NANNY FOR MENDES.

Fifty-two

For the last few days, I've been coming early and staying more than usual at Shawn's apartment. It's Sunday and he's better now, thank God. If something happens to this boy, I don't know what I'll do. Shawn took the rest of the week off, which was just Friday. Noah came over the moment he heard Bear was sick, which was Thursday, the day we came back from Pickering. He came over everyday since then. Today, I'm asking him about Aaliyah. I didn't ask him about it in the last few days he's been here.

Right now, Shawn is showering, Bear is sleeping and Noah and I are in the living room, on the couch, eating our dinner. Shawn already ate. And I fed Bear an hour ago.

"So. You and Aaliyah?" I ask him.

He rolls his eyes. "Yes, Soph. Yes. But there's nothing between us. There never was."

"But you like her..."

"No. I love her. I have since I was a teenager."

"What about that girlfriend of yours?"

"We broke up a few weeks before we went to Pickering."

"Mmm. You love her since you were a teenager. What about her?"

"Well I don't know. She never showed me anything, but we flirt a lot though. But I'm not making any move at all. I can't do this to Shawn. Unless he's absolutely completely okay with it, I'm not."

"Then ask him about it."

"You want my ass to get kicked?"

"You just said unless he's okay with it, you're not doing anything. How will you know whether he's okay or not with it? Ask him."

"I'm not asking Shawn about this."

"Ask me about what?" Shawn says, walking over to us.

Holy. Shit. Is. He. Hot. He's wearing a t-shirt that's hugging the upper part of his body. All the muscles of his arms, his chest, his back...... his damp hair, with a towel around his neck. The sweatpants that hang over his waist in a sexy way. He lifts his arm, dries his hair with the towel. As he does this, his t-shirt is lifted up.... I see the boxers he's wearing... and the abs. I want touch those abs so bad.

"Ask me about it dude?" Shawn says, sitting next to me, though it'd be closer to him to sit next to Noah.

"Making a birthday party for Bear." I say, rescuing Noah.

"Why can't you ask me about this?"

"Since he's sick and all. I thought it'd be a little inappropriate."

"It's fine. And Bear's birthday is two months away."

"It's one month away, Shawn."

"Two, Soph."

"You told me three months ago, that it's four months later."

"I must've miscalculated. I was going through a lot back then. Bear's birthday is in two months, Soph. 8th of August."

"Noted."

"How's Bear?"

"I checked on him right after you got into your room. His temperature didn't rise, thank God."

"Good."

I get a phone call. Julien.

"Julien."