the girl in the stands - shawn mendes

chapter twenty eight

lauren,

i sat on the floor of my dorm room and opened the letter that bryce gave me at the airport. he told me to read it when i got here so that's what i'm doing.

dear, laur..
hi, this is kind of silly i know. i started to write this letter after the ihop breakfast but i needed you to know how much you mean to me. so here it goes.. i remember when i saw your smile that morning, it was the most beautiful sight i had ever seen before. you have no idea how nervous i get around you, how happy i feel. i never wanted to lose you. there were so many times when i wanted to tell you about the bet. the truth about that.. it was a terrible thing to do to begin with and i know that but i talked to you that first night because every time i looked up at the stands and i saw you watching.. i wished to have someone like that in my life. you were adorable and when i would look, you'd look away but i saw you. what i'm trying to say is that i made a mistake agreeing to the bet but the point is, lauren that my feelings weren't fake.. those were real, i really loved you and i cared about you so much and i won't beg you to forgive me but i also won't give up. i love you so much, lauren taylor.
love, shawn m.

i had tears rolling down my face at this point because this letter was the most precious thing in the world and i didn't wanna let go of it ever.

i stood up from the floor and put it on my desk and i grabbed my phone. i grabbed a sweatshirt and put it on. i was gonna go out for a walk and maybe call shawn because i wanted to hear his voice after reading that.

i walked to the door and just as i opened it, shawn stood there mid knocks. he stopped when he saw me.

"laur-"

"you're in florida" i said.

"yeah" he said.

"you came" i said.

"of course i came." he said.

"i'm so happy you came" i said.

"you are?" he asked me.

"yes. everyone keeps telling me to move on and forget you but shawn, i can't. i want to be with you."

"i want to be with you too" he said. "i am so-"

i cut him off by hugging him tightly but he hugged me back like he didn't wanna let go.

"i forgive you" i whispered in his arms and we pulled away long after.

"i love you" i said.

"i love you, lauren" he smiled.

"come in" i said and he walked into my dorm room and i closed the door behind him.

"have you met any cool college people?" he asked.

"a few" i shrugged. "i-i knew a few.. like jack. and i met tanner and his friends who's names are both jack and then chelsea but she's actually my roommate now"

"do they dance too?" he asked.

"just tanner" i said.

"i'm proud of you" he said.

"thank you" i said.