Saturday morning started unusually. For a moment Sam forgot she went to sleep, not alone. It felt weird to wake up with a boy in her bed. Sam lay on her right side looking at him, and it felt peaceful. Ray appeared different from other people. He seemed not driven by greed, sweet and trustworthy.

Samantha went to brush her teeth so she could pretend her breath didn't stink in the mornings. After the bathroom, she decided to get some coffee. Raymond slept peacefully, and it felt tempting to wake him up, but he deserved to get more rest.

There was no actual news from a detective about Scott. Scott barely left his apartment, which put a hiccup in further investigation. Sam talked less with him, but it wasn't her choice, Scott told her he was going back to Chicago for a few days.

Samantha guessed he lied. But pretending that she believed him felt easier. Scott sent her photos of himself with his family, but she couldn't be sure of the timing of those pictures.

Sam felt excited because she was going on a date with Ray. She seemed nervous, and she hoped he would like her idea. She didn't tell him about the plans for the evening. Samantha wanted to surprise him, he also didn't know they will ride her bike to the place she intended to take him. While Sam was drinking the coffee, she got a text from her sister.

"I'm mad at you." The message said.

"Why?" Sam replied.

"Dad is cursing you every day. Mom is going crazy, and you know how she can get. Just tell them you're not coming back, I don't understand why this is such a big deal." Alyssa explained.

"I will tell them when I come back next month for a visit." Sam clarified.

"That's too long, come for a visit next week. I missed you." Alyssa's text read.

"I miss you too. I'm taking a brief trip next week somewhere else." Samantha sipped the coffee.

"Where?"

"That's not important. Tell Mom and Dad, I will come for a book signing, and we will discuss everything then." Sam felt it would be better not to say too much, even to her sister.

"Are you really getting married?"

"No. Who am I marrying?" Samantha had a suspicion about why Alyssa asked that question.

"That's a relief. So that you know, Mom and Ms. Wade are planning your wedding. I have warned you."

They have been planning Sam's and Tom's wedding for the last five years, so that didn't surprise Sam too much. Raymond disrupted her concentration on the phone.

He stepped into the kitchen. His hair seemed messy, not in the usual way. Sam felt a rush of blood passing down her cheeks. He wore just his black briefs, and even though the view felt alluring, she had to focus on replying to Alyssa.

After breakfast, Ray left, and Sam cleaned her apartment. She calmed Alyssa down, although Samantha felt guilty abandoning her sister and leaving her as a punching bag for their mother. After they adopted Alyssa, Sam did everything she could to protect her sister from her parent's dysfunction. After leaving New York, it became harder to do that.

The day passed quickly and at seven o'clock in the evening, Sam got ready to go out. She didn't dress up too much, because she will have to drive her motorcycle and Sam learned a while ago. Pants and jackets remained the best fit for the ride. So she chose black jeans and a leather jacket and of course Doc Martens. She straightened her hair and beautified her face with light makeup. Taking her helmet and a spare one for Raymond, she traveled to the garage.

Her bike was a gift from her grandparents for her twenty-first birthday. Her father seemed furious about this type of gift. Samantha guessed it had something to do with her uncle Keith's death since he died in a motorcycle accident soon after he turned twenty-one.

The building had an underground garage, therefore Sam kept her Harley Davidson there. She warmed the bike and put her helmet on. Holding the spare helmet on her elbow, she drove to the exit. Ray already stood on the sidewalk at the end of the street. He looked around, expecting her to show up. She told him he should wait for her outside. Sam stopped by him and lifted her helmet front.

She stretched out her hand, giving him a helmet. "Come on," she said. His facial expression seemed priceless as his eyes held wide and a broad smile adorned his face. "We don't have all day," she added, pulling him from the haze. He took the helmet sitting behind her.

They arrived near their destination in just twenty minutes. And it took them ten more minutes of walking to reach the spot Sam picked. Elysian Park remained one of her favorite places in Los Angeles. Molly and Sam visited the park often. Especially the first two years after they moved here. Therefore, Sam wanted to share the place with Ray.

A swing set stood on the hill, and you can admire a view of Los Angeles from there. Park had a few other activities to offer, but the swings remained a favorite activity for Samantha. Elysian Park was one of the largest and oldest parks in the city. She visited the place in September, so it had been a few months. Scott took pictures of Molly and Sam there, the ones she found in his camera. So at that moment, she felt bittersweet about the park.

"Have you ever been here?" Sam asked as they walked toward the hill.

"Logan tried to take me on the hike here, a while ago." Ray whirled around and pointed down the hill. "I sat somewhere there and smoked pot."

"So, Logan. Does he like outdoor stuff?" she asked, realizing how little she knew about his brother.

He chuckled. "No, that was his attempt to get me out of the house. When shit got real with that fan." Ray took her hand, and they continued to walk up. "I got really paranoid and depressed at that time, barely left my house," he added, glancing at her.

"I know what you mean," she replied in a gloomy voice.

"That's why you are going on tour with me," Ray stated and smiled extensively. "There is no way Scott could follow you, through Europe," he added.

Soon they reached the site of the swing set. Sam prepared a little picnic for them. She had a blanket, some fruits, biscuits, and juice. They settled everything on the ground. Raymond lay on his left side, looking at her. Sam squatted with her legs crossed underneath her, studying the magical aspect of the city.

"Speaking of Scott, you never told me how you guys know each other," Sam asked, gulping the juice.

"Through my brother," Ray said, chewing a grape. "They met in the gym, they worked out together, and hung out a few times." He exhaled loudly. "The whole reason we performed at that party was because Logan liked Scott." He glanced at Sam. "Not anymore, though."

