I got home at dinner time so I just sat at the table eyeing my meal

  "so how was your weekend honey?!'' Mom questioned with excitement.

    ''Peachy'' yeah... Fucking peachy
She definitely didn't catch the sarcasm in my tone because she kept smothering me with questions.
   
   " you see! I told you it would be a really good idea to meet up with the girls!'' ...I wanted to tell her that the girls weren't the problem, I love them.
   
  I decided to keep my mouth shut and excused myself to my room.
    
I took a shower and wore my Imagine Dragons sweatshirt all commando, I didn't want to think about anything that happened this weekend or today..I just wanted to fall dead asleep.

   My phone vibrated around 11pm, I opened one eye and lazily reached for it

*I'm sorry for everything, I love you*

    There goes my sleep, why can't he just leave me alone. What am i to him? A pet? A toy? I'm a human being! He thinks he can just abuse me and then tell me he's sorry, he thinks it's alright to confess his love for me and pour it all over me despite my resistance

  He never apologized to me before though, that's not the Mason i know.. He takes what he wants and then leaves, Mason doesn't say he's sorry
  So why does my heart aches? To see him apologizing like he doesn' want to lose me...like I'm something important to him. This probably was just another tactic for him to lure me to his den, but something was off.. I feel unease about it, this wasn't normal.. Nothing about this situation is.

****

  I ended up sleeping at around 2am, so I had a hard time waking up..again.. Mom had to come up to my room and wake me up.
   
  "Amelia you're gonna be late come on!'' Mom scolded me

   ''Oh and you have a present.. I didn't get the chance to give it to you last night".
  
  This made me wake up alright, what present could it be?..my birthday was not until three months from now.
  
   I headed down stairs after my morning routine and sat at the coffee table in the kitchen.. Mom placed a French toast and eggs with a glass of juice in front of me.
 
     In the middle of my meal mom placed a medium sized box on the side and a small bag...the box was pink with a little white butterfly ribbon on the upper corner and the bag was black.
   
  I glanced up at her puzzled, " Mason sent this to you yesterday when you were at school'' the smile I was about to paint on my face dropped.
 
  I hesitantly opened the box to find a new set of black and white headphones with my favorite bands CD's ! And in the bag was a black and red green Day sweatshirt! I gasped in shock and mom patted my back with a reassuring smile.
 
    "You have to call him and thank him Amelia"..I didn't want to do that! Although I really loved them, I wasn't sure about thanking him for his present or even accepting it.
   
  
  My mom was in front of me, calling him with my phone because as she said... She knows I won't do it by myself... Like the hell I won't!, But I decided to just talk to him for a minute because my mom let me get away with that grounding thing.
She gave me the phone and went back to the kitchen.
 
I took a seat on the sofa and waited for him to pick up.
  
''Amelia?'' He spoke, but I couldn't utter a word.
   
  "Hello?'' ..I had to though.
" h-hi uncle Mason...'' I managed to let out... "Hey" he said with a hint of.. sadness? I could feel the change in his tone.
    
  "How are you Amelia?" i released a breath and answered him, ''i-im good...i-i just w-wanted to thank you for the p-presents...'' My words came out cracked and i dammed my voice for betraying me
 
  " oh...I'm glad you liked them'' then silence took over.. I could hear the sound of his breath and i was sure he could hear mine, he could hear my heartbeat if he listened carefully i was sure of it because it felt like my heart was about to pop out of my rib cage like an alien

    as I was about to say goodbye he cut me off...
 
  "Amelia... I'm so sorry..I'm sorry about the other day....I'm sorry I love you this way'' this left me with wide eyes and an open mouth.
   
  "Amelia?'' What's this feeling?! I didn't know what to think or say.. He's a bad man, he has to be, this isn't real. why is he being so nice now? What sort of strategy was he following?
   
" I uumm...i have t-to go...'' And with that I hung up at him.
  The inner me passed out on the floor.

*****

    "You're doing it again Amelia!'' Hana scolded me for dazing out for the millionth time today.
 
   I went to her house for some science project we had together, but I just couldn't focus.
 
 
    It's been almost a month now since the last time I heard from him...he's not coming to the house to work with dad, and he's not calling nor texting me.
 
    For some reason I feel...empty, I don't know why..! sometimes at night I find myself missing him.
    It's hard to admit...but I do.
 
    When I woke up this morning I went straight to the bag sitting in my closet... I put on Mason's sweatshirt and it was so warm. I loved it.

This isn't Stockholm this isn't Stockholm this isn't Stockholm... Aaahhhh.
   
  "what's wrong with you?" Hanna asked, for a moment there i thought she heard my thoughts.

  " I think I should just go home Hana...I'm not feeling very well".

  I left her house and walked down to mine... It was just a couple blocks away, i put my hands in my sweatshirt's pockets...yes it had pockets! Which made me adore it even more.
 
    I had Mason's headphones on too, when I got to my front door I hanged the headphones on my neck and walked in, heading straight to the stairs.
 
  "Hello Amelia...''

  Either i started to have hallucinations about Mason or he's really behind me...I turned around slowly to see him standing right there! Six feet away.

   " how was school?'' He questioned me with red almost watery eyes, ''i-it was f-fine...i was at Hana's now..'' I replied.

   " a friend of yours?'' I was taken a back from this way too normal conversation.
 
  " y-yes she is'' I replied again...throat tightening.

"Oh I see''.
  
  " Amelia... I want to apologize again... I never meant to hurt you, you know that...'' I kept my mouth shut...I couldn't help it.
 
  ''I don't want you to ever be scared to be near me....even if my love is this kind of love''.
  
