Desire | Shawn Mendes

FORTY TWO

- Shawn's View -

Song of the Chapter: East Harlem - Beirut

"Sound is the color I know / Sound is what keeps me before your eyes..."

- s -

With my hands on my hips and my shirt in one of my hands, I walk from the end of the trail towards back to the house. I woke up at seven in the morning and embarked on a four hour long run that also involved some slight training once I reached the top of the hill at the end of the trail. The sun beamed down on me as I caught my breath and hear the faint sounds of my family making noise.

"She's kicking your ass!" I hear the voice that belongs to my dad.

The closer I arrive I hear the voices more clearly. I come around the back of the house and see Jasmine and Jack are in a heated volleyball tournament. My mom, dad, and Liam are all enthralled with the tournament going on that they don't even realize I'm back. I head into the house through the back door and step into the kitchen. Scott is feeding his daughter, Lilly, as she sits on the counter top.

"Come on, open up." Scott says to her. The screen door makes a noise as it closes and he spots me. "Look! Lilly, look who's here!"

"Hi baby!" I say to her as I wave my hand open and closed. She smiles at me, her blue eyes fixated on me and her mouth open, revealing her two teeth.

"Where were you?" Scott asks me as I open the fridge for a bottle of water.

"Running with a little bit of training at the hill." I reply.

I uncap the bottle and watch through the window as Jasmine does a deep squat while she manages to bump the ball over the net to Jack. My mom laughs as she claps her hands and kicks her feet at the sight before her. It brings a smile to my lips as I watch how enthralled everyone was with Jasmine.

"She's gotten more beautiful from the last time we saw her." Scott says.

"Yeah." I agree. "She has."

Her hair is in a ponytail and she wears an old shirt of mine as she plays her sport. I listen to the groans that emit her mouth with every hard swing she gives the ball.

"Do you think you'll start a family right away with her?" Scott asks me. I stop drinking the water and turn to look at him. "Sorry if that was out of line."

"It's fine." I say. I walk over to Lilly and scoop her up in my arms. She pats her hands against my bare chest and begins to scratch at me. "Ow! Don't do that, baby."

"I keep forgetting to cut her nails." Scott says.

"I don't know how she fully is mentally. They say that after an abortion you flare up at the sight of pregnant women and babies." I say with a one shoulder shrug. "I don't mind waiting. Just as long as it's what she's ready to go through."

"Have you planned out the proposal with mom yet? She got a pretty good idea when you were out earlier." He informs me.

"Oh yeah?" I ask.

"Yeah." He nods.

"Oh!!" Scott and I turn our attention to the window and watch as Jack runs backwards to hit a far serve that Jasmine did.