The Coldest Summer✓

Thirty-nine

"Do you think everything will go back to normal?" I ask Amelia anxiously.

I mean, wouldn't it be fine if things were to turn back into how they used to be before I boarded the plane to Montana? Is that what I truly want, though? That same boring life I once knew?

"No, Kira," she answers me curtly. "I'm afraid not everything will go back to normal."

"I guess." I stare at her for a long moment, contemplating her words. "What else can you see?" I smile as I ask her this.

A way to lose my mind to completion!

"Well, I see a prince and a knight in your life." Amelia gazes up at me and her plump lips curve into a smile.

Oh, and what am I now? Guinevere of Camelot? Because I can only think of Prince Arthur and Sir Lancelot.

"And . . . What is that?" I smother a laugh at the thought.

"I'm not sure. But they'll always be there for you if you allow them to stay," Amelia replies, leaving me in the dark. She goes through the cards, once again, and her eyes crinkle. "This is interesting."

"What?" I'm too anxious now.

"Well . . . I see two paths rendered for you to choose," she says. I hold my breath tightly, my eyes focused on her. "You'll have to make a big decision, Kira. And very soon. No matter how difficult that moment will be, remember to listen to your heart because it'll be your only guide. Whatever choice you make will have a huge impact in your life, because it'll be a life-changing decision indeed."

"Okay, now you're losing me." I sigh heavily, a bit terrified and overwhelmed by this.

Amelia laughs gently. "Let your moon shine, Kira. Sometimes darkness engulfs our lives just to allow another light that's more beautiful than the Sun."

I . . . really don't know what to say. I just laugh it off and watch her playing with the cards, skimming through them speedily, one by one, until she pauses on something that steals her whole attention. Her eyes darkens and a frown appears on her face.

"Unless you choose the path you were meant to take, Kira, another tragedy may happen. Maybe more painful than the one you barely recall. You shouldn't run away from your fate this time. Embrace it," she says in a very serious tone, eyes firm and flinty.

"What are you talking about, Amelia? What tragedy?" My heart rate increases.

"I don't know." Amelia takes a deep breath while collecting her cards together. "One of the paths I mentioned is deeply connected to you. You're entangled with it from the very beginning. It's your destiny, I might add," she says insistently.

"What?" I croak and laugh at the same time. "I mean, what does the path mean? Is it just a path or something else? I don't get it." Confusion paralyzes my mind.

"Maybe." Amelia shrugs. "It may be a person, too, or a situation of some kind. I can't clearly see this either. But what's clear is that . . . your happiness relies on the one decision you ought to make. All you need is to follow your heart, Kira. It always knows the answer."

"That's . . . Weird." I chuckle nervously.

Do these fortune tellers give a direct answer even once? I highly doubt that.

"Well, I'd rather not dwell," I tell her honestly. "But thank you for this, Amelia. Truly."

"It was a pleasure, dear. Just try to be fine and time will take care of the rest," Amelia tells me while getting up from the couch. "I'll take my leave now. I'm so happy we had this chat," she adds sweetly.