Why was he being so gentle? The Mason I know would be already pinning me to a wall and forcefully kissing me, hurting me.
 
I heard a sound of foot steps behind me and as I turned I saw mom walking down the stairs with her purse

''Lia I'm heading out to run an errand, your dad will be home in an hour... If you get hungry there's plenty of food enough for Mason and you in the microwave'' she pecked my forehead and excused Mason and left...shit.
 
  Mason took a step forward and I flinched taking a safety step back... He gave me a sad smile and turned to the front door.
 
  "Wait!" Without even noticing I stopped him, mouth opening before my brain could even process it
 
"uumm a-are you h-hungry u-uncle Mason...? ''
 
  His features changed...his sad eyes smiled a little bit.

    ''Starving'' he offered a half smile, we walked to the kitchen and I started heating the meals.
I placed a full plate in front of Mason and an other one next to him, we were sitting at the kitchen island, I was sitting almost right next to him.
   
   I started playfully eating, I couldn't swallow a bite, Mason in the other hand didn't touch his dish.

  ''Uumm...aren't you h-hungry?'' I questioned with my eyes still fixed on my plate.

  "Not really...but how can I refuse a meal with you Amelia?'' I glanced up at him to see his heart warming smile.
 
    He was beautiful...I don't know how I haven't noticed that before, although he was suppose to be old he looked like he was in his early thirties or something... I remember him mentioning it was because of healthy food and working out..but I think it was more to it than just that....his dark soft hair looked so smooth and his body so well sculpted, it was insane to think he was a dad for three girls! Kathy his eldest was adopted but still.. No dad bod for him.
 
     " the shirt looks really good on you by the way...I'm glad you're wearing it" ..I forgot i was wearing his shirt until he mentioned it..I felt kind of embarrassed.
  
  Suddenly his phone rang, he talked for a while to whom I assumed was his secretary..

  " I have to go now.. I apologize'' I stood with him and walked him to the door, he reached to the door knob then stopped mid way and turned.

   "Amelia..." he almost whispered and i could see his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed, i waited for him to deliver his words which were obviously failing him. I was going to say something when he broke his silence

"Can I please have a hug?".
 
   I looked up to his red eyes again, Did he have an allergy..? I didn't notice myself slowly taking two steps towards him in a way that gave him permission to close the remaining gap between us and he hugged me so warmly and buried his face in my neck

   " thank you Amelia...''
I couldn't hug him back, so I just stood still...

  "I'm so sorry...'' I heard him sniff and just like that he was out the door and I was left paralyzed of what had just happened.
  
   I reached for my neck and I found it wet...I didn't recall him kissing me. were those tears?
Why would he cry?!
 
    I went up stairs and fell on my bed., his sweet musky perfume was stuck on my sweatshirt, I kept inhaling it and for some reason.. It smelt good this time.
I fell asleep with my nose deep in my pillow inhaling his scent. It felt so sinister.. And so good
   
____
     "I love you Mason...please don't let them take me!'' I was hyperventilating badly...clinging to Mason's neck.
   Someone was pulling me away from him...I didn't want to go anywhere away from Mason.
   " I'm sorry Amelia... I love you so much, please...never forget that'' Mason replied with heavy tears...trying to reach for my hand.
   "MASON..!!''

  I woke up with my heart beating madly behind my ribs, what the fuck was that?!.
 
  I checked the clock and found it was 6:39am ...I couldn't go back to sleep so I just got up, I went to get some water and just sat in the living room on my phone, when it was time to go to school I asked my dad for a ride...I just wasn't in the mood to walk.
 
    " you look terrible Lia'' Hana stated directly as soon as she saw me
"and good morning to you too''. I replied sarcastically

  All day at school I kept thinking of nothing but that dream, it was so weird

    " uumm...hey there!'' I looked up from my desk to see a cute chubby cheeked girl "Is this desk taken?'' She motioned for the desk next to me...I realized she was the new student Mr Hodley spoke of.
   
   " no..it's all yours" I really wasn't in the mood for a fresh meat talk.

   "I'm Ellie by the way''
 
" Amelia ".
 
I glanced at her and she had this cute little smile that made her chubby cheeks flush red.
 
She was adorable I must say, when the last period's bell rang Ellie was on my tail...walking next to me to the front gate.
   
  "Uumm...can we like..be friends?" she questioned with sparkling eyes.
   "Sure " i felt like i was kind of cold but i did have lots on my mind. We exchanged phone numbers and went on our separate ways.
 
    Raymond was in front of me so I took a few steps towards him.
" who was that girl you were talking to just now?'' .
  
   "She's a new student" I replied.
"Hhmm...she's really cute''
I could really stick a fork in his eye right ..he simply annoys me now.
  
 ****
   Three days passed and I was on my way back home, when I reached my door I opened it and walked in.

" I think you should stop, it's going the wrong way"
 
     ''Back off David! I told you I'll make her remember..I have to...you owe me this much..''
I turned in the corner to see my dad and Mason. I wondered what's going on.
 
  ''H-hey" I greeted both of them, they both stopped talking and exchanged a look.

    ''Hey sweetie, when did you get home?'' Dad basically interrogated me, "I j-just came back" they glared at each other once again

  "I think I better leave now...I'm glad I got to see you today Amelia " he smiled at me while walking to the front door.

     "A-aren't you s-staying for dinner?'' I replied hurriedly
" maybe at an other time'' he leaned near my face and planted one soft kiss on my cheek

  ''I'm sorry...I needed that'' he whispered in my ear and left
was I smiling?! Oh shit no..I didn't.. It was just a coincidence.