Beautiful Lies - Shawn Mendes

21. Disaster

August 12th - 16 days left

'I'm nervous for tonight.'

Shawn turned to look at me, his fingers lazily tracing circles on my thigh, 'Why?'

'I don't know, I just, things like this never usually go well.'

'Well, they did with me.' He smirked.

'You're the only exception.' I sighed, rubbing my face with my hands.

Shawn gathered my hands in his, pulling them away from my face. 'Well I'm here, so if it goes to hell, at least we can be there for each other.' He joked, trying and succeeding slightly, to make me feel better.

'Make room for me.' Nonna smiled as she bustled into the conservatory holding a pile of photo albums.

I rolled my eyes at the sight in her arms, and turned to Shawn who was grinning at me. We both knew that embarrassing pictures of younger me, laid beneath those covers, and I was dreading him seeing me when I had a double chin, missing teeth and an awful fashion sense.

Nonna swatted my legs that were currently resting on Shawn's and I moved them reluctantly, allowing her to squeeze in between the middle of us on the sofa.

Tonight would be eventful. Fliss, and her new boyfriend, that she had been dating previously since before I arrived, were coming over for dinner. I was very much surprised at the news that she had a boyfriend and hadn't told me - I felt slightly hurt, that she didn't want to share that with me, especially seeing as I had told her about Shawn. But she reassured me that the reason she hadn't told me about him, was in case nothing came of it, seeing as it began casually.

Dinner was Nonna's request of course. But knowing how she had been with Jack, I was slightly worried for Fliss, and apprehensive about how the evening would go - when Nonna didn't like someone, she made it clear. I could only pray that the man knew what he was in for, and was prepared for the wrath that was my Nonna.

How she was with Shawn was unusual. She normally viewed every boy, as not good enough for her granddaughters and they would have to be in our lives for at least six months, for any chance of her warming to them.

Nonna and Shawn got on so well, she had obviously known him for longer than I had, but it was heartwarming to see them chatting and laughing as if he was almost the son she never had. It meant a lot to me, that someone very important to me, was welcoming and liking someone who was also gaining a very special place in my heart. The fact that she had taken an instant liking to Shawn, obviously proved that for one reason or another, something was different about him.

Shawn practically lived at our house now. Apart from when he was working, or had to return home to change and check up on things, he spent the majority of his time here, with me. We watched cheesy films together, ate a variety of food, and sometimes played board games. Both of us were extremely competitive, and sometimes the competition turned unfriendly, however all was resolved in my bedroom. With one simple touch, he could have my pulse racing, and after what happened on his birthday, we had struggled to keep our hands to ourselves. Not that I was complaining of course.

His newfound residency here meant he was given an automatic invitation to tonight's dinner by Nonna.

They were meant to be arriving at eight, and the time was currently seven thirty. Dinner was cooking, and Shawn and I had set the table, everything was ready, and now we were all just waiting.