Travel // Shawn Mendes

thirteen

"So he just came up to you, out of nowhere?"

"Yeah, a real gentleman, I know." Shawn smiles at my sarcasm, but all of a sudden, a serious look is back on his face.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?"

When he says that, I remember my knee, and look down at it momentarily. However, this makes him do the same thing, and watch his facial expression change completely. It was like a fire had been lit in his eyes, and he turned to look in the direction the man had gone in. I noticed his clenched jaw, and figured that I should probably say something quick.

"No, this was my fault. He didn't hurt me, swear. I just tripped and scraped myself a bit, that's all."

"A bit? Nora, there's blood going down your leg. Come with me, you need severe medical attention."

I was surprised that it was still bleeding, but I didn't want to cause any trouble for Shawn, as amazed as I was to see him again.

"One of my friends is waiting for me back at her apartment, sorry."

"So tell her you'll be late. Seriously, do you not trust me or something?" Shawn asks jokingly.

"I do, but you don't need to worry about me, I'll be fine."

The puzzling thing was, I did trust Shawn. Like, the kind where I would trust him with my life, which is beyond weird, because we've only really had one conversation before this one.

"And what if I want to worry about you, Nora?" His voice drops low as he comes closer, and I look at the ground before making eye contact again.

If he was trying to seem hot, he was 100% succeeding in the attempt. When I looked up at him he had a dead serious look, but I noticed something in his eyes as well, that almost seemed to challenge me.

"Okay, let's go." I say, breaking the silence between us, before a question pops into my head.

Where are we going?

Shawn smiles at me, before walking to the doors of the hotel, and pulling them open, letting me go in first before leading me into a hallway, making sure to block the secretary at the front's view of me, in case she wasn't too fond of blood.

As we wait for the elevator, Shawn standing behind me, I feel his warm breath on my neck as he begins to whisper.

"Try not to get blood on the carpet. I hear it's bad for reviews."

I look at the ground and try to hide my smile from his poor joke as we walk into the now open elevator, and he presses the button for whatever floor he was staying on.

"So, don't take this the wrong way or anything, but in Spain, you were wondering where my hotel was. Here, I find you in front of my hotel. Not stalking me, are you?" He teases, obviously joking, and I roll my eyes at him.

"Mm, I don't know Shawn. Maybe hotels are just our thing." I joke back, and his eyebrows raise in interest as he opens his mouth to speak.

But before he says anything, the elevator door dings open, and we both step out of it, now standing in the quiet hallways.

Well, quiet until my phone starts to ring.

"Um, I think I know who that is." I say sheepishly to Shawn, and answer it.

"Yes?"

"Oh, good to hear your voice. I thought you had been murdered!" Annalise exclaims, and I turn my volume down after hearing her yelling.

"Are you usually murdered on your way to the ATM?" I question, trying to ease her nerves a bit. I knew that I was at fault.

"Um, I don't usually take half an hour! Please, explain to me where you are and what you're doing?"