The Black Tangled Heart

The Revelation

"Keep looking at me like that and I'll kick you out of this car"

"You're wearing clothes" Camila giggled "like real clothes, not sports stuff, not ripped jeans, clothes"

"It's called a suit actually" Shawn said as he smoothed a hand over the grey suit he had recently spent a fortune on and not regretting a dollar of it

"And you're wearing it!!"

"Yes we um... we established that already, look can you stop staring at me and giggling, you're making me anxious"

"It's called nervous... have you ever actually been nervous before?"

Shawns mind rewound its self back to a time when all he felt were nerves and anxiety, to a time before boxing and training toughened him, gave him structure and gave him such a strong sense of himself that he didn't feel any of that shit anymore because he knew no matter what happened he could fight his way out of it, no matter who was at risk, he could protect them

"No" he stated roughly as he kept his eyes on the road and tried to ignore the memory of his lies

"I'm sorry I'm not dressed more fancy but you didn't tell me we would need to dress up for wherever we are going"

"You look fine... nice" he spared a quick glance out of the corner of his eye and hated the flood of feelings looking at Camila gave him, sitting there in high waisted white jeans and a floaty lemon top her curls bundled over one shoulder and just a hint of makeup. Lip gloss she had applied and then he had kissed off numerous times that morning.

Yesterday he had collected her from school and found her subdued as they drove to their destination... a hotel in a different town.

They had checked in and unpacked in silence and then found a cafe and eaten in silence and when they were done they headed back to their hotel where they got ready for bed in silence and then slept next to each other in silence.

The morning after had been a different situation although though as Camila has woken up in Shawns arms and almost immediately his mouth was on hers and that's how they spent the morning, busying themselves by getting ready and stealing kisses at every opportunity, again allowing their hands to explore all innocent areas of the human body, never once crossing the line that would lead them out of their clothes and back into bed

"So can I know where we're going yet?"

"You'll see soon enough"

"Why won't you just tell me?" Camila asked, her voice rising with frustration

"Because if I tell you that gives you more time to mock me"

"Shawn..."

"And don't say you wouldn't, look at the fuckin saga we just had over a suit"

Camila gazed absentmindedly out of the car window, watching the tall buildings and other vehicles passing by, trying to guess where on earth they were going. Where could possibly have Shawn wearing a suit and visibly nervous

"Shit, are we going to court?!" She suddenly blurted out whilst jumping up in her seat, Shawns face turning to gaze at her and even through shades she could sense his disappointment "I did it again didn't I?" She asked as she shrunk back into the seat and covered her face with her hands

"Is that really what you think of me? That I would bring you all this way to come to court with me? You don't think I have a little bit more self pride to bring a girl to court"

"I spoke without thinking, I'm sorry"

"What does it even matter?" His head dropped a little as he tried to focus on the road and pretend that her assumption hasn't felt like a kick in the guts

They travelled in the silence they were becoming accustomed to and eventually Camila fell asleep, waking only when a large hand took her by the shoulder and shook her gently

"Oh my God!" Camila gasped as she clutched her chest "You almost killed me"

"I should be so lucky" Shawn complained as he sat back in his chair and closed his eyes "by the way we're here"

Camila rubbed her eyes and then looked up at the large orange building in front of her trying to work out where they actually were.

The surroundings were leafy and nothing like the cityscape she had fallen asleep in

"Shawn it's beautiful but where..." and then she spotted the banner that arched over the drive way "Shawn!" She gasped, reaching for his hand and squeezing it as she stared ahead

"Tell me I'm stupid for even thinking I can do this. Tell me to turn around before I embarrass myself. Please Camila, tell me all I'm good for is punching other guys in the face and I swear I will turn this car around and take us home"

"Don't you dare! She exclaimed, threading her fingers though his as he refused to meet her gaze "You are none of those things. You are Shawn, you're strong and protective and smart and you are the hottest guy I ever saw in a suit"

"I can't do this Mila"

"Sure you can... we get out this car, we walk in there, you blow them away the way you blow me away every time I look at you" She reached over and took hold of his chin, pulling his face towards her "You can do this, you deserve this"

"I'm shitting my pants" he chuckled

"Yeah well I just about shit my pants when I saw the sign" Camila admitted through a light giggle of her own "So what is this? An open day or..."

"This is my interview, hence the suit"

"Your interview?! You got an interview?! Oh my God Shawn!" She couldn't stop herself throwing her arms around his neck as tears began to burn her chocolate coloured orbs

"This is what it's all been for Mila, the fights, the risks, all for this..."

"We can't let Adamson win, we can't let him take this from you"

"He won't win, Varga won't win"

"Ethan said he's a heavyweight, that he could kill you"

"He's going to have to kill me, it's the only way he's going to take this away from me"

"There's my fighting boy" Camila whispered against his neck

"Are you ready to go?"

"No! I'll wait here, I can't go in there dressed like this" She motioned down to her casual outfit

"I um... I kind of want you with me. If that's okay" Shawn spoke the words softly, pulling back just to see the emotion swirl in Camilas eyes and then drip down her cheeks "You can stay in the waiting room when I go in"

"One condition"

"Anything"

"When we get back to the hotel you let me take that suit off of you"

"Well that depends, are you stopping when it comes to the boxers or are they coming off this time too?"

"They are definitely coming off" she winked as they both laughed

"10:45, I guess we'd better go in"

"Are you ready for this?" She asked as she ran a hand over the beautifully smooth skin on his cheek

"No" he pouted as he clicked his seatbelt open and then reached for the door

"University Of Florida, we're coming for you baby"

"We, I actually don't hate the sound of that today" said Shawn as he stepped out of the car and then walked around to open Camilas door and helped her down "Tomorrow I will probably hate it  but today it sounds sort of nice"

"Shawn Mendes student at the Prodigious  University Of Florida, it has nice ring to it"

"It sounds like a dream" he said shaking his head as he took Camilas hand in his

"Well get ready Mendes, because all your dreams are about to come true" she stood up on her tiptoes and placed a kiss to his cheek "And I'm going to be right here watching it happen"

*again he's not up to anything really exciting but it's moving the story on