Crookedly in Love {a Shawn Mendes Fan Fiction}

49. Life of the Party (LAST CHAPTER)

I stood at the airport, waiting for my boarding call. I pressed my lips together, as my heart fluttered. 

My guitar was already stowed away in the private plane Selena arranged for me. I was heading to Los Angeles today to help her with the next album. And it was surreal. 

I had to pinch myself every few minutes to make sure this was happening. That I wasn't just in another one of my dreams. 

But, at the same time, a part of me didn't want this to be real. A part of me didn't want to be travelling across the country away from him. From my best friend. From my...boyfriend? My...everything. 

My phone rang that minute. I jumped out of my thoughts and went to answer it. 

"Hey, where are you?" I asked. 

"I think I'm lost," Shawn said on the other line. 

"I'm in the private lounge area," I said. "I put your name at the door."

"And that's by Starbucks?"

"No, by the steakhouse," I said, laughing. "Shawn! You got to hurry."

"I don't know where the steakhouse is. Can you come and find me?"

My eyebrows furrowed. "Come find you?"

I didn't understand what was happening. Couldn't he find a map around the airport? I just wanted to see him before I left, so I didn't bother arguing with him. 

"Jules, please?" he said. 

And that's when I knew he had something up his sleeve. I pushed open the door of the lounge out into the terminal. I looked around, not sure what to do or where to go. 

Then I heard it. I heard the strumming of the acoustic guitar from around the corner. I furrowed my eyebrows, as my heartbeat picked up speed. I don't know why I was nervous. It was more like adrenaline pumping through me. 

I turned the corner to see Shawn looking like a street busker. He had his plaid shirt on and dark jeans on, and he looked like any ordinary guy off the street. It reminded me of when we first met, and of all the years we spent just playing guitar in the park, in our houses, at school. 

I felt tears sting my eyes before I even could tell what he was playing. 

He looked up at me and his face lit up. People were crowded around him, some knowing who he was and others just curious. 

"Hi everyone," Shawn said to the crowd. "Some of you may know me. I'm Shawn, and I like to play music."

Girls started to take out their phones to document this. They knew their videos were going to go viral. 

"Ever since I was twelve, I've had my better half in my life. I've become a better musician, a better songwriter...a better person. She's been the guiding light in my life. And I know, I know I'm sounding super cheesy. But, I don't care." 

He kept strumming his guitar in a rhythmic fashion. 

"And, we've been writing songs together ever since we met. She's been there for all the major milestones in my life. She's always been there for me."

I watched him look at me with such adoration in his eyes, and my heart has never been so full. 

"She's always thought about my happiness. And, despite the contradictory stories you've heard in the media, the truth is this: I never meant to, but I've been neglecting her happiness for a while. She's been my rock throughout this journey, and I've never been good enough for her."

I felt everyone's eyes on me, but I couldn't look at them. I could only look at him. 

"Julia, I know I haven't been nearly enough for you. But I will spend every day trying to be. You are about to embark on a journey filled with success and the praise you deserve because you are more talented than anyone I know." 

I started to walk closer to him. 

"I love you. I love you more than you know or I can put into words," he continued. "And, I thought...I just want to sing with you one last time before you go."

I ran up to where he was, as people waited in anticipation to see what I would do. And I did what any old sappy romantic would do. I threw my arms around him and pressed my lips to his. I kissed him with a sweet intimacy. 

People exploded into cheers. Even those who didn't know us. They were rooting for our love story. We had a love to root for. 

"I'm going to come visit you all the time," he said. 

"I love you so much," I mumbled. 

He kissed me again. 

"Want to sing 'Life of the Party' for old time's sake?" he whispered. 

I nodded. 

He started to strum the familiar notes, and I jumped into the first verse. Everything was so surreal to me. Our whole journey from friends to couple to stranger back to being us again. It was a tiring, exhilarating, once-in-a-lifetime, heartbreaking journey. 

But it was our story. 

We don't have to be ordinary
Make your best mistakes
'Cause we don't have the time to be sorry

So baby be the life of the party 

We were in love. Crookedly in love. And I wouldn't have it any other way. 

____

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING MY STORY. Please let me know what you think, and stay tuned for more stories to come :) xx  -pieceofmyheart8