I awoke to soft sheets, as the morning light penetrated the window and blinded me. Damn! The feeling was absolutely amazing! This was the first time I had great sleep in the whole week. Surprisingly though, Amelia wasn't by my side. I then grabbed my phone which was vibrating, probably loaded with notifications.

Dude congrats on losing ur V card!😁 - Max

What the hell? How did he know that!

Dude, you ain't making sense! - Luke

A picture of my front door quickly popped up on my screen. It was really dark. Shit, I guess I knew what happened.

Went to your house late last night, wanted to give you back the PS4. It was then I saw some shadows moving sexily from the upper window 😛. So I just dropped it on the front door 😂 - Max

I rolled my eyes and adjusted my position on the mattress.

Dude... - Luke

I turned to the window and realized that the shades were really not lowered...

How was bone town though😂 - Max

I threw my phone across the soft mattress and shook my head. Quickly, I put on my trousers and headed downstairs.

"Morning Luke!" Amelia shouted from the kitchen as she heard footsteps from the stairs.

I quickly got there. She was in front of the stove, cooking something with a pan. "Smells good, pancakes?" I lifted a glass of water and took a sip.

"Of course, I know it's your favorite." She turned to me and smiled while placing the pancakes on plates.

I walked closer and placed a nice kiss on her chin.

"Thanks!" She lifted the plates and pranced to the table. "Slept well?"

I headed to the counter and took some forks and knives. "Fucking amazing sleep quality, thanks to you." I let out a loud laugh as I sat down next to her.

"I reckoned. Actually, I called you earlier this morning but you didn't even move." She gave me a plate and handed me the chocolate sauce that I loved.

"This week was just too exhausting, you saved me from it." I took the bottle and smudged some sauce on the pancakes.

"You did the same for me actually. I think this is actually the best night I slept since kindergarten." She grinned.

"Thought you woke up in others' beds numerous times before," I smirked as I closed the bottle.

"Ah, but you know, not every time is good..."

"There must be at least once then," I cut the pancakes in half and put some in my mouth.

"Yes, there was, 12 hours ago!" She laughed even harder while chewing the food, nearly spitting it all out. "And I mean, sex is not only sex of course."

"How could a virgin be that highly rated!" I pouted and laughed as she did.

"You are just a lot different than how people always treat me, even in bed."

I smiled softly.

For the rest of the meal, we continued our conversation, with more and more laughter. Sometimes, these small details were the things that made me fell in love with her all over again.

"I forgot to tell you that these pancakes are frickin' amazing!" I chirped, as I threw the plates in the sink.

"Thank you. Oh, and I want to bring you somewhere today. You're free, right?" She took a towel and wiped the table.

"Yeah certainly, doing our first date again ay." I guffawed and close the tap.

"You'd be surprised." She quickly went to pack a whole big basket of food and drinks, and also a huge mat. Guess we were going to have a picnic?

Eleven in the morning, we were heading north on highway 110 in her car. She was behind the wheel, and I was next to her.

"Let me guess, we're going to the Hollywood sign?" I glanced at her, as the traffic started to build up ahead of us.

"We aren't tourists! And how could we have a picnic there." She chuckled.

"Thank god we ain't going there, hate people." Resting my hand next to the window, I laughed.

"There will be just us there."

"Like last night?" I faced her and teased.

"Even better." She took her eyes off the road for a split second and turned to me.

This would be super awesome.

She slowed down as we approached a tiny branched road. For the next few minutes, we were surrounded by dozens and dozens of straight and tall trees, as if we're going through the Forbidden Forest in Harry Potter but without those creepy creatures of course. Rays from the sun pass through the gaps between the leaves and trunks, making the whole scene even more dramatic. After several twists and turns, she stopped next to a wooden shed in a semi-open area.

"Here we are!" She turned off the car and quickly opened the door.

I did the same. As soon as I got outside, I immediately felt the peace of the tranquil environment. There was not a single noise, no engine noises, people talking, not even birds singing. I never found a place that soothing in my whole life.

"Can't believe we're still in LA!" I exclaimed.

"Told you you'd be surprised!" She went to the trunk and got the basket and mat out. I went there and helped her.

We walked along the woods together, while I was still awed by the sizes of the majestic trees. The trunks rose high up as if there wasn't an end. I titled my head upwards the whole time.

"Stop looking up, look in front of you!" She stopped walking as we got to another open space.

I lowered my head and found that the view in front of me was absolutely amazing. We were at the top of the mountain overlooking the whole of Los Angeles. We could even see as far as the coastline.

