Torn [SHAWN MENDES]

~19~

"I can tell by your expression that something is on your mind," Aaliyah said after she returned to the table with two plates of food from the buffet.

Shawn shrugged. "Things were weird with Taryn and that bothers me. It was stiff and awkward. Maybe coming was a mistake."

"Did you come here to see her?"

He picked up a stuffed mushroom cap from the plate she'd prepared for him and ate it before answering. "That's not the main reason, but honestly, I was hoping that if we saw each other we might work past the tension."

"Is that why you wanted to stay? So that you can talk to her again?"

Karen and Manny left with Piper over an hour ago after moving her car seat into their SUV. She'd started to fuss a bit, and they were eager to spend some time with her, so it made sense. Jordan also took off to relieve their babysitter, leaving Shawn and Aaliyah at The Good Luck Lounge. The crowd had thinned substantially, and only those closest to Earl remained.

"I want her to know I'm sorry," he said softly.

His sister placed her hand over his. "You don't mean that you're sorry for her loss, do you?"

"You're asking question after question," he remarked with a smirk. "But no...sorry for what I put her through."

"This might not be the time or place for that, Shawn. I think it's noble that you want to apologize, but Jules is here and she's emotional already. It was obvious that she was crying earlier."

"She was?" His stomach turned at the thought.

"I ran into her leaving the bathroom and we talked a sec. Her eyes and nose were red, but lots of people have had small outbursts this evening, which is expected after losing someone," she said.

He looked around the room and spotted Taryn sitting with Patricia at the bar. Shawn found himself glued to his chair, unable to move, though he also felt a strong urge to go to her.

She turned her head and locked eyes with him for a moment before focusing on her mom again. "He's still here," she whispered.

"I noticed. You two didn't talk long."

"What's there to say?"

"I don't know because I'm not inside that complicated head of yours, but I do know that things were never fully resolved. You're both happily with other people now, so it seems like a good time to find closure."

Jules appeared at Taryn's side, making her wonder if he had a sixth sense when it came to her ex-husband. He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm running home to let Hendrix out. I might take him for a walk since he's been cooped up inside all day. I'll come back after."

"No, you should go to bed. It's late and you've got an early shift. Mama was just saying that she thinks things will be winding down soon."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. I'll be home in a bit," she assured him.

Shawn watched as Julian exited the bar. He had nothing against the guy personally, but the way he'd hovered around Taryn all night made it impossible for him to approach her.

He stood up. "I'm going to go talk to Taryn."

"If she starts to get upset, promise me you'll shut it down," Aaliyah warned.

"The last thing I want to do is cause her more pain."

He walked over to the bar, and Tricia hopped off her barstool when he approached them. "I'm going to tell the kitchen staff to stop preparing food and to focus on clean up."