Another update for y'all!!

Don't forget to comment and vote!! 

--

I woke up with a massive headache, courtesy of the half drunken alcohol bottle I nursed all night last night. I groaned, finding myself in the twins' room, a snoring Julian on the other side of the bed.

I knew choosing alcohol to help me cope with my feelings wasn't healthy, but at the moment it felt like my only choice.

I grimaced, rubbing my eyes until I was in another dimension before hopping out of bed. I searched the bed for my phone, finally finding it at the foot of the bed. My eyes widened at the dozens of phone calls, some from Hunter and another from an unknown number.

I tucked my phone into the waistband of my pants. I wouldn't be able to deal with Hunter I had sobered up and had at least two cups of coffee.

I called Hunter an hour after.

"Finally Amelia!" I held the phone a couple of centimeters away from my ear, however, I could hear him very clearly. I frowned, he didn't sound like his usual chirpy self. Distress was definitely laced in his voice.

"What's wrong?"

"Have you seen Dylan?" My heart skipped a beat at the sound of his name.

"No. I saw him last when he dropped me home. Why, what's wrong?" I sat up, worried.

I heard him sigh through the device. "He didn't come home last night, and he still isn't home." I looked at the clock, it was well in the afternoon. Julian and I had clearly slept in after I had convinced him to have a drink with me. However, one drink turned into two, two into three, and so on.

"What do you think happened?" This time, I was the one with concern.

"I don't know. Do you think you can come around to his place?"

"Yeah, for s-sure. I'll be there in fifteen minutes." I quickly hung up, rushing to my room to look considerably decent.

If Dylan didn't come last night? Where was he? If it wasn't serious, then Hunter, or his mother—who turned out to be the unknown number—would not have called.

His house was full by the time I entered. His mother opened the door and she clearly wasn't doing too well by the signs of her slightly puffy eyes. She led to me the living room where I found Tristan, Hunter, Clyde and Hunter, as well as Lillian and Asher. I didn't miss Ollie in the lap of Tia.

"Melia!" Lillian screeched running to me, immediately hugging my legs. I bent down to her level. "Do you know where my brother is?"

"I-I—" I shook my head. "I don't know where he is," I stated, looking at the others. "What happened?"

"He didn't come here last night," Yara sighed, running her hand through her hair, clearly distressed. She sat down beside Tristan who gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "He always comes home, or lets me know if he won't, especially when he's under this roof through a simple text or call. He hasn't been responsive to anyone in the last twelve hours, and we've checked everywhere that we think he would be, and we can't find him. It's not like him to do this." The others agreed.

"Did you check the—"

"His apartment? His job? His internship office? The waterfall? I've checked everywhere," Hunter interrupted me. I furrowed my eyebrows. His apartment? How did Hunter know about the waterfall?

"Who do you think showed him the waterfalls?" Hunter asked with slight amusement after noticing my confusion. "He claimed that place for himself after," he shrugged, not seeming to be bothered by it.

"Do you know where he could be?" Yara asked hopefully. I shook my head, biting the inside of my cheek. Her face fell. "You were the last person to see him last night, did anything seem off?" I shook my head once again.

Sure, he seemed upset after the little conversation we had, but it wasn't anything that we already haven't discussed.

Why was everyone freaking out? He was an adult. However, something about this situation seemed off.

"Did you check the lookout point?" I asked Hunter suddenly, turning to him.

"Never heard of it," he replied. "Come on." He got up, twirling his keys in his fingers. "Maybe he's there," he said, giving a small smile. I liked how Hunter was always an optimist.

We hopped into his truck, not liking the height of his car. He quietly followed the directions I gave. It was weird, seeing Hunter eerily quiet for once. I opened my mouth to ask the question I was itching to know about.

"You said you checked his apartment?"

I was surprised when Hunter chuckled. "He didn't tell you about his apartment, did he?" He took my silence as a no. "He was only supposed to come home for the beginning of summer, then head back to the city."

"But he didn't."

"Because of you," he said, looking at me for a quick moment before turning to the road.

"That's not true," I shook my head. I wasn't that special.

"But it is," he pressed. "At the park, when you fainted was the day when he was supposed to move back." I gave him a look. "I'm his best friend, okay? He tells me everything," he grinned.

"I didn't know," I admitted, biting my lip.

"Of course you didn't. He didn't want you know he commuted more than an hour there and back almost everyday for his internship just because of you," he said a little bitterly. I looked away. "What? You did break his heart," he stated, however it wasn't as hostile as his other comment.

"Is he moving back?" He didn't answer me, and I took that as a yes.

I took a deep breath, doing everything in my power not to let out the emotions burning up inside of me. He was trying to move on, and I should be happy. But I couldn't; I still loved him. I would always love him.

"We're here." I sighed in relief when I saw his black BMW parked. However, Hunter made no move to get out his truck.

"There's a reason he came here," he spoke quietly. "Go, I'll go tell the others." He gave me a reassuring smile before pulling out his phone. He was right. I nodded, carefully hopping out of his giant truck and made my way towards the small trail that led to the top.

