Broken homes

Detention: Tensions & Temptations

Lily sat in the empty classroom, arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently against the floor. Detention was already bad enough, but being stuck with Shawn Hunter? Pure torture.

Shawn strolled in casually, hands in his pockets, smirking as he took the seat next to her. "Well, well. Look at us, back where we started."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Shawn."

He chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Touchy. You always get this moody when you're stuck in a room with me?"

Lily clenched her jaw, ignoring him. She wasn't in the mood for his games, not after everything that had happened between them. The fights, the jealousy, the drinking, the way he always seemed to get under her skin in ways no one else could.

Shawn watched her, his smirk fading slightly. "Alright, let's just get this over with. You obviously hate me, and I honestly don't know if I hate you or just—" He stopped himself, exhaling. "—whatever. Let's talk."

Lily scoffed, turning to him. "Talk? About what, Shawn? About how you pushed me against a door? How you threw our friendship away for Angela? Or how you had the nerve to call me a spoiled rich girl when you know that's not who I am?"

Shawn's smirk was completely gone now. "Oh, you mean like how you threw me away the second Nate showed up? How you ignored me for months? How you became just like your mother and started drinking?"

Lily's eyes flared with anger. "Don't. Ever. Compare me to her."

Shawn's eyes darkened. "Then stop acting like her."

The air between them turned thick, heavy with tension. Neither of them looked away, both breathing hard, emotions running wild.

Lily stood up so fast her chair scraped against the floor. "You don't get to judge me, Shawn! You—" She poked his chest hard. "—are no better! You drink, you push people away, you act like you don't care, but you do. And it scares the hell out of you!"

Shawn stood up too, stepping closer. "And what about you, huh? You push people away just as much as I do, but when I try to get close, you shut me out! Admit it, Lily—you're scared of me. Scared of what this is between us."

Lily clenched her fists, her breathing shallow. "There is no this."

Shawn scoffed. "Then why are you shaking?"

Lily opened her mouth to snap back, but Shawn suddenly grabbed her wrist, pulling her in just enough so they were inches apart.

Her heart pounded.

His eyes flickered to her lips.

And then—

She grabbed his shirt and crashed her lips onto his.

Shawn didn't hesitate. His hands gripped her waist, pulling her flush against him, kissing her like he'd wanted to for months. It wasn't soft. It wasn't sweet. It was hungry, desperate, messy.

Lily tugged at his jacket, deepening the kiss, pouring every ounce of anger, passion, and unresolved tension into it. Shawn groaned against her lips, his hands roaming up her back, fingers tangling into her hair.

When they finally pulled away, breathless, foreheads touching, neither of them spoke.

As the heat of the moment faded and their breathing steadied, reality hit them like a freight train.

Lily was the first to pull back completely, running a shaky hand through her hair. "Oh my god," she whispered, taking a step away from Shawn. "Oh my god."

Shawn blinked, still dazed, but then it clicked. His stomach dropped. "Angela," he muttered. His hands went to his face as he exhaled sharply. "Nate," Lily added, her voice barely above a whisper.

Silence filled the room. The weight of what just happened crushed down on both of them.

Lily's fingers traced her lips like she could wipe the kiss away. "We—" she swallowed hard, shaking her head. "We just cheated."

Shawn let out a bitter laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. Yeah, we did."

Lily's head was spinning. "What the hell were we thinking?"

Shawn scoffed, crossing his arms. "I don't know, Lily. Maybe the months of built-up tension had something to do with it."

She shot him a glare. "This isn't funny, Shawn!"

He sighed, dropping the attitude. "I know." He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "I just... I don't know what to do."

Lily looked away, guilt eating at her. "Nate," she repeated, softer this time. He had been nothing but good to her. He never pressured her, never made her feel unwanted. And Angela—Lily wasn't exactly close with her, but she knew how much she meant to Shawn.

Shawn leaned against the desk, his expression unreadable. "So what now?"

Lily hesitated. "We can't tell them."

Shawn snapped his head toward her. "What?"

"We can't tell them, Shawn," she repeated, her voice firmer this time. "What good would that do? It would only hurt them."

Shawn narrowed his eyes. "So we just pretend this didn't happen?"

Lily crossed her arms. "Do you have a better idea?"

Shawn was quiet for a moment, then let out a deep breath. "No."

Lily nodded, more to herself than to him. "Then it stays between us."

Shawn studied her for a long moment before nodding. "Fine."

But as they both sat in that empty classroom, guilt heavy in the air, they knew one thing for certain—this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

Nate had been standing outside the detention room, waiting for Lily like he always did. He had planned to walk her home, maybe crack a joke about how she always found herself in trouble. But as he reached the door, his entire world shifted.

Through the small window, he saw it.

Lily and Shawn.

Kissing.

At first, his brain refused to process it. He thought maybe he was seeing things wrong, maybe she had pushed him away—but no. He saw the way they leaned into each other, the way their hands gripped onto each other like they'd been waiting for this moment forever.

His stomach twisted into knots.

And then he heard them talk.

"We just cheated."

"So what now?"

"We can't tell them."

Nate felt his chest tighten. His heart pounded so loudly in his ears that he almost didn't hear the rest.

"It stays between us."

His jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists at his sides. So this is what it was all along? Months of watching Shawn hover around her, watching them bicker, watching the way Lily would always look for him in a crowded room—Nate had ignored it. He convinced himself he was imagining things.

But he wasn't.

Because here they were. Confirming it.

Lily and Shawn had always had feelings for each other.

He felt sick.

He took a step back, the hallway feeling colder than before. He wanted to storm in, wanted to confront them both, wanted to scream—but he didn't.

Instead, he turned and walked away.

Because in that moment, Nate realized something.

He had never really had Lily to begin with.