𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝, shawn mendes

𝟥.𝟤

A FEW DAYS LATER

shawn mendes
02/03/19
12:41pm
naples, italy

"Okay, I'm parked outside." Aurora tells me, her voice tinged with a note of difference, "Near where that billboard is. I can see you! C'mon, look to your left."

"Yeah? Well, I don't see you!" I hiss, my eyes scanning the parking lot as I find myself frustrated. There's only so long I can spend in a busy place like this without being spotted, and my heart rate quickens at the mere thought.

"I'm in the grey truck, literally looking right at you. I'm waving!" She replies, equally as exasperated as me.

"You? In a truck?" I challenge her, whipping my head around. Surely enough she's there, dangling her arm out of the window of a beatdown, rusty old truck and smiling brighter than I've ever seen her before. I pick up my pace and stride towards her, just as she opens the door and steps out. She looks beautiful, but different. I've never seen her look so natural or laid back, and it suits her well.

She's wearing white sandals and a yellow floral summer dress with no bra, I manage to notice immediately. Her curly hair is tied up in a bun, loose strands framing her bare face adorably. She looks small, for I've never seen her without her trademark red-soled heels. And every time I see her, she takes over another part of my mind.

As soon as I'm within touching distance I wrap her in a tight hug, clearly taking her by surprise. Eventually she wraps her arms around me, nuzzling her face into my neck. My heart skips a beat at the unexpected gesture, and I'm almost convinced she can hear it jumping out of my chest.

"Welcome to Italy." She whispers softly, her warm breath hitting my neck. We pull away carefully, conscious of our surroundings. She opens the driver's seat and climbs in, gesturing for me to walk around the other side.

"How far is it to your place?" I ask, resting my head against the window. She hands me her phone, reversing out of the parking spot.

"About an hour drive." She says nonchalantly. "I made a playlist, it's the 5th one from the bottom on my apple music."

"Whereabouts in Italy is it?"

"The middle of nowhere. Literally, I've stocked up on food in case we can't find anywhere nearby. That's why there's so many bags in the back."

"No cooks or cleaners?" I ask, surprised that Aurora of all people could survive in the middle of nowhere, all alone.

"Nope. So be prepared for some amazing food, courtesy of moi." She brags, that beautiful smile on her face. "Could you put some music on, please?"

I do as she instructs, pressing play on a playlist titled 'spring in italy', scrolling through the songs she's picked out. "You have good music taste." I point out. "One problem though."

"What?" She looks over from the driver's seat, squinting at me.

"None of my music. I'm offended." I place my hand on my heart and pull a sad face, much to her amusement.

The mention of my music reminds of how sooner or later, she's gonna find out that I've actually written 3 and a half songs about her, and not the mere two I told her about. The first two I wrote about her are fine, not soppy love songs like I warned her. But once I started to acknowledge my feelings, the content of the songs became more and more fuelled with whatever these feelings were. And so, mutual and half of an untitled song were written.