WHY

part 21 - every word that I write

Lita was talking a mile a minute when she got back from the party, probably due to the sugar she had ingested. Camila's parents had bought dinner on the way home and dished it up for them as they listened to the little girl's animated commentary on the festivities.

"And they had a CLOWN," she said, wide-eyed. "He had big feet and everything," her eyes twinkled as she looked at Shawn, "but he wasn't very funny. He got grumpy when Tyson pulled his hair off."

Shawn looked down to hide his smile.

They were all eating and talking and laughing when Sinu bent down to whisper in his ear.

"Andrew is calling you," she nodded toward his phone on the kitchen island. It was a rule that no phones were allowed during meals.

"I'll call him later," Shawn smiled in thanks. Lita was now explaining how one of the little boys was caught stuffing his pockets with birthday cake.

"It looks like he's called you about five times in the last ten minutes."

Shawn sighed, and stood up. Lita looked up at him.

"Where are you going Papa?"

All talk at the table ceased. Despite their discussion, it was the first time she'd actually called him that when speaking to him. He swallowed the lump in his throat and Alejandro, who sat beside him, squeezed his shoulder.

"I have an important phone call to make, but I'll be back soon, so don't tell all the good stories while I'm gone."

"OK!" She smiled, and as he went to walk away, she jumped out of her seat and ran up to hug his legs. She squeezed tight and looked up at him with a grin, then ran back to her seat. She was so innocent, and never once questioned his new place in her life. He felt Camila's eyes on him and turned to look at her. Tears glistened in her eyes and her lips quivered. God, these two females were wrapped around his heart like barbed wire, and the pain was oh so sweet.

He walked out the front of the house and called Andrew back.

"Hey dude," he said when his manager answered. He was smiling, feeling ridiculously happy, thinking of Lita and her funny stories, remembering his afternoon in bed with Camila so what Andrew said didn't register at first.

"Where are you now?" Andrew asked tersely.

"I'm still in Miami," he frowned. He didn't fly out for New York until the morning. "You already know that, why?"
"No, I mean where, exactly, are you now? In the house?"

"Out the front."

"Get inside now, there are paps somewhere there. They're after photos of you and Camila together."

"She's inside, it's cool."

As he said it he felt a tug at his calf and turned around. Lita was standing there, smiling up at him, and as he watched, mesmerised, she ran and picked up the basketball that sat in the driveway and threw it to him.

"Papa! Papa! Catch the ball!" she called loudly.

"Leave Papa alone baby," Camila came out smiling and put her arms around his waist, looking up at his stricken face. Her smile faded.

He put his hand over the phone. "Take her inside, NOW." He said.

"Lita! Come inside now, time for your bath!"

"Coming Mama!" she called in her loud voice.

She took Camila's hand and they disappeared back inside. Shawn looked up and across the road. A car sat there and he could clearly see the glint of the telephoto lens as it aimed out of the driver's window. He had seen it all, and Shawn had to accept he had probably videoed it or at the very least photographed it, and heard the conversation. Lita's voice was loud and the high pitch of it carried easily. He wanted to go over there and tear the camera from the man's hand and smash it, but it would only make things worse, and it was too late. He could have already uploaded the footage straight from his camera to the internet.