Dark | shawmila

33

Flashback continued
"This better be the right number this time, Lou." I gruffly spoke.
"Shawn mate, relax. We haven't tried that many." He reasoned.
"Twelve." I sharply replied. "I thought you were supposed to be good at this sort of thing. It took you all of three minutes to find that girl's number and address."

I couldn't help but laugh. Louis remained silent.
"You know, the one with the massive.."
"I know, I know." He cut me off rather curtly. "And I thought we agreed to never speak of the incident again."
The phone was still held to my ear as I walked into my bedroom again, a mug of tea in hand. I took small sips of the steaming liquid, my gaze locked on the beauty still asleep in my bed. Her Body now tangled in the sheets.

"I've got it." Louis spoke up.
He recited off a number which I hastily copied down.
"You sure?"
I didn't really want to go through another unsuccessful phone call.
"Yep, says "Mendes" on the database." There was a pause."Shawn, you owe me one. If I get caught hacking in.."
"Mate, relax." I spoke using the same tone he had earlier. "We both know you've done it before and will probably do it again."
"That's beside the point." He replied, but I detected a hint of humour in his voice.
I placed my mug on the bedside table, glancing at Camila to make sure she was alright before walking from the bedroom to the kitchen. My nervousness was clear as I gulped. I knew Louis could tell.
"Shawn, goodluck." He spoke quietly, the amusement draining from his voice.
"Thanks, Lou."
I hung up the phone, staring down at the numbers scrawled across the bit of paper. My fingers raked through my messy curls, hand rubbing over my face. All my fears came bombarding to the forefront of my mind. Rejection, my family not wanting me. That's what I feared the most. I guess I had put it off all this time because a small part of me hoped that they would lovingly take me back. But I knew this wasn't the case.
My heart sunk at the realisation this might be the final time I would speak to them. But I shoved the thought away, inhaling a deep breath and typing the numbers in to dial.
***
Aaliyah's POV
I waited for mum to return back from the shops, something about buying more tea bags. My feet aimlessly wandered through to the living room. She always kept the house tidy, remembering how she would constantly nag Shawn to pick up his dirty socks from the carpet and how he would groan in complaint. I weakly smiled as my eyes landed on the picture that always stood on the small table in the corner. It was of Shawn and I, his curls tousled as he had just broken out of my playful headlock. We grinned at the camera, my mum taking the photo.
I often wondered where he was now, what he was doing, if he missed us. It had been four years since we'd seen him, four years since he left. My brother, only sixteen when he lashed out at my boyfriend at the time. I shook my head, desperately trying to evade the horrible memories. We were shocked. He had to grow up faster than his years, taken on the responsibility of the only male in the house. It had taken witnessing Shawn beat him nearly to death, for me to realise what a cruel and disgusting man I was dating. But it was too late. Shawn left that evening.
We had desperately tried to search for him. But it was like he had fallen off the face of the Earth. I jumped as the phone rang, quickly wiping away the small tears I hadn't noticed falling from my eyes. I cleared my throat before pressing the green button.
"Hello."
"Oh, hi, does umm, is this Karen Mendes?" I raspy voice stuttered.
I frowned slightly before replying.
"No, she's just popped out for a bit. This is her daughter, can I take a message?"
My hands rummaged for a note pad and a pen from a drawer. I cleared my throat, trying to get some response out of the mystery called. The line was silent on the other end.
"I can get her to call you back?" I suggested.
I was about to put the phone down, thinking the call had died before the male voice spoke again.
"Liyah?" He whispered.
I swallowed back the lump in my throat, my heart pounding against my chest. It can't be. The only person who called me that. I suddenly began to feel faint.
"Oh my god."
The phone dropped from my hand, clattering to the floor. My eyes squeezed closed, reality falling away for a short time as I became lost in my whirling thoughts. After a second my mind caught up with my body and I fell to my knees. My hands urgently gripped the phone.
"Shawn?" I desperately pleaded.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
I could hear the slight amusement in his voice. Always the cheeky one.
"My brother." I mumbled, tears in my eyes. "Where are you?"
"I'm in my flat." His tone told me he was rolling his eyes.
"Oh my gosh, you have a flat." I quietly confirmed. "And your voice has gotten so deep."
To me he was still just a sixteen year old boy. Awkward teenager with crazy curly hair.
"Liyah, I'm twenty." He said matter-of-factly.
The tears had started again, rolling down my cheeks. We'd missed out on four years of his life. My heart lurched at the thought of him being all on his own. He'd left when he was still a boy. I couldn't bear to think of what had gone through his mind four years ago. Our reactions to the event in the back garden forcing him to believe the people he loved were terrified of him.
"We've missed you, Shawn." I whispered. "My God, we've missed you so much."
My sobbing became a little erratic as I attempted to rein in the emotions. I slowly slid to the floor, tightly clutching the phone to my ear, desperate to hear his voice. Desperate not to lose him again.
"Please Liyah, don't cry." Shawn mumbled.
"I want to see you." I gushed.
***
Shawn's POV
I couldn't wipe the smile from my face as I strolled back to the bedroom. We were going to meet. After four years I was going to see my mum and sister again. My eyes lit up as I spotted Camila. She was the reason, the beautiful, stubborn girl in front of me. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have tired. I would have carried on with the rest of my life, continuing to think my family wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. A feeling of being lost, unloved constantly aching in my chest.
She was awake, sitting up, knees bent as she leant back against the headboard. Her hand hastily travelled up to her hair, attempting to tame the wavy locks.
"Hello, Beautiful."
She shyly smiled, speaking a quiet "good morning".
I crawled onto the end of the bed, Camila taking her bottom lip between her teeth.
"Is that my tea?" I asked amused, raising my eyebrows.
"It's mine now."
I loved it when she was playful with me. A smirk broke over my face, taking the mug from her grasp, placing it to the bedside table once more. Her innocence shining through as I watched her eyes widen. My hands gripped her ankles and in one swift movement I yanked her down to lie flat on her back beneath me. I smiled down at her, touch running over her body through one of my t shirts she wore.
"Well, you're mine." I whispered.