movie?" She absentmindedly traced small circles with her finger on the blue and green quilt underneath her.

"Hm," she heard Lucas hum thoughtfully. Something about that warm sound made her chest swell. "Definitely Fox and the Hound."

"Why?"

"Why not?" He argued, his deep chuckle a rumbling sound through the phone. "Do you not like Fox and the Hound?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying," she laughed. "It's a good movie-"

"It's a great movie. Get it right," he poked playfully, the tone in his voice teasing.

She rolled her eyes. "It's a great movie," she repeated in defeat, grinning wider even though he couldn't see it. "Is that better?"

"Much better." Sydney found herself hanging onto his every word as she listened to him talk. She wanted to think he was smiling as much as she was. "What about you? What's your favorite Disney movie?"

Rolling on to her back from her side, she moved the phone to her other ear. The back of her newly freed hand rested against her forehead as she stared at her eggshell-white ceiling above her. She crossed her legs at the ankles. "Well," she began, pausing as she thought. "It's hard to pick just one."

"You have to," he pressed, a smile still in his voice.

She thought for a moment longer. "Okay. Aladdin."

"Aladdin?" he repeated disinterestedly.

"Oh my God. Don't tell me that you don't like Aladdin?"

"I mean it's alright," he agreed passively. "But if we're talking Disney princess movies, I'm on a completely different page."

Sydney raised an eyebrow as she rolled onto her stomach. She propped herself up on her elbows. "You have a favorite Disney princess?"

"Of course," Lucas answered without even a moment of hesitation. "Rapunzel."

Surprised, Sydney knew Lucas wasn't like most guys, but this showed her how feminine he really could be. Most guys she knew wouldn't even admit that they had seen a Disney Princess movie and here he was with a favorite and he was so confident and comfortable with it. She smiled wider. "Why, Rapunzel?" She asked with what she meant to be a soft, patient voice.

"She's independent and she's fearless. Seriously, the girl isn't afraid of anything. She knows what she wants, and she goes after it. I'd also like to point out how she totally stuck it to the witch in the end. That was great. And also I really respect how pure and real her love with Eugene was. She wasn't kidnapped like Belle was in Beauty and the Beast. She didn't fall for someone because they kissed her dead body like in Snow White. Like seriously what was that about?" Sydney laughed, smiling as she listened carefully to his smooth voice on the phone. "They got to know one another. Like really get to know each other and that was when they realized they were in love. That's real. It wasn't love at first sight like it is for nearly all the other Disney princesses-"

"Hey," Sydney interjected playfully, mock offense in her voice.

"Tell me it's not true, Syd." Instead of coming up with a response, she simply laughed. "Thank you. I rest my case."

She raised an eyebrow curiously. "So what you're saying is that you don't believe in love at first sight?"

Lucas was quiet for a moment, as if he was searching for his words. "I don't know. Maybe. In the moment, I don't think you would know it's love though. You'd just think 'wow, this person is really special,' you know what I mean?"