The Date
I exhaled slowly, trying to steady the fluttering nerves in my chest. I nodded slowly, heart thudding a little faster. Nora covered her mouth, her eyes wide. โYouโre bolder than I thought.โ Some were torn at the edges, a little faded, others looking like theyโd been tucked away in wallets or books. Levi helping me braid my hair because I was too tired to do it myself. This was more than a date. I laughed softly to myself. As she stood, Nora gently touched my hand and met my eyes. โDonโt worry about your brother tonight, okay?โ
Lolita didnโt look surprised. She moved to sit on the edge of the bed, looking thoughtful. Nora raised a brow. โOf course.โ โYouโre glowing,โ Lolita said proudly, stepping back to admire their work. โLikeโฆ damn. If I were one of them, Iโd fall on my knees.โ The entire rooftop had been transformed into something out of a dream. Lennox pulled out my chair while Levi helped me sit.
โAre you ready?โ Lennoxโs voice came through the mind-link, his tone gentle, laced with anticipation. Nora grinned. โTheyโre not going to survive tonight." I frowned slightly, sensing something unspoken between themโฆ but I let it go for now. โAbsolutely unreal,โ Louis added, slipping beside him with a crooked smile, though his eyes held something far deeper. I laughed, nerves and excitement swirling in my chest as I prepared to teleport. I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat almost too big to speak past. I was still so stunnedโby the rooftop, the pictures, them. There they were. โAbsolutely divine,โ Nora agreed, holding up a blue gown. It shimmered faintly under the lights, hugging all the right places. โTry this. The triplets are going to go breathless when they see you.โ Lolita chuckled. โYou donโt have to do it all at once, Olivia.โ โSit,โ Nora said with a tiny smile. โWeโre dressing you up. Youโve got a date to slay tonight.โ โI-โ I started, but my voice broke. I could practically hear the smirk in his voice. Lolita stood behind me, her fingers running through my hair. โYour roots are showing,โ she noted softly. A smile tugged at my lips. โYes. Iโm ready.โ I took a slow step forward, my eyes scanning the nearest photo. It was meโbarely ten years oldโgrinning with frosting all over my cheeks. Louis stood behind me, making bunny ears over my head while Lennox tried to swipe a piece of cake from my plate. Levi was to my right, holding up a badly wrapped gift with my name scrawled on it in big, messy letters. I nodded slowly, my heart hammering a little faster as I imagined what tonight might bring. I turned. โI think I want toโฆ with them,โ I admitted softly. โWith the triplets. I know it sounds crazy, but Iโฆ I just feel it. Like I want to give that part of myself to them. All of them.โ โBut what if I want to?โ I asked shyly. โWhat if I want it to beโฆ special but shared? Likeโฆ all of us together. I want them to know Iโm theirs. And I want to feel that Iโm theirs too.โ It was the photographs. Nora perked up. โReally?โ Lolita winked. โOr knock them to their knees. Same effect.โ Within minutes, the blonde was goneโreplaced by the rich, glossy black I hadnโt seen in months. But she quickly turned away, adjusting the necklace around my throat. Lolita shot her a side glance but said nothing. โIt doesnโt sound crazy,โ she said gently. โYou love them.โ She bent down and slipped a pair of sapphire-blue heels onto my feet, fastening the delicate straps around my ankles. The heels matched the gown perfectly, adding just the right amount of heightโand elegance. As Nora helped zip me up, something tugged at the back of my mind. I bit my lip, debating with myself for a moment before finally turning to them. I blinked. โCan I ask you both somethingโฆ a little personal?โ โYou look stunning,โ Lolita said, giving my shoulders a little squeeze. I didnโt even know they had them.
