Cabin of Dreams

chapter 1

Day 1: Monday

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„We are almost at the cabin.", Maggie cheered. She was driving with Meredith, Lexie, Amelia, and Derek. Her big sister's boyfriend was driving, meaning they were taking hers and Lexie's best friend as well because it wouldn't have made sense to take only one of the Shepherd siblings-duo.

"Finally, I haven't seen Mark in ages.", her other sister complained. It was summer break and the friends had decided to make the most of the remaining two weeks by living in a house in the woods that belonged to Mark's parents.

"You have seen him only a week ago.", Meredith meddled and chuckled. She knew that her little sister could barely survive without her boyfriend whereas her other younger sister had a huge crush on Andrew DeLuca, who was also going to be there. "Maggs, will you finally make a move on Andrew?"

"Yeah, will you?", Amelia questioned curiously. She and Maggie were the only singles of the girls. But she wasn't really looking for something serious, although Owen would be there. Owen, who she had slept with twice in the past month. But definitely not because she had feelings for him or anything like that.

"You don't get to ask me in that judging tone.", her best friend whined. "I don't see you making a move on Owen either.", she pointed out and challenged the brunette. "I am just so unsure...what if Andrew is only being nice and doesn't even like me?"

"Wait, I am not planning on getting it on with Owen.", her friend clarified. "We had sex twice, that's it. No romantic feelings involved, no strings attached.", she explained to the others.

"Sure, which is why you keep asking me questions about my bud's whereabouts all the time.", her big brother teased her. "You're so into him, Amy. But because you have never felt something for a boy before, you are trying to hide it because you're scared of falling for someone and becoming somewhat dependent on him."

"Okay, Mr. Therapist, that's enough.", his girlfriend chuckled. "You can stop analyzing your sister's feelings for Owen, it makes her uncomfortable.", she defended the brunette. "Let her have this fun trip."

"There he is.", Lexie joined in on the mocking. Owen was standing at the grill next to Mark and April and already preparing the burger patties. When the group arrived, all three of them looked at the car, watching them get out. Mark immediately opened his arms to catch his girlfriend, who was excitedly running towards him.

Amelia was looking at her friend, before she glanced at Owen standing next to them and realized, he was looking at her too. She raised her hand a little to greet him and offered him a small smile, which he reciprocated.

"No feelings, huh?", Maggie whispered in her ear, making the brunette break eye contact with the redhead as she scoffed. Her friend looked at her, rolling her eyes in the process.

"Go find Andrew and leave me alone. It's normal to greet people you've had sex with. It's nice.", the brunette educated her before she got her bag out of the trunk. "Let's say hi to everyone and move into our room.", she suggested.

---

"I've made seating arrangements.", Arizona beamed at everyone when it was time for lunch. She had designed a whole paper. "Mixed us up a little bit.", she added. Everyone took their seat.

While ten of them occupied both sides of the table, the remaining four were sitting at the two ends. Coincidentally, both, Owen and Amelia were at opposite ends, able to make direct eye contact whenever they felt like it.

"So, what's today's plan?", Alex wondered, wrapping his arm around Jo, who was sitting next to him. Other than them sitting together, Arizona hadn't put any couples next to each other. "We could explore the lake and have ice cream."

"Yeah, sounds good. Haven't planned much for today.", Mark confirmed, petting Jackson's dog that had joined the group and was now desperately begging for human food to be handed to him. "Maybe some games in the evening.", he shrugged.

"The burgers are great!", Callie commented on lunch. "How about we have a picnic tomorrow?", she suggested something for them to do the next day before she took another bite of her food.

"Sure, the area is pretty great. We could go on a hike and have the picnic for lunch sometime.", Lexie, who of course had already been here with Mark several times, informed the group.

"So, who's coming to swim?", Jackson questioned his friends once lunch was over. Every day, two of them would do the dishes together. Today it was Owen's and Maggie's turn. "April, Derek, Mark, Lexie. Who else?"

"Aren't you going?", Owen asked Amelia as he gathered the plates. "Not in the mood for swimming?", he curiously wanted to know. He was dying to get to know the brunette better and he hoped that the next two weeks would help him do so.

"Not sure yet. Are you?", she wondered, smiling at him. He nodded. "I could help you guys with the dishes and then we can follow the others.", she figured and got up to grab some dirty tableware as well.

"So, you're in after all?", the redhead questioned with a smirk. She didn't answer that and just shrugged. She was playing with him, and he couldn't help but find that extremely sexy.

"Owen!", Maggie yelled from the kitchen inside, waiting for him to finally drag his ass into the room to help her with the dirty plates. "Oh, I see.", she teased once the two friends walked into the room. "Sorry for interrupting whatever you were doing."

"Maggie!", Amelia complained. "Did you ask Andrew out?", she decided to call her out as well, causing her friend to turn to her and widen her eyes. Owen stopped drying a fork and glanced at her.

"You're into DeLuca?", he wanted to know. "Cute.", he chuckled. Both of them weren't the type of person who just walked up to their crush to tell them how they felt. And Owen knew about Andrew's feelings for the brunette.

"Great, thanks. Now he knows.", Maggie told Amelia and rolled her eyes at her. "Are you going to the lake?", she asked her, changing the topic because she was done talking about the previous one.

"Sure.", the brunette replied and nodded. "Maybe only for ice cream though.", she added, so Owen wouldn't think she had made up her mind. "You?", she addressed her best friend softly.

"Same. Not in the mood to swim in the same water that the others decide to be in love in if you know what I mean.", Maggie answered, looking at both of her friends, causing them to try not to laugh.

"Yeah, maybe I won't swim either after all.", Owen figured. "Amelia, what's your favorite ice cream flavor?", he wondered. "Let me guess, it's lemon.", he said, expectantly glancing at her.

"Nope. I like strawberry the most.", the brunette explained. "But lemon is nice. Just a little too sour sometimes. Why don't you wanna swim anymore? Because I said I wouldn't or because all those couples are disgusting?"

"Well, who knows.", her friend responded and winked at her, giving her a taste of her own medicine from before and causing her to bite her lower lip. She was trying to read him as much as he was trying to read her.