Crossroads (Book Three)

Chapter 15

Lyla

I wake up in my bed, with Shawn's warm and strong arms wrapped around me as my back rests against his chest. I close my eyes and try to stay still as I enjoy this moment. Last year it had become a familiar wake up for me, laying eyes on him the moment I woke up. This year it has unfortunately become more of a rarity that I wake up in his arms. The busyness of our lives overtaking nights we used to spend together.

As I lay here, thoughts of yesterday come flooding back to me and I'm filled with worry again. I want to know what is going on with my dad. I want to have the answers and I want them to be fixable or treatable. It's naïve, but I refuse to believe there is something seriously wrong with him. My dad has always been a healthy guy. He eats well, works out, and he looks ten years younger than his actual age. I can't imagine any scenario where he could be sick, like really sick.

I want to reach out and grab my phone off the bedside table to check and see if my mom has any new news, but I'm not ready to move out of Shawn's arms yet. I don't want to move in fear that he will wake up and we will have to start our day, both heading off in different directions to deal with whatever it is we need to. I already know that Shawn has to meet with some of his classmates for a project in the library this afternoon and I have about ten chapters of reading I need to finish before Monday waiting for me on my desk.

"Morning beautiful," Shawn's raspy voice grumbles out of his mouth and tickles my ear as he places a soft kiss along my jawline.

His arms tighten around me to pull me in closer to his body and I rest my hands over his forearms, squeezing them softly. We lay like this as the minutes pass, neither one of letting go of the other. My mind is still racing with all the worst case scenarios I can imagine for my dad because I apparently I am a masochist and enjoy torturing myself.

"What you thinking about Lyla?" Shawn whispers out.

"My dad," I whisper back and I take a calming breath and try not to burst into tears again.

"Can I do anything to help?" Shawn offers softly.

"I don't really want to talk about all of it right now," I answer him honestly. My last twenty four hours have been dominated by my thoughts about my dad and I just want a bit of a break because I know I will be a sobbing mess again if I talk about him.

"Okay, but if you change your mind I'm always here to listen," he tells me and I nod my head in response. "I'm going to make you breakfast then," he adds as he changes the subject.

Shawn places kiss on my cheek then leans over me as I turn to lay on my back. Shawn hovers over me, his eyes looking down and searching mine before he leans down and places his lips on mine. His lips are dry from just waking up and so are mine, so they are rough as they brush over one another.

I brush my hand through his hair and stop to rest it at the back of his neck. He starts to pull away and I tighten my grip around the back of his neck, trying to keep his lips pressed against mine. I can feel his lips curving up into a smile as he continues to kisses me again.

"Don't you want your breakfast?" He mumbles against my mouth between kisses.

"Breakfast can wait," I respond and his lips leave mine as he peers down at me with a look of amusement on his face. "I want you," I add before I pull him back down towards me, allowing myself to get lost in his lips that have the incredible ability to take full occupancy of my mind.

It's been two and half weeks since that wonderful morning I spent with Shawn in my bed, tangled in the sheets with him as we played hooky from the real word outside my bedroom door. Since then, there's been no real news about my dad. They've ran every test they can think of on him and still have no answers. I can tell how frustrated my mom is with the whole situation whenever she calls to give me an update.