Chapter Twenty-Nine

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This chapter's song is "Say" by Ruel. Highly recommend reading it while you read Lara's POV

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Tom's POV:

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Tom's POV:

Lara left, leaving Shawn and me in absolute silence, none of us making a move to either leave or say something. Why Shawn didn't leave, I couldn't tell, but I couldn't care as I processed the whole thing.

"You are right."

The statement snaps me out of my thoughts, and it takes me some moments to realize Shawn had actually, really said it. He avoids my gaze.

"About what, exactly?" I wonder, still in disbelief, my tone partially hostile, not understanding if it was his cruel teasing trying to take a shot at me.

Shawn finally forces himself to look at me, and his gaze revealed it wasn't. "You are right about me being selfish. It was selfish to show up and ask for forgiveness and mess it up, especially so close to such a big day. But I just couldn't grasp the idea of letting her go..."

"I understand." I find myself saying. "And although it was selfish, maybe it was for a...long-term better outcome?" I question, uncertain of what I'm even saying.

Shawn is confused too. "What do you mean?"

"I..." I pause, trying to understand it before I say it. "Lara and I were really close to being official. If you had shown up, say, two days later, everything might have been different. By being with me, maybe it would have made it worse. It would have hurt more people. Because you showing up stirred something in her, and maybe... she would be with me without realizing that the one she really has feelings for is you." It hurt, but it was the truth.

"Maybe. Maybe not." Shawn ponders, and shrugs. "Only she can know. And I realize now that I shouldn't have come after her. I saw the photo circulating, and she asked me for time and I came here to ask for an answer. No wonder she picked you over me."

I want to comfort him in a way, but I don't really know how to answer to that, so I stay silent.

"I'll wait for her, you know that right?" Shawn asks.

"I imagined. Because so will I." The air grows tense between us. Not out of rivalry though. That aspect had eased at the sound of Lara's tears- we hadn't spoken about it, but I knew that both of us had realized that arguing and nearly punching at each other wasn't going to change anything. There's a daunting long silence, but both of us are too immersed in our own feelings to realize so.

Once again, genuine words to Shawn come tumbling out of my mouth, trying to ease the weight. "And... you are right about the kiss. It was wrong. I'm sorry." Shawn blinks back at me for a moment.

"And I'm sorry for calling you a son of a bitch." He says, and both of our mouths pull up into a smile. A bit of the knot of tension pulls apart, loosening up. Looking at each other with near friendly smiles on our faces, I feel a weight lifting from my chest. I extend my hand to him.

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