Queen

Chapter 38

Shawn and I were in my old room unpacking our things. As I pulled out my clothes I noticed Shawn has stopped and was looking at something. I followed his gaze and noticed he was looking at my old pictures. I smiled and walked up to them, I pulled one off the wall and walked back over to him.

"Here," I said holding it out to him. He took the picture from my hand and looked down at it smiling.
"I'm a terrible person." He chuckled. I just furrowed my brows.
"Why?" I asked.
"I thought you were an evil person before and here I am in your home looking at a picture of you in... middle school?" He paused raising a brow at me. I just nodded. "Middle school, literally volunteering in a freaking soup kitchen." He finishes making me laugh.
"Just thought you'd be interested in seeing it..." I said.
"Oh, so you to purposely grabbed it, aye?" He says raising a brow again as he held the picture out to me. I giggled as I took it and walked back to hang it up.

"I never said that." I smiled.
"Yeah but you implied it."
"Nope, never, just randomly grabbed the picture."
"Really?" He asks and I heard his footsteps approaching me. I turned around to see him walking up to me with his arms behind his back.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing... Just admiring." He says and stops right in front of me looking at the other pictures. I narrow my eyes at him before slowly started to walk around him. I went back to my suitcase and just as I was about to grab the rest of my items from it I felt long slender fingers sinking into my side. I let out a little yelp before I uncontrollably started laughing. I backed up trying to get away but immediately hit Shawn's body. I grabbed Shawn's wrists trying to stop him from tickling me but wasn't strong enough to remove them.

"Admit you did it on purpose!" He laughed while continuing to tickle me.
"N-Never!" I cried out before jumping to the side and out of his grasp. I ran to the other side of the bed and grabbed a pillow off of it.

"Oh, so we're doing this now?" He asks.
"You started it," I said holding it up like a weapon.
"I'll have you know I'm much stronger and faster than-" as he was going off I threw the pillow hitting him right in the face cutting him off. I quickly picked up another pillow and jumped on the bed swinging it at him and hitting him.

"No fair you little cheater!" He laughed taking the pillow I just threw at him and swung it back at me. We were hitting each other with the pillows when suddenly Shawn stopped and put his hands around my ankles pulling them towards him. I gasped as I fell backward landing softly on the bed. Shawn then jumped on top of me and straddled me, holding my wrists and pinning them above my head.

"No! Cheater!" I said laughing as I tried to wiggle out of his grip.
"Me a cheater?! You started it first!" He laughed.
"You just talk too much." I scoffed.
"I'm very offended, I am an invited guest in your home and-"
"Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah." I cut him off again.
"You..." He released my hands and started tickling me again.
"No!" I cried out and couldn't help but laugh.

"AHEM!" I heard a familiar voice from the doorway. Shawn and I immediately froze. We looked back at the door to see my mom standing there with a small smile on her face and her arms crossed. Shawn jumped off of me and I quickly sat up crisscrossed as I faced her.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes." Was all she said before reaching over and closing the door. I sucked in my lips and looked back at Shawn. We locked eyes and as soon as we did we couldn't help but laugh.

Shawn and I finished unpacking and washed up before we went downstairs for dinner. We helped set up the table and took our seats next to each other sitting across from my parents. They, of course, interrogated Shawn, what he wanted to do for a living, why he was studying music, how we became friends, etc.

After dinner, Shawn offered to help clean up but my mom refused and instead instructed him to go help my dad start a fire in the fire pit outside for my mom's wine tasting with me. As soon as Shawn and my dad were outside my mom asked me to help dry the dishes. I complied and stood next to her waiting for her to clean a dish before handing it to me.

"So..." Mom started, not taking her eyes off the plate she was scrubbing, "what was that earlier?" She asks.
"What?" I asked, acting clueless.
"You know what." She nudged me, giving me a playful look.
"Nothing, we were just messing around." I shrugged.
"Mhmm." She hummed.
"It's true!" I defended myself.
"You like him." She simply said before handing me the last plate.
"I didn't say that!" I said before she started walking outside.
"You didn't have to." She smiled as she slid the back door open and stepped outside. I rolled my eyes and dried the dish before putting it away. I looked out the glass door and watched my dad talking to Shawn, probably instructing him about how to start the fire.

I watched as Shawn seemed to listen intently to dad. Then Shawn glanced over at me when he noticed I was watching he completely looked over at me and smiled warmly at me. I swear it melted my heart at that moment.

I went back to the room and quickly changed into the sweater Harry gave me and a pair of shorts. I then walked outside joining everyone who was sitting around the fire. Shawn seemed to have saved me a spot next to him on the outdoor loveseat. Mom and dad were having their own conversation and Shawn was watching the fire crackle until I stepped out. He looked up at me and furrowed his brows, almost as if he looked hurt. But why?

I made my way over to him and sat next to him. I lifted my feet on the couch and hugged my knees watching the fire with him.

After a while, my dad excused himself and shortly after Shawn followed and excuses himself as well. Leaving me and my mom alone with a bottle of wine. She poured me my 2nd glass even though I was already feeling kind of light headed from the first one.

"Alright, missy. Spill it." She says as she moves from her chair and sat right next to me on the loveseat.
"Spill what?" I asked genuinely confused.
"What's happening with you and Mr. Mendes?" She asks.
"Truly nothing, mother." I sigh swishing the wine in my cup.
"What about Lucas?" She asks. I sigh even louder and rest my head on her shoulder.
"He's gone, hopefully for good," I said as my eyes started to water.
"He was no good for you, my dear." She said wrapping her arms around me and holding me. I just shook my head.
"He hit me, mom... he hurt me so much," I whined, "Shawn was there though, he saved me." I cried. The tears started pouring from my eyes. My mom just stayed silent and continued to hold me.

"I like him so much, momma," I admitted throughout my crying.
"I know honey." She cooed as she rocked us back and forth slowly
"But I'm so afraid of Lucas coming back."
"Don't be. As long and you're with Shawn you know you'll be ok." She said.
"What if he's not there, what if he doesn't want to be there?" I asked.
"I've seen how you two look at each other, my dear. He'll be there."