The Frat Boy || S.M.

Chapter 50 || "Want To Bet?"

"What's wrong?" I ask as I step outside. Before I even have the chance to reach Shawn's side, he's already beginning to walk away.

"Nothing's wrong; why would you assume anything is wrong?" he asks, his voice a little too loud and his tone a little too tense. It's obvious that he's lying to me right now; anyone with a sense of judgment could tell that. The only problem is that I don't know why.

"Shawn, I can read you like a book. I know when something's wrong." I say, but he ignores me. I reach my hand out to grab his wrist, but he just jerks his hand away. I stare at him, equally shocked and confused at the way he's acting right now.

"I said I'm fine." he snaps.

"Shawn, what is wrong with you right now?" I ask, growing increasingly irritated with him.

"Helaina, if you want to break up with me, just break up with me." Shawn blurts out, stopping dead in his tracks. He turns around, looking at me with a broken look on his face. "I don't want this to be like how it was with you and Xavier at the end. If we're going to end this, we need to do it. I don't want it to be dragged out."

"Shawn, what the fuck are you talking about!" I yell.

"You can't deny how weird you've been acting lately. You go from one extreme to the next, from being all over me to not even wanting to look at me. Today, you didn't even want me to walk with you to drop off your job applications, and then when I come to the coffee shop, I see you laughing and flirting with the guy working there. So tell me the truth Helaina: do you still love me or are we through?"

I laugh in utter disbelief. What the fuck is he talking about?

"Shawn, I could literally not be any more confused right now than I already am. I have absolutely no clue what you're talking about. I wasn't flirting with him! He offered me a job on the spot so I accepted it!" I yell.

"Answer my question."

"What question?"

"Do you still love me?"

I stare at him, watching as his eyes turn glassy. His lip quivers ever-so-slightly. The action is so minuscule that you wouldn't notice it unless you're looking for it, and it makes me wonder if he even realizes he's doing it. I shake my head and sigh, walking closer to him until our chests are practically touching.

"Yes, of course I still love you. You were my first love Shawn." I whisper, wrapping my arms around him. He returns the gesture and encases me in a hug, holding onto me tightly.

"What about Xavier?" he asks quietly.

"What about him?"

"Did you love him; do you love him?"

"Yes, of course I love Xav." I say without hesitation. "But it's different. I love Xav in an entirely different way than I've ever loved you, even when we were dating. I've always had a more platonic than romantic love for Xav. But for you? It's always been romantic."

Shawn lowers his head until it's low enough to kiss me. I kiss him back, and after a few seconds, we pull away. We let go of one another, instead trading hugging for just holding hands. As we begin to walk towards the crosswalk, I hear someone calling my name.

"Hey! Helaina, wait up!"

Shawn and I turn around at the same time. Colton is jogging towards us, a few papers in his hand.

"Who is that?" Shawn asks, his grip on my hand tightening. I let go of him anyway, moving a few feet towards Colton.

"The manager of the coffee shop that just hired me." I reply back quietly.