My breath hitched when I saw Dylan. As I got closer I noticed he was dangerously close to the edge of the cliff, his legs dangling off. I was taken back when I noticed a bottle of vodka beside him, however nothing looked to be drunken.

"Dylan?" I called out softly, not wanting to scare him. He heard me, as his body tensed up, however, he didn't say anything. Carefully, I sat beside him, not getting a chance to look at him properly. "Are you okay? Your mom is worried sick about you," I spoke. "Tristan, Lillian, Hunter, Clyde, Tia too." I got no response as he continued to look at the view in front of us. "I know I'm the last person you want to be talking to right now. I'm sorry," I said faintly, turning to look at the view. "I'll go get Hunter," I mumbled, slightly hurt when I got no response, but got up anyways.

His arms shot out and grasped onto my wrist. "Stay," he muttered, shutting his eyes for a moment before opening them. My skin tingled at the place he touched, and I complied.

"Please move away from the edge. It's scaring me," I admitted, biting my lip. He peered up at me, and I finally got a chance to look at him properly.

His facial hair continued to grow, and somehow, I loved it on him. The bags under his eyes were more evident than ever, and his bloodshot red eyes supported the fact that he needed sleep. The hair perched on his head was a mess and was grown out as well. He modeled the clothes from last night, now all wrinkly.

"This marks the fifth year of my dad's anniversary. He died five years ago today," he said softly. My breath hitched, but I remained quiet, wanting to listen to what he wanted to say.

"I was with him in Spain. I went there when I realized that would be the only time I would ever get to spend with him. Weeks of summer had passed, and he got even sicker. Before I realized it, it was my birthday," he sighed. "My dad had convinced me to go out that night. I didn't want to, and... I shouldn't have. I should have stayed with him. I came home late, and when... when I went to his room, I saw he was sleeping peacefully." He took a moment to collect himself.

"I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to him," his voice cracked. "I would always put it off, because that meant my dad was dying, and I couldn't accept that," he sniffed, wiping his tears. "And when the time came, I didn't get a chance to say my goodbyes," he sobbed, voice cracking.

"I hate my birthday. I'm always reminded at the fact if I hadn't gone out to celebrate that one night, I would have been with him. I stayed with him on all other nights. I should've stayed home just one more night."

"I didn't want him to pass. I wanted him to live to see me graduate from the same program he did. I wanted him to see me successfully get my first official job or start my own business. I wanted him to meet the love of my life," he paused for a brief moment, head lifting to me before continuing. "I wanted him to see his kid have his own children. I wanted him in my life."

"I'm so sorry, Dylan," I whispered sincerely, looking at him. "I-I—your father would be proud of the man you've grown up to be, trust me," I promised.

"I told him about you. Even though it was when we were still in high school during that time, I told him about you," he smiled faintly, before turning to the view again.

It took a moment or two to form my words again. "Can y-you tell me more about him? He seems like a great person, and I w-would love to know about him, if that's okay."

A small smile appeared onto his face before he started to talk about his father. His hero. The one who introduced him to computer programing. The one who told him his childhood stories and managed to take out a lesson from each one. The one who helped shape Dylan into the man he is today; and can I say he did a wonderful job.

"We should probably get back," Dylan sighed when the sun disappeared from the horizon, being replaced by a dark night. I nodded, following his lead when he got up.

My eyes followed to the bottle which was behind him. I bit the inside of my cheek. He had mentioned several times he never planned to drink. "I don't know why I bought it," Dylan spoke when he followed my eyes. "I just felt reassurance at the fact that the bottle could help me forget, at least for the night," he sighed, picking up the bottle. "Can you believe this was my first time buying alcohol?" He humored, offering me a smile.

"Bold choice."

He led me to his car, opening the passenger side door like always. He made his way to his side, stopping at the trunk first. I was surprised when he handed me a sweater. I furrowed my eyebrows. "You're freezing." I bit my lip. I thought I had done a great job of hiding it. He also tried to turn on the heating, but I stopped him. I knew he got hot very easily.

"I-I still have your other clothes," I admitted a moment after, swallowing my feelings. "Do you want me to drop it at your apartment or the ho—"

"The house is fine," he quipped, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter, knuckles almost turning white.

"O-Okay." I turned my attention back to the road, shifting in my seat.

"Your mom mentioned she wanted to talk to me," I spoke quietly as he drove into our neighborhood. He didn't give a response. Just a simple and short nod signifying he heard me.

Dylan was engulfed into his mother's arms as soon as he walked through the front door. Lillian and Tristan following soon after.

"Thank you, Amelia," Yara said softly. I gave her a small smile, wanting to get out the house as soon as possible. It felt uncomfortable being in this house, especially with the way my heart was beating due to the close proximity of Dylan.

"You said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Oh yes," she nodded, pulling me further to the side. "Although your resume and application was sent in a while ago, I recently had an opening at the restaurant." My eyes slightly widened at the direction this conversation was going. "The starting position would just be kitchen prep and cleaning, but with what I've heard, you will have no problem with making your way to the top with your skills."