"How long ago they met?" she asked, picking on a grape bunch.

"Not sure. As I said, Logan liked him, as in having a crush on Scott," he said and glanced at her. "And even after we thought Scott had a boyfriend, Logan still chose to perform." He tilted his head to his shoulder.

"Why did you think Scott was gay?" Sam asked, changing her seating position since her leg had fallen asleep.

"Oh, that. When I got home after that party, I talked to Logan about it." Raymond rested on his back with his arms behind his head. "Scott seemed so nice to my brother, complementing his biceps and other stuff. The way he talked to Logan, it looked like Scott also had a crush on him too."

A strange feeling overwhelmed Sam, getting to know someone on a deep level seemed new to her. Raymond appeared always open and honest with her. In her thoughts, as always, she compared Ray with Tom. They rarely had talks like this, they knew each other since they were kids. So Tom and Sam saw each other often.

At first, Tom didn't want to be her friend. In later years, Sam hated him for pulling her hair each time they would meet. And in their teenage years, they finally became friends and later a couple. So she knew Tom extremely well. There was nothing new he could tell her about his life. But talking with Ray, everything felt new to her. She appreciated that feeling, eager to know more about him.

Raymond remained on his back with his arms behind his head as Sam rested her head on his stomach and lay on her left side, so she could see his face while they talked.

"Tell me more about Logan," she asked, lifting her eyebrows.

"I did, the first night we met," he reminded, raising his eyebrow. "Or did you forget that too?" Ray smirked.

"No," she grinned. "I want to know him as your brother, not as your bandmate."

"I don't know what to tell you. Logan likes to paint while smoking weed. He likes girls and boys equally. But he has commitment issues, although he will never admit that. I don't know what else?" Sam lingered, patiently waiting until he opened his mouth again. "We look alike, but we are very different. We resemble Tod when he was our age." Sam furrowed her eyebrows and Ray glanced at her.

"Tod was my dad. I told you before that I don't have a father," he reminded her.

"Can you tell me how that happened?" Sam asked.

"Tod died about eight years ago." Ray's breathing became quicker.

"I'm sorry. How did it happen?" Sam asked and caressed his cheek.

"He was an addict. Harder stuff, mostly meth. That is why Logan and I have never been interested in drugs, well just pot-smoking," he explained.

"Is there a reason you are calling him by his name?"

"Tod put my mom through hell. He would be fine for months, maintaining his daily routines, and would vanish for a week." Ray deeply inhaled. "My mom would find him during that week and put him in rehab. After that, he will come back home and be okay again." Raymond's breathing stayed heavy, so Sam sat down again, presuming the weight of her head pressured him.

"This cycle went for years," Ray continued his story. "One day, my mom couldn't find Tod, and police showed up at my house with the news that Tod overdosed and died after three weeks of searching. I know he is dead, but I still hate him, I can't forgive him, and I can't call him dad." Ray shook his head.

They talked for a while, trying to find happier topics. Soon they had to finish the picnic because it was almost ten p.m. And the park will close soon. They were on the way back to Sam's bike when a new topic occurred. Or the old one depends on how you look at it.

"Did you tell your parents about the trip?" Ray asked, holding Sam's hand and moving at a slow pace.

"Trip?" She glanced at him.

"You are coming on tour, right?" He raised his black eyebrow.

"Yes, I'm coming," she responded with a laugh. "I told my sister but didn't give any details about it. Since I'm using my old phone while talking to my family, I'm not sure if I should tell them anything for now."

At first, the idea of going with him sounded a bit insane to her. But while Ray stayed in San Diego, Sam missed him and felt empty. She realized she would feel like that if she would stay in Los Angeles. Samanta knew it seemed a selfish decision to be with him, no matter what. But she felt happy being with him. And if something would go wrong, she would just come back. After all, she was very independent.

"Did you tell your parents about me?" He glimpsed toward her.

"Not yet," she replied, and Ray furrowed his eyebrows. "There is a reason for that, and you won't like it."

"Tell me," he replied.

"My mom still hopes I will be with Tom. And my dad expects me to come back home and work for him, as I mentioned last night. And the whole Scott situation doesn't help either," Sam explained.

"I'm not going to lie as a new boyfriend," Ray said as Sam wrinkled her eyebrows. "There it is again. You don't like the term boyfriend-girlfriend?" He concluded and smirked.

"It's not that I don't like them—okay, I don't like it after all." Sam sighed.

"That's okay." He smiled. "We will invent our term." They reached the parking lot where Sam parked the bike. "Where was I?" Ray asked. "Oh, right, I'm not going to lie as a new man in your life, I feel threatened by Tom, considering what you told me last night." Sam sat down on the bike. "And to know that your parents like him, it's scary. But you chose me. And given how adorable I am, they're going to fall in love with me pretty soon." He cracked into laughter.

"You are adorable." Sam smiled, putting the helmet on her head. She detected a weird expression on Ray's face. "Does this bother you?" She pointed her finger at the motorcycle fuel tank.

"No. It's not like that." He took a spare helmet. "It's more like I'm jealous." He bent his head down.

"Jealous—why?" Sam asked, surprised.

"I had a hard time learning how to drive a motorcycle and still having trouble with that," Ray admitted, Sam couldn't contain her laughter. "Don't laugh at me. It's serious."

"Sorry, you sounded like a child jealous of a toy his friend got," she said.

"Yeah. The feeling is similar." He laughed, putting on his helmet.