Under her sleeves

Chapter 13//His knuckles were bruised and bleeding

The next day Shawn didn't wake up until noon. I was sitting on the couch snapping rubber bands against my wrist when he trudged down the stairs. His eyes were red and puffy from crying and his knuckles were bruised and bleeding. I swallow, and my heart instantly starts pounding. 

What did he do? He was gone for hours before the boys finally found him and brought him home. Now he comes back and his knuckles are bruised and bleeding like he was hitting someone or something all night. 

Wait. 

Shawn scoots past the living room, refusing to look up from the floor. I'm tempted to say something, but hesitate. What if he's still mad about yesterday? It's not like I said no for no reason. I have a reason. I don't deserve someone like him. He's amazing.

I hear cereal being poured in the kitchen and my stomach growls. I figure the guys will most likely be hungry, and quietly walk to the kitchen to start making lunch. Shawn looks up when I walk in and my heart breaks. His eyes well up with tears when he sees me, and they fall when they see the red marks on my wrist from the rubber bands. 

I silently walk past him, and get out the things I need to start making lunch. I feel bad about saying no, but I had to. It's not like the relationship would have lasted long anyway. 

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"Boys, lunch is ready!" I yell out. 

I hear the pounding footsteps as the guys run to the kitchen and sit down at the table like eager children. Carter helps me put the plates on the table and they dig in. I sit down quietly, and pick at my food. They look at me worriedly, but say nothing. I've been eating, so they're okay when I occasionally don't eat. 

"Where's Shawn?" I ask quietly. 

They all look up. 

"Um..." Johnson swallows, "He's in his room. He wants some alone time."

I nod, instantly more sad than I already was. I push the noodles in my bowl around and a tear escapes, falling down my cheek. 

"Hey."

I look up to see Shawn standing in the doorway to the dining room. He looks at everyone but me and sits down next to Cam. I excuse myself from the table and go into the kitchen, the tears already starting to fall. I hear a chair scraping the floor and someone walks into the kitchen. Aaron. 

"Hey," he say softly.

"What did I do wrong?" I ask, and start to cry. 

Aaron, although he is a boy, knows exactly what to do when a girl is crying. Especially a girl like me. He says nothing, and just wraps his arms around me. I cry into his chest to then apologize for getting tears on his shirt. 

Aaron laughs quietly. He pulls away and looks at me.

"Do you know what Shawn said when he came home the first day he met you?"

I shake my head no, and wait for him to continue.

"He said you were beautiful. That he knew you had a secret, and that no matter what, he was going to protect you. Even if you never told him what that secret was. But you did. He even made us vow to protect you even if our lives were at stake while he was gone at the studio."

By this point, I'm sobbing. I knew Shawn was sweet, but I can't believe he told them that. 

"Hey, I just came to check if you were okay."

I look up, tears still clouding my vision, to see the fuzzy outline of someone standing in the door. I don't need eyesight to know who it is. Just by his voice I know who it is. 

I run to Shawn and tackle him into a hug. 

"I'll take that as a yes, then," he mutters into my hair before wrapping his arms around me in a bear hug. 

"And guess what?"

"What?"

"I change my mind. Yes, I will be your girlfriend."