"Damn, damn!" I blurted out loud.

She looked at me and laughed. "That's what I said when I first got here."

We put down our things and sat down on the mat. Soon, we started our meal with the panoramic view.

Half an hour passed by, and we were still enjoying the picnic.

"So how did you know this place?" I looked at the bright yellow sun above us and asked.

"It was also a place I went to when I was small. You know that LA trip I had when I was 9. My dad brought me here." She put down her drink and faced me.

Ever since I knew her, I knew how important her dad was to her. She never really mentioned him to me since the first date, but I guess it was something she couldn't let go of and therefore hide it.

"You were really lucky that you got to know this place."

"Yes, and I was lucky to have a trip like that with my dad..." She ran her hand through her hair and gave a half smile.

I dropped my head and widened my eyes as I turned to her.

After a moment of pause, she continued.

"As you know, he died one year after that trip. Then my mom and I moved to LA for a short period. I always ask one of my cousins to drive me here back at that time."

"This must be a good getaway for you."

"It...was, but the more I came here, the more I felt not right. Every time I saw the yellow sun above those tall trees and this breathtaking view, he crawled to my mind. I know I was craving him." She lay back on the mat and sighed.

"But it's okay to miss someone."

"Yes, I know that, but I soon figured that the past is the past, I should've moved on, so I stopped going here a while after." She ran her hands through her hair again while I sat back and laid on the mat like she did.

"It did work, a bit, but I was still missing him a lot. Nevertheless, something more concerning happened. Rich Nick came." She shook her head and rolled her body to the right.

"Your stepdad?"

"Yes, it's him, the asshole. I know my mom never liked him, but the money he got made him irresistible to her..."

"Gold digger..." I frowned and placed my hands behind my head.

"She was... I tried to warn her so many times, but she never listened to me once. Guess she already hated me the second I was born, said that I was a fucking mistake to her. I tried so hard fixing what's between us, but...failed sadly." Stretching her feet out of the mat, she took a sip of her drink.

"That's so unfortunate. Ah...guess we both have loads of family problems..." I let out a long breath.

"Yes...but..." She placed her hand on my shoulders and put down the drink. "You still have the chance."

"Chance for what?"

"Chance to fix everything."

I looked towards her and bit my lower lip. "No...No I can't. The issue is way beyond repair and... my dad is just, hard."

She moved my head and made my eyes met hers. "I know you can do it, babe, 'cause you can change people."

"I never did that..."

There was a long pause, and she turned away to look at the view in front of us.

"You know, today was the first day I came up here in 7 years. And guess what, dad didn't come to my mind in that painful way. I realized that I have changed so much around you these few months. You just made me think and feel everything so differently." She looked back. 

This time I held the gaze and gave her a beaming smile. I really couldn't say a word. 

"Luke," she continued. "I never thought I could let go of it, but you just somehow...made me do it."

"Babe..."

"What I'm trying to say is, change him like how you changed me, don't hate him 'cause after all, he has loved you at some point in your life. It may take you quite a bit of time, but I am really sure you will achieve it one day. And you don't need to stress yourself' cause your nice, carefree, and kind-hearted side is always the best."

I kept facing her, thinking about her words. Even though I didn't totally agree with her, she was kinda right. It's really hard for me to not hate him after what he had done to my mom, but maybe I stand a chance changing my family if I let my positive side out, not the negative and tense one. "Thank you, Amelia. I will try my best." I simpered, still holding the forever like gaze.

She leaned a little closer, our foreheads touching. Her lips then brushed on mine for a brief second, slow and soft...

*****

"We should cook tonight." She suggested while turning the car into a parking lot.

It was 5:30 and the sky was already getting dark. We stayed on the mountain the whole afternoon chatting, playing, enjoying every moment. It was really like we got back to our first date. Now that we were exhausted, we decided we should head back.

"Yes sure. Let's go grab something to make, then."

We got into Walmart after parking near the entrance of it.

Amelia turned to the window while I was getting some groceries. "Shit we got to go!" She suddenly yelled at me.

"What? Chill out, girl." I turned to her and curled my lip.

Without thinking, she grabbed my hand and ran in the direction of the entrance, making me drop the basket of fruits and vegetables.

"Can you at least explain what's happening?" I shouted as we trotted through the isles of food.

"No time, no matter what happens, just do what I say!" She glanced at me and cried.

