Shawn Salvatore

Chapter 16.

Emily's P.O.V

The moment my eyes open the next morning dread hangs heavy in my chest leaving a queasy feeling in my stomach. I know we have to question Tyler today no matter what. It's our first and only way to understanding what's going on in Lakeport. It's our easiest available option but still I can't help but feel as though something bad is going to happen in the next twelve hours.

My hand flies out of the thick duvet to the nightstand where my phone sits. Wrapping my fingers around the device I bring it towards myself. It's nearly 4am which means I have four hours until I need to be at school. That leaves me enough time to get showered and dressed before going home to collect my things for school and to show my mother that I'm still alive.

To be honest I'm slightly more nervous to face my mom than Tyler. I didn't tell her the truth about my whereabouts, I never lie to her. Would it be possible she knows where I've been all weekend or am I just being paranoid?

My stomach aches with the familiar feeling of anxiety making me want to curl up into a small ball and go back to sleep. The old grand bed is a lot more comfortable than it looks and even though I'd do anything to save my small town I would like nothing more than to pretend our problems don't exist and let the adults sort it out instead.

Suddenly there's a knock at my door breaking me away from my anxiety ridden thoughts. "Emily?" it's Shawn. "Can I come in?" He asks, ever the gentleman.

"Sure," I sit up placing my phone back on the nightstand and pulling the duvet closer to my body when I realise I'm only wearing one of Shawn's t-shirts that he let me borrow last night.

The shirt is huge on me, when I stand it drapes down almost to my knees and the short sleeves flow past my elbows. I'm covered in every possible way yet I still feel naked and slightly flushed when Shawn's eyes scan over my body.

"I like you in my shirt." Shawn whispers when he gets to the side of the bed I'm resting on.

He lightly takes the covers that I have bunched together in my hands. His cool fingers brush against mine, causing a shiver to skyrocket up my spine. Shawn notices and a light teasing smirk plays across his lips as the duvet is pulled back. He entwines his hands through mine, breaking the tight fists I must have made when the anxiety was taking over my body moments ago. Now however I feel safe with Shawn near me. Clique, I know.

"You don't have to hide from me Emily." His dark eyes seem to glow in the soft morning light streaming through the window to the side of us.

He pulls me up out of bed. His shirt cascading down from the bunched up material it had risen to in bed. Shawn tenderly wraps his arms around my waist leaving my hands on his broad chest. I'm wrapped up in a Shawn cocoon and I kind of like it.

"I'm scared Shawn." I whisper.

"I know," He kisses my head softly before bringing his forehead to mine. I feel as though his eyes are boring deep into my soul. Nothing could get as intimate and raw as this moment right now. It's scary as fuck but it also calms me in the fact I know Shawn won't let anything happen to me. I hope anyway.

"I don't think today is going to go as planned." I state.

"Why do you feel that?" His brows dip slightly. "Everything is planned Em nothing could go wrong."

"Sometimes I just get this gut feeling I guess and I've never been wrong about a gut feeling before." I feel stupid for even saying that but it's true. My whole life I've followed my first instinct and it's always got me either out of trouble or away from it before it's even started. My Mum always tells me it's from my great Aunt who died last summer but I only ever met her once when I was a baby. Apparently she was a wild one in her early years too which I most definitely am not.