Old Money || Shawmila [Completed]

27. You own my heart

It seemed like time had stopped. Standing facing each other, it was as if they were playing a game of chess. Camila found it hard to believe she had put him in such a difficult position. Given his behavior, it was obvious that Shawn had no intention of being serious, and for this reason, Camila was certain she would not win that game. Even if she had the satisfaction of hearing him admit his mistakes, this would mean the end of their relationship.

Camila was sincere when she agreed to a label-free relationship, knowing that imposing that on him would mean putting him in a tight spot. At the same time, she would not let him humiliate her with his whims. They were both mature enough to take responsibility for themselves, and that included respecting values ​​based on sincerity and trust.

Although she had betrayed him years earlier - albeit in a completely different and somewhat more insidious way - now she would not allow him to make a fool of her. If Shawn intended to share her bed, the least he owed her was his loyalty.

As Camila silently stared at him, her heart was pounding hard. Her body was engulfed in a whirlwind of emotions that few would be able to control, but she remained impassive, maintaining her calm facade. Shawn, on the other hand, seemed to be panicking. His eyes, while still always in contact with Camila's, shifted from one pupil to the other, searching for something only he knew. His breath was faster, sometimes labored, and his hands clenched into two fists along his sides.

«Can we go somewhere to talk?» he finally asked, defeated. «My workplace doesn't seem like the most appropriate location to discuss private matters». Camila nodded and let herself be led out of the building, making sure to leave a few feet between them. They got into his car, the roar of the engine wasn't loud enough to cover the thick silence that had settled between the two of them like an iron curtain.

The evening traffic was terrible, and the agitated vehicles on the roads only fueled the nervousness inside the car. Fortunately, their ride didn't last long. About twenty minutes later, Shawn pulled into a parking lot, making sure to park in a corner hidden from prying eyes. The wintery darkness of the evening would give them the privacy they sought. For a second, Camila would have preferred to have that conversation in a warmer place, like a bar or restaurant, but she reconsidered it, remembering the privacy required to address their issue.

Shawn turned off the engine, but his hands remained clenched around the steering wheel with an iron grip. He was staring straight ahead, at a vaguely defined point, perhaps trying to find the right words to say. They never came.

Camila was starting to get impatient. She could have stormed out and left a long time ago, take refuge in the comfort of her apartment, and vent the anger she had held back until then. Instead, she had allowed him to explain himself, but Shawn was taking more time than he should have. «Are you gonna say anything at all? If not, I'd like to go back home».

Shawn closed his eyes, his head turned towards the ground. «Just this once, can't you trust me? Can we pretend like today never happened?»

Camila let out a sardonic laugh. «I'm not the pathetic woman you think you're dealing with. I have dignity, and I won't stand here and be treated like a doormat».

«Camila, it's not like that-»

«Shawn, stop lying to me and to yourself!» she burst out impatiently. She turned to him with an inquisitive look. «Were you hitting on that woman or not?»

«Yes, but it's not what you think!» he hurriedly said. «She and I slept together months ago, but I swear on everything that's dear to me that nothing has happened since you and I started seeing each other».

Camila shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. She didn't believe his words. «How can you look me in the face and swear, when we both know it didn't go that way?»

Shawn grabbed her hand. «I'm not lying, Camila. Melissa means nothing to me. What you saw is just our way of communicating. She's ten years older than me, I'm just a kid for the people of the office, and so far I've made my way by prying on their weaknesses».

He could be very convincing when he wanted to, but she still had her doubts. «If that's the case, why can't you just answer the question I asked you before? Why can't you choose?»

Shawn groaned. He was visibly frustrated by the situation, he looked like a trapped animal.

For the first time that night, Camila felt hurt. «Am I so terrible that the mere idea of being with me repulses you?»

«It's not like that, Camila.»

«Then explain it to me! You were the one who said you had forgiven me. If that's the case, then you shouldn't have a big problem choosing between a relationship with me or a life without me at all!» Camila felt her voice tremble, emotion was finally getting the better of her.

Shawn looked up at her and noticed her glistening eyes and trembling lip that gave her away. His expression softened and his palm cupped her cheek. «Do you really think I would spend a single moment of my life with you if you repulsed me? Camila, maybe you have no idea how much of a hold you have on me. That's why I find it so hard to label our relationship» he wiped away a tear that had escaped her eye with his thumb. «Since I saw you again, my life has turned upside down. In a few months, I went from being a grumpy and lonely man, at times even rude, to being relaxed, sociable, and completely obsessed with the girl who had broken my heart. I'm literally unable to spend a night without you by my side, and you think you're terrible?». He chuckled. «You own my heart, Mila». Shawn slowly leaned over her face. He brushed their noses and rested his forehead against hers. Their warm breaths mixed before he pressed his lips to Camila's.

They kissed for a long time, immersed in the darkness of the night, while the first snowflakes of that winter settled slowly on the warm metal of the car, adhering to the windows like small constellations of ice. «You know I love you, right?» Camila admitted, their mouths still close.

«I know it, but it doesn't scare me anymore because I love you too» he replied, giving her one last kiss. «And for the record, I choose you Camila. I will always choose you».