Page 28

Lily

I ’ve spent the morning and afternoon reading page after page of how my relatives have died since the sixteenth century. To say that today has been less than stellar would be the understatement of my life.

Every entry has been a stark reminder that my page will soon be added to the extensive registry. The question is, how will my ending stack up against the others?

Will it be full of suffering and pain? Will it be quick and merciful? Unfortunately, judging by the contents of my dream thus far, I think my death will undoubtedly be part of the former group rather than the latter.

I’ve read just about every way anyone could possibly think of a person dying. I never knew there could be so many ways. Then again, maybe that’s because I haven’t given myself the time to think about it. I was always worried I would spiral into a dark, endless hole of possibilities for myself.

But after reading all the entries, I’ve concluded that understanding how I die may be my only chance at stopping it. That theory, however, is just as flawed as all my other ones and far from a guarantee. It seems that most of my ancestors knew every detail of their death before it occurred, and still, none of them were able to stop it.

Well, except Emily. I still haven’t figured out if she stopped it or if her prediction changed. She did live a long, full life, as did quite a few of the women listed in our family registry .

The dreams didn’t seem to be an omen of death at a young age. It was an omen for death at any age. Some died young—one as early as five.

The story of young Aurora is a heartbreaking one. Her dreams started as early as two. Others, like Emily, made it to their eighties or even nineties. Her parents wrote her page, being as detailed as they could regarding their daughter’s short life.

I shake my head to dispel the depressing thought. Reading how women in your family have died over the last three hundred years can really mess with a girl.

There is hope that I can live a long, fulfilled life, but with how young I was when my dream started and how much it has progressed in the past few weeks, I don’t think I’ll be one of those who lives into her eighties.

I close the old book and run my hand over the worn leather cover. My fingers delicately trace the embossed lettering that spells out Abbott across the top of the book. One that has held my family’s secret for centuries. The book looks its age, but it also looks unsuspecting, like it could be any other old book. What this book holds is anything but.

I stretch out my arms and legs, sore and stiff from being in the same position for hours. It’s time to get ready for my date with Luka. I smile when I think about the text he sent early this morning.

Luka: Good morning, beautiful. I can’t wait to see you today. Get ready for the best date of your entire life.

I laughed at how darn cocky he sounded, but I loved it.

Me: So sure of yourself! It could be just as mediocre as the orgasm…

I sent it just to rile him up because we both know my orgasm from the other night wasn't anything close to mediocre, and we both know I lost the bet when I agreed to go on the date tonight. He was enough of a gentleman not to rub it in last night.

Luka: I always like a good challenge, McKenna. You ready to bet on it? I’m 1-0 right now. I’m feeling lucky.

Me: You could tarnish your perfect record.

Luka: Nah, my record is perfectly safe from the likes of you. Double or nothing.

Me: Seems risky to me.

Luka: I’m just a man who knows what he wants and isn’t scared to go after it. What do you say? You scared?

I shivered when I read his text. His words lit a fire low in my belly.

Me: Never. You name it, I’m in.

And I was. Luka has awakened something in me that I’ve never felt before. I feel alive, humming with energy and excitement for each new adventure that awaits with him .

I don’t know what to wear. Luka told me he wanted it to be a surprise, which I like, but it doesn’t give a girl any clues about what outfit to wear. Do I go casual with blue jeans and a long-sleeve cropped top? Do I wear a dress?

Pff, who am I kidding? I didn’t even bring a dress with me. I definitely can’t borrow one from my grandma, either. I can imagine his face if he were to come pick me up for the date, and I was standing there in a floor-length, floral gown with sleeves that my grandmother wore to church last Sunday. I snort at the image that pops into my head.

No dress it is.

I groan and plop down on my bed, which is covered with every piece of clothing I brought with me. Going on a date with Luka was not on my bingo card when I packed, so it’s slim picking for an outfit. I do have a couple of cute tops, though, but I can’t decide.

I reach for my phone to facetime my best friend, and she answers on the second ring.

“What’s up, Lily Pad?” Stella’s pretty face pops up on the screen.

