I wasn't too sure if I should have told Dad about Louis when I got back to the cabin. I had a feeling that telling him I met a random stranger in the woods and was going to meet him again today wouldn't have gone down well. I had already almost lost my forest privileges from almost getting lost, I didn't need to push the boundary with meeting a stranger.

But there was something about Louis that drew me in, made my mind captive to thoughts about him and his bright eyes. I felt like I needed to see him again, like this was something I was meant to do. I had never felt anything like it before, this feeling of maybe actually doing something right in my life.

I was so caught up in my thoughts about meeting Louis again that I didn't even realize I had taken all of my pills and finished my breakfast in record speed as Dad watched on with wide eyes. He had been moving to take a sip of his new Seattle coffee (he claimed he should try and savor the various coffees of the coffee capital of America or it would've been a crime) when he spotted me taking all three pills without so much as a grimace. Dad froze mid-sip, immediately setting his mug down on the counter top and rushing over to me, his hand pressing to my forehead in a flurry of motion.

"Are you feeling alright? You've never taken those pills without some sassy remark before." He joked, my eyes rolling as I finished my last bite of scrambled eggs.

"I can't just take them?" I asked, Dad furiously shaking his head no as he stared at me in confusion.

"Mira, you've hated the very existence of those pills since you were ten. You even threatened to write an angry letter to the company that produced them when you were eleven." Dad reminded me, a smile forming on my lips as I remembered that moment. I had written everything just as I had promised to, but at the last second I didn't mail it because Dad had thrown it away while I was working on schoolwork so as not to annoy the people who were responsible for keeping me alive.

"Well I've been trying to turn over a new leaf." I explained to my perplexed father, who still stared at me like I was some newly discovered creature that was half-zebra-half-flamingo in a zoo exhibit. "And I've decided that not complaining about things I can't help is one step to a better life."

It was true, ever since I met Louis I had a strange urge to finally take control of my life and make my own decisions. I was tired of having to always be taken care of, I was ready to finally spread my wings and fly away from my nest.

"Very philosophical, Aristotle." Dad laughed.

"I think I would suit Socrates more. You know how metaphorical I am." I said, Dad rolling his eyes. "Besides, Aristotle was sexist."

"Oh yes, we can't offend the only female in the house." He casually spoke, but only realized the extent of his words once they were spoken. Had Mom never been hit by that drunk driver so long ago, I wouldn't be the only female in the house. He tried to play it off like he was fine, but I secretly saw the hurt in his eyes. Even nineteen years later, he still felt the stinging pain.

His mug shook ever so slightly in his hands until he quickly placed it down on the tabletop again, giving me a forced smile before kissing my forehead and reaching for his raincoat and keys to head out for the first aid center. "I'll see you later, baby girl. Be safe."

I sighed as I set my fork down on my finished plate, getting up and placing both in the sink before heading upstairs to get my things before I met with Louis.

Just as I got halfway up the stairs, however, a sharp pain ran through my chest. It spread from my heart to the very tips of my fingers, forcing me to stop moving as I struggled to breathe. It felt like fire burning me from the inside, and I had to grip the handrail on the side as I almost fell. My eyes scrunched closed as the pain spread, but just as soon as it started, it stopped.

My eyes opened and my chest felt fine, the fire having been extinguished. Fear coursed through me for a moment before I shakily began climbing the stairs again, my mind counting my steps to take my concentration off anything relating to my heart. The pain had stopped, I was fine. At least, that's what I convinced myself of.

Truth be told, I didn't want to think about what pains like that meant, because last time they showed up, I woke up surrounded by machines and the smell of bleach and disinfectant.

After grabbing my hiking backpack and camera, I checked to make sure my phone was charged before setting out for the place Louis told me to meet him at.

After hiking for a while and following my snake-like map, I found the exact spot we met only the day prior.

And just as I had hoped, there was Louis with a smile that could light up the world on his face. He was leaned against a tree trunk, a black t-shirt and jeans his choice of apparel today.

"For a second there I thought you bailed on me." He joked, making my day with just one sentence. This was what I needed, a nice distraction from all the bad things in my life.

"I thought about it, but you see I'm really into creeks so I figured I had to come." I said, Louis chuckling as he pushed himself off the tree and closer to me. That enchanting light was still in his eyes, and nearly made me melt as they stared into mine.

