Returning Shadows

(8) Anger Issues Much?

CHAPTER 8

Anger Issues Much?

"I win!"

"You cheated," I moaned. "You're only supposed to use your thumb. You know, that's why it's called a thumb war."

"I still won!" Shawn said in a singsong voice.

"Whatever. Cheat." I rolled my eyes and slapped his hand away when he tried to challenge me to another game.

He pouted.

Danny was in the kitchen, cooking something that smelt delicious, while Shawn and I waited in the living room and passed the time by playing thumb war.

"I wouldn't have thought Danny could cook," I told Shawn. "He looks like more of a microwave-it guy."

"Yeah, wait until you try his lasagne. It's like his signature dish."

"What is he? A chef or something?"

"No, but his mum used to be."

Used to be?

"Both of his parents died when he was sixteen," Shawn said as if he'd read my mind. All expression disappeared from his face, and for the first time since I'd met him, he actually looked regretful.

I swallowed, my mouth suddenly feeling dry. "How?" I asked quietly.

"His dad had a heart attack, and a few months later, his mum committed suicide. The two were inseparable, childhood sweethearts. When her husband died, I guess she just felt like she couldn't live without him and took the easy way out."

My heart ached. He went through so much pain. I tried to imagine how he must have felt; being the same age as me and having lost both his parents under such horrible circumstances. My throat constricted at the thought. Under all that scariness, all the tattoos, he was hurting. Nobody could ever recover from something like that, not fully. The tattoos and the cockiness were just for show. He was afraid that people would think he was weak, and so he used them as something to hide behind.

"W-what happened to Danny? Where did he go?" I pressed, forcing back the lump in my throat so I could speak.

"Our parents knew each other since before we were born. His were my godparents and mine were his. So when both his mum and dad died, my parents became his guardians. We took him in," Shawn explained.

"So you two are basically brothers? Considering you grew up together."

"I guess you could say that." A grin broke out on his face. "He doesn't like to be associated as a relation of mine though."

I chuckled. "I can see why," I teased, happy to be talking about something not as serious.

Shawn looked mock offended and pouted. "Take that back!" he ordered, pointing his finger at me.

I stuck my nose in the air. "No."

"Right then," he growled. "Right then!"

Before I had time to think, all one hundred and sixty odd pounds of Shawn Grey were on top of me, pinning my legs to the couch, while he tickled me mercilessly.

"Do you take it back?" he taunted, barely giving me an opportunity to answer as he continued tickling me.

"No!" I squealed between giggles. "Never!"

He suddenly stopped and began making a hawking noise in the back of his throat. I opened my eyes to see him hovering above my face with a ball of flob dribbling out of his mouth, drawing nearer and nearer to my face.