Fractured [SHAWN MENDES]

~17~

Taryn had just driven away when Shawn realized he'd forgotten to get her number, which meant he couldn't have contact with her unless he went to the bar.

He spent most of Monday wishing he could send her a quick text just to say hi since the bar was closed. On Tuesday, he planned on stopping in before the happy hour crowd but then his mother called to tell him his dad had thrown his back out taking the cover off the pool. He'd rushed to Pickering to take his father to emergency room since his mum couldn't hold him upright by herself. He stayed for a late dinner, and when his dad asked if he'd sleep over and finish uncovering the pool in the morning since he was out of commission, Shawn couldn't say no. His parents had put up with a lot of pain because of him, and he owed them a lot more than a morning of hard work.

When the task was completed, he told his folks goodbye and drove back to Toronto. After a quick shower, he practically jogged the couple blocks to The Good Luck Lounge and was about to burst into the bar, ready to explain to Taryn why he hadn't been there yesterday and to get her phone number.

Except the door was locked and the sign said closed.

Looking through the window, he was surprised to see several contractors at work behind the bar and Taryn and Patricia seated at one of the tables with two police officers. He rapped his knuckles against the wooden frame of the door. "What's going on?" he asked Taryn when she opened it.

Her eyes were red-rimmed and she looked haggard. "It's kind of a long story, but the gist of it is that the bar was robbed. We can talk after the police leave. We're closed until tonight, so do you want to come back later?"

Shawn reached out and touched her upper arm. "Of course. Are you okay? Is there something I can do to help?"

She shook her head. "No. I need to get back so I can finish my statement."

He stepped out of the doorway and watched as she locked it. When he got home, he spent the afternoon doing laundry and tidying up his home to keep his mind off worrying about Taryn. Had she shown up that morning and found the place cleaned out?

After eating a bowl of ramen for dinner, he returned to the bar and found Taryn behind the long counter, attending to some customers. She smiled when she saw him, which made his heart flutter.

"What can I get you?" she asked after she'd helped the other customers.

"A draft ale, thanks. How's it going?"

"I'm running on zero sleep and I feel like shit, but I'm a little better than I was earlier."

"What happened?"

"Let me get your beer and then I'll tell you the whole story."

When she stepped away, he glanced around the bar. Nothing looked like it had been broken, which was good.

Taryn placed his beer in front of him. "Last night, it was pretty slow. People don't stay out late on Tuesdays. I told Zack to head home early since it didn't look like we'd have any other customers, and if we did, they probably weren't after food. Maybe ten minutes after he left, two guys came in and ordered drinks at the bar. One of them went to use the bathroom, though I'm pretty sure he was making sure no one else was here, and when he returned, they told me to empty out the cash register and that they'd shoot me if I didn't do as I was instructed."

Shawn felt the blood drain from his body. "You were held up at gun point!?"

"I never saw the gun. Maybe it was an empty threat. I didn't want to push them and find out it was real the hard way."