33

I don't have a

Bucket list but

My bucket list is

A mile long.

"And since then, messages are left for me everywhere" I end my explanation. Coll and Justin look at me from the couch, startled. "And why do we only know this now?" Coll shouts angrily when he stands up. "You didn't go to the police, didn't you?" he continues. I shrink together by my brother's loud voice and Alex pulls me even closer to him. While Coll keeps shouting all kinds of things, Justin sits still on the couch staring in front of him.

"Justin says something too.' Calls Coll angrily at his brother as he throws his hands in the air. "We're going home," Justin says something for the first time tonight. "What? What about Lily?" asks Coll confused and calmer. "We're all going home," Justin answers decisively.

Alex's arm around my waist stiffens, I stiffen and Owen and Jax stiffen. "What?" Alex suddenly stands up straight. "She's going back to Belgium with us, we're leaving tomorrow.' Justin's getting up and ready to go to his room where he's staying with Coll. 'Lily's not going anywhere. She's staying with me.' Calls Alex angrily. Now Jax and Owen stand up and cross their arms. "I'm her brother and I say we leave tomorrow. It's not safe for her here.' Calling Justin back.

Alex takes a step forward and looks furiously at Justin. 'I'm her boyfriend and I know a brother has more right to speak, but I love her and I will protect her. She's not leaving.' He's hissing. Looking at the scene, I can feel my stomach-turning. My eyes are blurred by tears and all the sound is muted. I see how Alex is still arguing with Justin and that Coll is doing the same with Jax and Owen. Paralyzed, I stand up straight, stars and black spots danced in front of my eyes. I hear someone say my name and I try to turn my head in the direction of the voice.

Only I don't see the person but I see the ground approaching before everything is black.

I feel someone holding my hand. I want to open my eyes but they feel like they are stuck shut. After a few attempts I open my eyes and I see that I am lying in my room. Next to me in bed, Alex is sleeping while holding my hand. At the end of our foot Owen is lying. To the right I see Coll and Justin lying on a mattress. Jax is lying on a mattress on the left side. I look lovingly at the people I love so much and leave my gaze on Alex.

I take my free hand from under the blanket and bring it to his hair. With my fingers I start rubbing his hair and playing with it. Alex unconsciously gets closer as he sighs my name in his sleep. A smile graces my mouth when I hear this while I keep playing with his hair. After a few minutes he moves again but this time his eyes open a little. His beautiful green-brown eyes look into my brown ones.

'LILY' he suddenly shouts when he pulls me in his arms while I laugh out loud. I hear the other one moving and waking up but my attention stays on Alex. 'I love you' he mumbles in my ear. My smile gets bigger, 'I love you too' I tell him.

'Lily' I hear two people saying relieved at the same time. I turn around and see my brothers looking at me. I open my right arm, the one that isn't around Alex, and see my brothers stepping directly towards me and hugging me. I also see Owen and Jax crawling into the bed with us. "I love you" I say to them all. "We love you too Lil" Owen says for all of them.

After 10 minutes, I'm left alone in my room. They explained to me that I fainted because of the stress. "You're really happy here, aren't you?" asks Justin who is playing with my hair. I nod when I see Coll and Justin looking at each other. "Then you can stay here. You have to promise us that you'll send us something every three hours and that one of the three boys will always be with you.' They're serious. I nod gladly and put my hand promisingly on my heart. "I love you" I say as I give them both a kiss. "We love you too, but go to sleep now, tomorrow is a special day.' Says Coll as he puts me to bed and puts a kiss on my forehead.

I wake up by my door being opened. Several footsteps can be heard when I open my eyes. In front of me are Coll, Justin, Alex, Owen, Jax and Finn. Alex is holding a plate of pancakes with a candle on top. The boys all start singing "Happy Birthday." Jax sings the song too slow, Owen too fast, Finn sometimes goes very high while Coll goes low. I have to laugh so hard that I have to grab my belly and roll back and forth over my bed. I also hear Alex laughing sometimes while singing, followed by the rest. At the end of the song, everyone has to catch their breath because of the laughing.

'I should have filmed it' I pout through the idea that was shot too late. 'Lily' I hear someone shouting and see Lizz walk into my room from behind the boys. She jumps on the bed next to me at full speed. Then she sits on my lap and cuddles me. 'Happy birthday' she shouts happily as her little arms fly in the air. 'Thank you princess' I say when I give her a kiss on her cheek. Lizz has to giggle and walks happily out of my room. "Mommy, Mommy, Lily has called me princess again" she screams happy. This makes everyone in the room chuckle.

Alex steps forward with the sign in his hands. "Make a wish" he says while holding the candle for me. I wish, I wish, I wish nothing would change. And blow out the candle.

I am now sitting downstairs on the couch with all my friends around me. An hour ago, Mom and Dad called me to wish me happy birthday. I had decided that I wanted to have a small party with all my friends and then have a big party for all kinds of people I don't know .

'I'm first' Lexi happily sprints straight as she walks up to me. 'I would make sure your brothers don't see it' she whispers in my ear before she sits down again. Confused, I open the box but immediately close it again. I look at Lexi with big eyes and a red face, while she is lying on the floor laughing. "What is it?" Coll asks when he wants to take the present. 'NO' I scream when I jump straight with the present and run to my room. I rub the box under my bed before I walk back downstairs.

Everyone, except Lexi, looks surprised at me. "Who now?" I quickly ask to distract attention from what just happened. "I" calls Kim happily. Kim has bought me all kinds of grooming products. Then comes Britte because Kim said we're going down the line. Britte gave me a voucher for cinema.

I look at Finn who happily walks up to me and gives me a big box. In the box are all the series we had discussed that we once wanted to see together. Owen gave me a voucher for a bookstore while Jax gave me a series of books. My brothers come walking to me together with nothing in their hands. "We discussed this with Mom and Dad and Alex's parents. You have to go outside for your present' Coll says.

Everyone follows me outside. I open the sash and see something running towards me. A puppy Husky barks happily at me as I bend down. I pet him behind his ear and the pup lies happily on his back. I stand up and jump into the arms of Coll, 'thank you' I say when I kiss him. After that I also start to plant a kiss on Justin's cheek. "What are you going to call him?" he asks. "Dexie and Dex for short.'

We're all sitting on the couch again with a piece of cake watching a movie, while Dexie is sleeping at my feet. "Princess" whispers Alex in my ear. I look at him questioningly. He grabs my hand and takes me outside. He takes two velvet boxes out of his pocket and gives me the first one. I open the box and a beautiful necklace appears. Alex takes the necklace out and stands behind me to put it on. I grab the charm in the shape of a heart. 'Open it' Alex says as I do what he asks. Inside, there is a picture of our first kiss and on the other side the date is engraved.

I turn to Alex to thank him, when I see him on one knee. 'I know we're too young to get married, but I love you so much that I can't see a future without you. That's why I'd love it if you'd take this promise ring. Because I promise you that a real ring will replace it in the futur.' He says with so much love that tears flow down my cheeks. I nod yes and fly into Alex's arms. "I love you," I say between the kisses. 'I love you too' he mumbles against my lips.