Dino drove over the hills to the beach city of Santa Cruz with Amelia. They held hands and kissed after he parked. They got out in swimsuits and walked down the narrow path to the beach below with crashing waves, bigger than average. They set their blanket far enough back for safety and ate their picnic of fried chicken, macaroni salad, and chocolate cake for dessert. They didn’t talk verbally, but they looked into each other’s eyes almost non-stop.
After eating, they rested back, the bright sun beating down. Amelia put her head on Dino’s chest. “I can hear your heartbeat. I like being with you.”
“I love being with you. You make me want to be a better person, like I want to please you and be with you. You make me want to act like an adult.”
She lifted her head. “But I fell for you becau