"Well then let's go." Louis smiled, my head nodding as he led the way over a large fallen tree. He managed to get over it easily, but I struggled with my shorter legs and lack of muscle. Louis noticed and reached out to help me, his hand latching with mine to help pull me over. As soon as I got over the tree trunk, Louis seemed confused as he stared at my hand.

"Your hand is so cold." He mumbled, looking to me for an explanation.

My hands and feet were always cold from my weak heart struggling to pump blood to them.

"Uh, my hands are always like that." I lamely explained, Louis only shrugging, but not releasing my hand from his. I tried to ignore the girly voice in my head squealing in excitement, not only was Louis attractive, but he was pretty much the only attractive guy who had ever taken an interest in me. Like, ever in my whole life.

Louis led the way towards the creek, a smile never leaving his face. We had walked quite a bit before he suddenly stopped and spun to face me. He finally let go of my hand, my fingers curling into a fist to retain his warmth that had seeped into my skin.

"Close your eyes." He ordered, my eyebrows raising in question before he nodded in encouragement. I rolled my eyes before closing them, feeling the lightest of touches on my hands pulling me forward. I let Louis' voice be my guide.

"Keep moving forward, that's it. Be careful, there's some rocks right there, turn right a little." I giggled as I let him move me forward, his touch soon disappearing from my hands to cover my eyes.

"Are you ready to experience the best creek ever?" He whispered into my ear, making me shiver. I nodded, and Louis' hands grasped my own as they moved from my eyes. I opened my blue eyes to find something breathless.

It wasn't just a creek, it was practically a river running through the forest. The clear water flowed over a rocky edge and created a tiny waterfall before angrily running over eroded rocks, white rapids becoming visible before jumping back into the rest of the water. Sunlight made water droplets on nearby plants and rocks glisten, and I had to admit, the creek was a magical sight.

Louis laughed at my astonishment, my frozen trance of awe being broken soon by my hands rushing to fish out my camera from my bag. I wasted no time in snapping picture after picture, Louis sitting down on a nearby rock as he let me explore and take pictures.

About thirty minutes later, I was looking over the pictures on my Canon next to Louis, showing him some for his opinion every once in a while. Eventually though, we ended up just admiring the beauty of the creek and talking about random things from the forest to personal things.

"Where are you from Louis?" I asked, Louis seeming to take a while to answer. His eyes were trained on the creek as he thought about it, turning to look back at me to answer.

"Not from here. A place far away you've never heard of. I ended up here through an unfortunate series of events." He explained, his eyes never leaving my face.

"I'm sorry. Sounds like you've been through a lot." I told him, the smallest of smiles making one corner of his lips curl up in appreciation.

"Well everyone has been, haven't they? It's just some people are better at hiding it than others."

I was speechless at Louis' insightful answer, pondering over his words in my head for a while until he spoke again.

"What about you?" He nudged my side with his elbow, my ticklish nature making me jerk sideways. "Are you from here?"

"Oh, um, no." I answered quickly, Louis raising his eyebrows for me to continue. "My Dad and I moved here because of my health."

"Your health?" Louis' small smile vanished.

I nodded, biting my lip and pretending to look at my camera until I felt a brush of fingertips over my own. I looked up to see a concerned Louis, almost begging me to explain with his eyes.

"It's my heart. I was born with a problem that I've had to fight with my whole life. My dad does everything he can to help, but it's still hard." I mumbled.

"And your mom?" Louis asked, the look on my face making him wince.

"She died when I was barely a month old. She was hit by a drunk driver."

My hand was taken into his again, Louis squeezing it gently in comfort. I looked up to see him offer me a smile, my cold hand relishing in the heat he had to give.

"I never knew my parents. We were separated when I was little." He spoke softly. "Guess we're kind of in the same boat, huh?"

I nodded, my free hand wrapping around the heart pendent around my neck. The glow seemed brighter than it had been this morning, the light seeming to get brighter as Louis' fingers lightly held it.

"You said you got this from your dad?" He asked, eyes gazing into my own as virtually no space was left between us. I almost felt like I couldn't breathe.

"It was my mom's. When she died, Dad gave it to me. Why?"

Louis only shook his head before releasing the locket and my hand, getting up from his seated position on the rock next to me. He held his hand out to help me up, beginning to lead me back to the spot where we had met so I could return home.

"No reason."