Free Solstice by P.J. Hoover

still there.
    “No, really. I’ll tell him I have to study.”
    Chloe blows out a breath. “Please, Piper. Do you realize how huge this is?”
    I nod, realizing also how much trouble I’ll be in if my mom ever finds out.
    “I’ll come over beforehand. I can help you get ready.”
    I look and see Chloe’s eyes have returned to normal, happiness shining through her. Like she really is happy for me somewhere inside. And Tanni’s horrible words come back to me hard.
    Chloe will die.
    It can’t be right. Not now. Chloe’s only eighteen like me. She’s got her whole life ahead of her. The whole thing was a dream. Or a nightmare. And just not real.
    I smile. “Are you sure? Because I don’t mind—”
    Chloe puts up her hand. “Don’t say another word about it. So how about Saturday?”
    Saturday. I haven’t even thought that far in advance. “How about it?”
    “Let’s go somewhere. Let’s do something fun.”
    “Like what?” I ask.
    Chloe shrugs. “Leave that to me. So where’s she going?”
    I lower my voice and spit it out. “She’s going to see my father.”
    Chloe’s eyes shoot open. “Your father?”
    I nod.
    “You know where he is?” she asks.
    “No. But apparently my mom does. And she’s not bringing me along.”
    “So will you get to meet him?”
    I shrug, because even though everything I know about him tells me I should stay far away, I do want to meet him. “I’m not sure.” And then I tell her about the note. Even though I’ve destroyed the piece of paper, the words are etched in my mind.
    “He asked what frightened you? God, that’s creepy.”
    “Yeah,” I say.
    “Piper, the whole note sounds creepy.” She brings her hand to her tattoo and feels the skin underneath. The same way I’ve been doing. “He’ll be seeing you soon?”
    She’s confirmed my exact thoughts, and heaviness pushes into my mind. “Why can’t I just have a normal family like yours? Why is it that, after eighteen years of running from some phantom father, he really does have to turn out to be as bad as my mom’s told me?”
    Chloe grabs my hand. “You don’t need him. You’ve been fine without him this long. Let your mom go away, do whatever she needs to do. We’ll go off and have our fun, and then things can just be normal.”
    I laugh. Like things have ever been normal. Still, Chloe can be pretty convincing when she wants to be.
    “So she’ll be back…?”
    “Monday,” I say.
    Chloe clasps her hands together in front of her. “We are going to have so much fun.”
    I know she’s right. My mom will take care of my father. He’ll stay out of our lives. And Chloe will not die. Tanni was a figment of my imagination. People don’t walk around with fog in their eye sockets spouting gloom and doom fortunes. It’s just not the way life is.

Chapter 10

Date
    I peek outside at ten o’clock on Friday night and see Reese staring up at my window. The fact that he knows exactly which window is mine is both creepy and flattering. I try to focus on the flattering part.
    I open the front door and call to him. “Hey.”
    His eyes shift in my direction. “Hey.”
    “My mom’s gone for the weekend,” I say. Maybe it’s not the smartest thing to tell him, but my rush of freedom is controlling my mind.
    A grin forms on his face like he’s just found a way to fix the lottery. “That is perfect.”
    He walks up the steps to the door, and I notice he’s carrying a bundle of pink calla lilies. At first, I think he’s brought me a potted plant, but when he moves his hands forward, I see they’re clipped at the stems. I can’t help the shock that registers on my face. There are huge penalties for being caught with cut flowers. Not to mention if my mom sees these, she’ll freak.
    But my mom’s not here.
    “I brought you flowers.” He looks past me into the Botanical Haven like he’s making sure I’m really alone.
    Chloe left fifteen minutes ago; I don’t know if I should invite him