Hundreds of candles glowed softly along the floor, their flames flickering gently in the evening breeze, casting a golden haze over everything. Twinkling fairy lights, hung from overhead, draped like falling stars across the edges of the rooftop canopy. The scent of jasmine floated faintly in the air, blending perfectly with the warm night. Another one of me curled up on a couch, sound asleep, my head on Lennoxโs lap, while Leviโs hand rested gently on my ankleโand Louis was in the background, asleep on the floor beside us with a book covering his face. I walked over and sat too, fiddling with the hem of the gown. โBut Iโve neverโฆ I mean, how do you even do something like that? With three of them? At once?โ My breathโฆ was gone. Lolita, on the other hand, just gave a knowing smile. โI have. A few times.โ I hadnโt seen these in years. Nora sat beside her, still looking a little dazed. โWowโฆโ Louis moved quickly, taking my hand and guiding me toward the center of the rooftop, where a round table was set for four. Crystal glasses shimmered beside silverware. All my favorite dishes were beautifully displayed. A bottle of wine sat chilled in the center. Nora leaned over, carefully applying the final stroke of mascara to my lashes while Lolita adjusted the straps of my gown. I hadnโt seen that photo in years. I didnโt even remember it being taken. My fingers trembled slightly as I reached out and brushed the edge of it. And then there were candid shotsโฆ raw moments. Me crying into Louisโs shoulder one night after I failed an important test. I chuckled weakly but obeyed, letting them take over. It was how they were looking at me. Lennox stepped forward first, his eyes roaming over me slowly like he was memorizing everythingโmy hair, my dress, my lips. All around me, clipped onto delicate strings and pinned between vines and lanternsโฆ were pictures of us. โI know,โ I murmured. โI was thinkingโฆ maybe I should go back to black. My natural color.โ The triplets stood near the edge of the rooftop, backlit by the soft glow of string lights. All three of them were dressed in fitted black shirts and slacks, sharp and heartbreakingly handsome, but what stole my breath again wasnโt just the way they looked.
Oliviaโs POV I slowly walked past them, my heart aching and blooming at once. Every picture was a memory. A ghost of who we used to beโฆ and maybe, who we could be again. I nodded. โYeah.โ The Date Nora and Lolita pulled me toward my vanity the moment it was 5 p.m. I couldnโt speak. Noraโs eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head, her cheeks flushing. โNo! IโI havenโt. Iโm still a virgin.โ Lolita leaned in. โIf itโs loveโand I know it isโitโll be unforgettable. Justโฆ make sure itโs your choice.โ There was one of us all at a lake, soaked and laughing, with me chasing Levi through the shallows while Louis and Lennox pushed each other off a dock. I nodded slowly. โTheyโre waiting.โ โDo you like it?โ Like I was the only thing in the world that mattered. Lennox carrying me on his back up a hill because Iโd twisted my ankle during training and refused to be left behind. Levi gave me a soft nod from where he stood, his voice like velvet. โBreathtaking.โ Nora clapped her hands softly. โThen go. Knock them dead.โ Further along, there was anotherโme in a pale blue graduation gown, cap in hand, tears in my eyes. Lennox had his arm around my shoulder, pulling me in close while Levi stood at my other side, offering a soft smile. Louis had somehow managed to photobomb the shot, halfway through lifting me off the ground in a hug. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I barely recognized the girl staring back. Not because she looked differentโฆ but because, for once, she looked like me. Lolita grinned. โNow youโve got my attention.โ Lolita, on the other hand, smiled warmly. โThen you take your time. You talk to them. Tell them how you feel. And when the moment comesโyou let them show you, guide you, but also trust your own body. Your own instincts.โ Pictures of me. I smiled at that, feeling a sudden flutter in my stomach. The Date But it wasnโt the lights that stole my breath completely. I hesitated, then looked between them. โHave you two everโฆ you knowโฆ had sex before?โ When I opened them again, I was standing on the rooftop of the Luciano mansionโand the moment I arrived, the air caught in my lungs. My tenth birthday. โWeโre on the rooftop,โ he added. โCome find us.โ Just then, a voice brushed across my mind. Lolita noticed the shift in my expression. โLet me guess. That was one of them.โ With one final deep breath, I closed my eyes and teleported. โYouโreโฆ stunning,โ he said quietly.