My jaw dropped. Even though I was being offered a job at the prep station, I couldn't be more than happy. Yara's restaurant is one of, if not the top restaurant in the city and it had been my dream to work at the restaurant ever since I started culinary school. I never really expected a response, especially since I had no work experience, but it felt good to hand in my resume. That was also before I learned Yara was Dylan's mother.

"Are you sure?" I furrowed my eyebrows. "E-Especially with what happened between Dylan and I," I swallowed, twitching my fingers. My eyes couldn't help wandering to him. He had Lillian in his lap, nodding to her and holding a conversation with a smile, even though I could see that he was tired; both mentally and physically. I wanted to be there for him.

"What kind of a business women would I be if I couldn't sperate my personal and work life? If you are willing to put aside those differences, I would love to have you," she pursed her lips, bringing my attention back to her.

She was right. "I-I—thank you."

--

I started my last shift at the bakery. I had told Addie and Nick of my new opportunity and they were more than happy for me. They knew this job wasn't permanent.

I tensed up with Aiden walked into the back room, bucket full of dirty dishes. "Hey." I gave him a small smile, continuing to work on the cheesecake. I had to get in the oven in ten minutes. "So I heard you're leaving." I gave him a nod. "Is it a coincidence that I just got here and you're quitting?"

I gave him a flat look. "Don't flatter your self." I put the cheesecake in the oven. I grabbed the warm cookie tray off the counter, going to the front to put them in the display. He followed me. "Don't you have something better to do than follow me?"

"So was that guy who came in the other day your boyfriend?"

"Ex," I answered quickly, not liking the taste of the word. "So, are you really here to work, or interrogate me?" I asked, putting the now empty tray down.

"Can't I have both?" I sighed loudly, so he could see how irritated I was. I looked over to the clock. Only three more hours.

Unfortunately, the next two and some hours went exactly like this. "Can't you just shut the fuck up?" Couldn't he see that I wasn't even the slight bit interested in the conversations he was trying to hold?

"Damn, okay, I just wanted to talk." He held his hands up in surrender, backing away the tiniest bit. But even then, he was too close for comfort.

"Is there something you want to tell me or ask me?" I asked with tired eyes. "Go ahead."

He hesitated, his thin frame now stepping closer to me. "I lied. I never liked Scarlett."

"Okay?" I furrowed my eyebrows. Why was he bringing up a conversation we had more than a year ago at campus?

"I've always liked you, Amelia." Without even getting the chance to comprehend what he said, his lips crashed into mine at the same time I heard the front door chime. His arms snaked around my waist, pulling me impossibly closer.

Immediately I pushed my hands out from between our bodies, shoving him as hard as I could. His hands fell off my hips as he was pushed pack, creating a small space between him and I.

My right hand reached out, slapping his left cheek with so much force, his head turning left, cheek turning a bright red. "Don't you fucking dare touch me again, bastard," I spat, pushing him once again to create more space, wiping my lips with the back of my hand.

"What's going on here?" I heard Nick enter the front. I let out a shaky breath, regarding Aiden with cold eyes, letting him explain the situation to him as I rushed to the bathroom.

I leaned against the door, shutting my eyes, trying to stop my mind from fogging up. I breathed out more shaky breaths, slowly counting with them, attempting to stop my rapid heartbeat in the process.

It couldn't happen again.

When I knew I was ready to go back to working, even if I had to see Aiden again, I checked myself in the mirror. I gently wiped my eyes careful not to smear my mascara, keeping the water in my eyes.

I got out of the bathroom, heading to the front when I remembered the door had chimed before.

My body stilled when I found myself staring into the same blue eyes I've been finding in the dreams being replaced by nightmares. I slowly approached him. "Are you okay?" He asked with sincerity. I gave him the slightest nod, logging into the monitor so I could process his order.

I wasn't okay, but I will be okay.

It wasn't okay for Aiden to do that.

"What can I get you today?" I asked quietly, eyes focused on this monitor. From my peripheral vision, I saw he shook his head. I looked up, his eyes glazed with thought.

"Lia," he started, concern laced in his voice.

"I'm okay," I said quickly. Too quickly. I didn't want to trouble him with my feelings. "What can I get you?" I asked quietly.

He reached into his pocket, holding out a piece of folded paper in his hand.

"My mother said to bring this with you on your first day of work." He held out the paper, which was shaking in his hand. I took it, placing it to the side. Yara mentioned that the form was also online. Why did she have Dylan deliver it?

"Thank you." He nodded. Then his gaze directed behind me, jaw clenching. He looked mad.

"Dylan, I'm okay," I repeated for the umpteenth time. I wondered how may times I would have to say that to feel what I'm saying. His gaze fell back on me. "Leave it," I said softly, knowing full well with the death glare he had on a moment earlier he wanted to do more than something.

He gave me a small nod. I watched his figure retreat to the door, a head of bouncy curls following him.

"Lillian?" I called out with surprise, now noticing the little girl. I reached over to the display beside me, grabbing a treat. Her head turned to me. She narrowed her eyes at me before walking up to me. Her brother remained at the door.

"You're not a nice person. I don't like you anymore," she spoke, head held high. "You make my brother sad; you make me sad." She left me standing there, the chocolate cookie I brought out for her melting in the palm of my warm hand.

--