Shawn Mendes Imagines

She Didn't Mean It

Noise flooded between the walls of the house. Entitled arguments were thrown back and forth like knives, filling the air like a deadly disease.

Palms smacked down on the hard wood of the table, his calloused finger pointed firmly at her juvenile chest, the night waned outside the window. You watched them argue, trying your best to stay mutual-- everything was moving in slow motion, even your own breath.

"I never want to hear you disrespect me like that ever again," his condescending voice booms across the kitchen, dark eyes in slits as he stood unmoving in the kitchen doorway, lips pursed together tightly, jaw clenched.

"For the thousandth time," your thirteen year old daughter whined in response, arms crossed over her torso, "you're overreacting!"

"I don't want you leaving this room until you apologize to me and your mother," he commands her, his voice deep and thick with disdain.

"Dad, this is so unfair," her matching eyes begin to well up with tears, and she looks away suddenly to escape his wrathful glare. "You're treating me like a little kid."

"It's not up to you to decide how you're treated as long as you're living under our roof," he huffs. "You are my daughter, and you will listen to me when I'm talking to you. Do you understand me, young lady?"

A shiny tear escapes the corner of her eye, her bottom lip quivering slightly as she finally looks up at him slowly.

"I'm.. I'm sorry," she apologizes through breaths, before looking past him at you and uncrossing her arms. "And I'm sorry to you, too."

She stands there for only a little while longer, unmoving, before she turns over her shoulder and begins walking towards the staircase.

"Stop," Shawn commands again, his volume level dropping, but his level of irritation still breaking the scale. "You need to hand over your phone and your laptop please."

"What?" her eyes widen, eyebrows furrowing in disbelief. "No!"

"Don't argue with me, Amira Renee," he billows, his back muscles tensing with every word, fists clenched at his sides. "I'm sick and tired of hearing you argue tonight. If I hear one more word, I'm grounding you for even longer. Do you hear me?"

"Dad!" she whimpers even louder, groaning as she steps back, tears streaming down her face.

"You're making this worse for yourself," he shakes his head. "Go get your phone and your laptop right now. Not another word."

As she blinks her eyes and forces her lips shut, spinning on her heels and darting straight for the stairs without once looking back, she tackles them one by one, soft sobs escaping her lips.

Shawn followed her to the edge of the stairwell, and right before the ear-piercing slam of her bedroom door, that's when you heard her say it.

And you knew that you didn't even have to hear how heartbreaking it was, to know how much she shattered him with her words. The expression on his face spoke louder than any of you had the entire night.

The anger he held there suddenly disappeared, and all that was left was a blank face, relaxed fists, and parted lips as he stood there completely still.

In shock.

You watched as your husband dropped to his knees and sat still on the bottom step, resting his forehead in his palms, taking shallow breaths. Her raging words echoed loudly in your mind for the next few moments, unable to escape the harsh reality behind it all and how speechless it left him.

Only three words, three words that you knew broke him into a million pieces.

You cautiously move towards him, crouching down to his level and throwing your right arm over his back, noticing how his shoulders were shaking slightly.

"Hey," you softly speak, using your other hand to stroke the deep brown curls of his hair. "Don't be upset, baby. She didn't mean it."

"Yes she did," he croaks under his breath, without looking up at you.

"No," you shake your head, "she absolutely didn't."

He didn't respond, just left his head in his hands, clearly not believing a word.

"I'm not a good dad," he finally lifts his head up, wiping beneath his eyes with the collar of his dark button-up shirt. "All I do is yell at her."

"You're protecting her," you correct him. "You're never strict with her without reason. She needs to learn."

He shakes his head while you talk, shutting his eyes tightly and letting out a shaky breath. "I promised you that I would build you a family, and our home would always be a place of happiness," he heaves a sigh, "and love. And laughter."

"Shawn-"

"And I let my temper interfere with everything I promised you. And now.. and now my baby girl hates me."

"Shawn, that's enough," you cup his chin in your hands, forcing him to look at you right in the eyes. "You are the best dad in the world. Amira does not hate you. People say and do things in anger that they don't mean. You're the most wonderful man I've ever known."

You release your grip on his chin, but hold his gaze for quite some time, seeing his watery brown eyes soften.

"You are kind," you smile at him, just as he grabs your hand and holds it tightly with both of his.

"You're funny.. " you continue, "you're empathetic, and passionate, and thoughtful, and smart. And God, I've never met anyone sweeter."

"I just love you," he beams, eyes still red, his emotions getting the best of him today. "I can't believe how much I love you. I can't believe how lucky I.. oh, man."

***

guysss i think this boy is lowkey flirting with me

ALSO ALSO OMG OMG SHAWN'S SIGNATURE FRAGRANCE I CANT RN I DONT HAVE TIME FOR THIS

i LOVE how he thinks i have money left after this tour hahahah bye

also don't forget to follow me if you like reading these! haha i'm petty whoops