What?? Grocery shopping turned into a runaway? Confusing...But I did follow her anyway. We soon headed out of the store. A few steps away from the door, I slowed down as I started to lose my breath.

"Now we're out, can you tell me?" I bawled and pulled her arm, forcing her to stop.

"Luke just..." She gazed behind me and suddenly widened her eyes "Fuck."

I immediately turned around.

A gigantic, muscular and tattooed Hispanic man was standing right in front of us. I took a huge step back without thinking. To be honest, I was kinda freaked out by him at first.

"Amelia, where have you been?" said a deep and low voice. The man took a step forward to Amelia.

"Just with him all day..." She avoided his eye and looked elsewhere.

The tall figure gave her a glaring look and all of a sudden turned to me, meeting my eye.

I backed off even more.

"Hey kid, so you're Lukas?"

"Um... Yes, I am," I stuttered and gulped hard.

He reached out his hand and smiled for the first time. "Amelia's father, call me Nick."

Rich Nick...

I stretched my hand forward, grabbed his, and shook it a few times.

"Stepfather," she corrected and gave him a pointed look.

He ignored her stare and raised one eyebrow.

"She's great, isn't she?"

I tried to avoid his fierce gaze the whole time. "Yea...she is."

What's up with this dude...

"Nick, can we go?" Amelia snapped, making us end the handshake.

This time he didn't ignore her. "We need to talk."

"If it's an apology or anything like that, count me out!" She clenched her jaw and bite back.

"Please, we need to do this somewhere private." He took the lower hand of the conversation. I definitely wasn't expecting him to beg Amelia do something.

"Did I make myself clear?"

"It's not about last night."

There was a long stop, and she held a furious gaze with him.

"Fine!" She shouted, throwing her hands high up in the air.

"Lukas, just get to the car."

The two then walked away, leaving me standing in front of the supermarket. What... just happened?

"Hey! Where are you going?" I called out while increasing my pace, trying to catch up with them.

"Just leave us. I will be back, wait for me," she answered me and increased her walking speed.

I stopped right there as I watched them turn a corner and disappear behind a wall.

Not knowing what to do, I started thinking of Amelia's step-dad. In my mind, he was always a slim suited man who drives a Mercedes, with lots of hot girls by his side. What I saw just now completely changed my mind and got me even more worried. What kind of person was he really? After all, he was still kinda like a mystery to me.

"We can go now." Amelia approached me while I was leaning against the car.

"Finally. What was he up to?" I got up and asked.

"Nothing important." As she was closer, I could clearly see her expressionless face. "Did he do something to you again?" I stood right in front of her making her stop walking.

"No, Luke, it's fine." She pushed me slightly and made her way around me.

"It's really okay to tell me."

"I'm fine!" She grabbed the door handle and swung the door wide open brutally.

I choose to stay silent. What did he do to make her so frustrated? I stood outside as she got in the car.

"You getting in or not?" she shouted as she saw that I was standing there, not making a single movement.

"Okay, okay!"

The air felt completely dead the rest of the ride home, just the songs from the radio could be heard. She didn't want to speak, nor did I have the courage to initiate a conversation.

When we were off the highway, she finally spoke up. "He always annoys me and orders me to do things, as if I'm his dog," she stared at the windshield blankly and spoke in a low voice.

"What did he tell you to do?" Facing her, I lowered the volume of the radio.

"It's complicated."

"I just don't want to see him fuck you up one day."

She brought the car to a stop in front of a traffic light and turned to me. "I won't let him. Don't worry about it. I just need to strive my way through these days."

"I really want to help you." I placed a hand on hers.

"You can't. It's my family problem, and it's not that simple." She looked away from me and lowered her hands on the steering.

"Remember what you just said to me?"

"Yeah, but..." she paused while turning her head back to me again.

"You can change people too." I interrupted.

"But... He's not the type of person you want to mess with."

"I know, but look at you, you're clearly affected by him a lot. You can't just stay like that forever."

The light turned green, and she brought the car to accelerate. "Yeah, but...he never really harmed me that bad, and well, at least I stayed alive with all his money."

"He just hit you last night and you think that's okay?" My jaw dropped as I raised my eyebrows. "You've gotta deal with it."

There was a long pause, she was clearly thinking of something. Breaking the science, she uttered "I'm not you, Luke. I don't know magic."

"Says a witch who just convinced me on the mountains"

"Stop it..."

"And also made me forget everything last night."

She tried to hide her smirk and gently hit my hand.

"I am sure you can do it. You've gotta try to get back at him."

She nodded.