Drowning / SM

Chapter 58

The meeting lasted a few hours and we finished everything, or at least, everything that was related to the photoshoot which is only the advertising picture since they already planned the cover album artwork and will use an old picture.

I don't really know what will happen in the future though, we just talked about the billboards and cover magazines. His manager liked the pictures and the way i edited them a lot and the people who control the advertising thing agreed so they don't need me anymore neither for the artworks nor for his upcoming shows and interviews. Here the meeting ends and we all get out of this room since we're a photography agency and not a managing agency but before I get the chance to take the elevator, I feel someone grabbing my arm and I don't even have to look back to know that it's Shawn.

"Alyssa..." He stops me and gently pulls me to the side. "when do you finish your day here?" He asks and let go of my arm when I look down at it.

I raise my gaze up to his face and try to read him. I look straight into his eyes. His brown eyes, but I don't know what he's thinking. I don't know what he wants to do with me and I feel like I'm as lost as he is.

"Mister Mayer didn't give me anything else to do so I'm done for today." I start getting back to the elevator and press the bottom to call it.

He follows me and we both walk in the closed space where a heavy silence falls between us but I don't get why. Is it because I hung out with Cameron? Is it because I know he wants to talk about my health while I don't want him to? Or is it for something else?

"Can we go to a café or something?..." He asks me and I just smile at him as an answer.

I feel the tension between us and I hate this. I couldn't imagine that the littlest thing could change our relationship that much.

I hate myself.

I hate Cameron.

I hate the cinema and its movies.

Shawn and I are standing next to each other. Shoulder against shoulder and waiting for this elevator to finally stop at the ground floor.

I wonder where he's going to bring me because we have never really hung out, except when he went with me to watch my brother's game so I'm just following him until we reach his car.

"Where are we going?" I ask when I get in his Jeep as well as he does.

"What time is it?" He asks instead of answering while turning on the engine of the car.

I take my phone from my vest pocket and check the screen to tell him the time but I quickly get distracted by a text from Josh.

< From:

Hi, Aly! I'll pick Liam up after school because we didn't spend time together in a while and be ready for a wise talk with me. I miss you. >

I read the text and a smile immediately grows up on my face which makes me completely forget that I'm in the car with Shawn until he coughs.

"Oh... I'm sorry, it's 1 pm" I say and shut down my phone to focus on Shawn.

Seeing him driving and holding this steering wheel turns me on without even preventing and I can't take my gaze off his hands.

"Is there anything you don't like to eat?" He asks and I nod as a no, looking up at him. "So we're going to eat something and have a talk because after the night my songs will be released, I'll fly a lot to other countries..." He says, lowering his voice as if he didn't want me to here his last few words. But, guess what Mendes, I heard them.

"What?" I first say and then I ask a proper question. "When did you intend to tell me, huh?"

"I could have told you if we hung out earlier..." He says and parks the car. "Can we just get in, please?" He asks and gets out when I nod.