I suck my bottom lip into my mouth nervously before releasing it to answer. I need to have this conversation before I go on a date with her brother. In all honesty, it should have happened before this, but my friendship with her is important to me, and I want her blessing.

“Trying to decide what top to wear,” I say to test the waters. I assume Luka told her, but I want her to hear it from me.

“Hmmm, I see. For the big date with my brother?” she asks lightheartedly.

I gulp and then say, “Uh, yup. That’s the one.”

“Well, what do we have to work with?” she asks without skipping a beat.

I look around my clothing-covered bed. Then flip the camera so she can see what we are working with here. “I’m looking at crumbled tops, two pairs of jeans, and one nice pair of dress pants that I brought to wear to my parents’ tomorrow. Please tell me you heard something useful in this pile.”

Stella is a fashion major and knows my wardrobe inside and out, so I always trust her opinions.

“The flared jeans because they make your ass look phenomenal, and that cute lace top with your oversized sweater.”

I pick up the clothes she just described and lay them out together. The sage green in the lace top goes great with the cream-colored sweater, making the outfit effortlessly casual and sophisticated at the same time.

Dang, she’s good .

“How do you do that? I’ve been sitting here an hour staring at all this mess and never thought to put those two together.”

“Because I’m brilliant. Now give me the skinny on you and my brother, but leave out any kissy face time. I don’t need to know if he knows how to suck face or not. ”

I laugh because it’s just so Stella. She can cut through any bullcrap and land on the subject at hand without blinking an eye. She isn’t scared to have hard conversations. It’s one of the things I admire most about her. That and the fact that she genuinely doesn’t care about what anyone thinks of her.

I flip the camera back around so I can see her and lie down across my bed on top of the clothes. “There was some kissing involved, among other things.” I blush when I think about how hard he made me come on the roof of my grandmother’s house in the middle of the night, where the cows and horses could hear me scream his name.

“ Ugh. No. No. Nope not doing it. I love you, Lily, and I want you and my brother to be happy, but I just can’t do it.”

I laugh. “I’m sorry. I promise never to mention any sexy time between your brother and me ever again.”

“Sexy time? Back up! What in the hell happened? It’s been like two days!”

I laugh again at how her voice pitches in disbelief at the end. “I know, I know! But it just feels so freaking right, Stella. I can’t describe it other than I want to be around him with my whole being.”

“Man, you both have it bad. He’s been walking around here humming and skipping like he just won the lottery or got drafted into the NHL. I’ve never seen him like this, and you? You sound like the man of your dreams just swept you off your feet.”

“That’s because I think he did.”

She’s quiet after my admission, and I start to worry that I’ve upset her. That’s the last thing I want to do. I don’t know what I’ll do if she isn’t okay with us seeing each other.

“Are you sure?” she asks tentatively.

I think back to his words last night. “ This is as real as it gets,” he’d said. The moment I replay the words in my head, I’m more sure than ever when I answer.

“Yes.”

“Then that’s all I need to hear. I know you aren’t looking for my permission, but I do want to give you my blessing. Go be happy, Lily Pad. If that’s with my brother, then so be it. If it’s not, that’s okay, too.”

I tear up at how emotional getting her blessing makes me. “How did I get so lucky to have the best friend a girl could ask for?”

“Nah, I’m the lucky one. Don’t get all sappy on me. You’ll make me cry, and I’m in the middle of drawing the most epic hand you’ve ever seen in your life. I don’t need tears getting on the paper,” she sasses in true Stella form.

I laugh as I wipe under my eyes to clear the moisture building in the corners.

“Now, please put us all out of our misery and go get ready. This boy has been pacing the floor and counting down the minutes until he can get you. He will probably have a heart attack if he shows up and you aren’t ready.”

I giggle again. The relief of my best friend giving me her blessing to date her brother overwhelms me. I don’t know what I did to deserve either one of the Russo siblings, but I’m going to make sure I do everything I can to show them how much they mean to me.

“Thanks for everything, Stella,” I say wholeheartedly and earnestly.

“Anytime, Lily Pad. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”