You and Me, Forever

I Can't

ꫝડꪀꫝꪶ𝕥ꪶρ𝕫ꪑ

"Are you nervous?" Shawn asks, gripping onto Camila's hand as he starts his three-hour drive to his sister's house.

In their now one year of dating, Camila is finally meeting Shawn's sister. With their schedules being tied from Camila's university to Aaliyah's new job and Shawn's recent solo work, there was barely any time for either of them to visit one another. But with Camila convincing her bosses to get her off the schedule for a week, it's finally time for Camila to meet Aaliyah.

"I'm okay." Camila replies reluctantly.

In all honesty, she's scared shitless. Even though the rest of Shawn's family practically coos over Camila, Camila wasn't raised in a high-income family. She shared a two bedroom apartment with her two parents and her sister her entire life. Her only time out of the house was when she went off to school or work—never really having a social life because she neither had time nor money for it.

Camila being poor and moving in with Shawn has been a focus for the media since they publicly announced their relationship. They disclosed that Camila is only paying off her debt and university tuition because of Shawn's wealth, and even talked about Camila only moving in with Shawn because she wouldn't have to pay the rent that way.

And even though it is true that Shawn pays rent and pays off her debt, it is nothing like it seems. There is an entirely different story underneath their publications that nobody understands besides Shawn and Camila—and that's what scares her the most.

"Don't worry, baby. She'll love you. She can read whatever she wants, yeah? But all she needs to pay attention to is who you really are."

Shawn holds her hand tighter. He knows that Camila is well aware that Aaliyah has tried to get Shawn to break up with her for a while now. She thinks that Camila is nothing but a gold digger—using the sympathy card to get every ounce of money out of him so that she can manage a living. Of course, that wasn't the case, and Shawn would be willing to spend the rest of his life disproving his sister.

And he's starting today.

"Who I am is not going to impress her, Shawn. I have nothing set out for me. My future is a dead end. I'm useless."

Shawn's eyes narrow in pain at her words, slowly letting his eyes leave the road so that he can look at her. He loves her so much more than he can explain, and knowing that the woman he loves so deeply feels so negatively about herself completely and utterly destroys him.

Camila is so much more than she thinks. She has more determination and gratitude than anybody he's ever met. She has so much strength and willpower to keep herself moving forward, and despite Shawn seeming to have the most difficult job to others, he doesn't have half of what she has to offer to this world.

"Hey, don't say things like that. You know that's not true."

His eyes are glistening with tears and Camila almost goes back on her word just for the sake of his own wellbeing. She knows how much putting herself down can affect him, but she truly believes in the words she spoke and won't take back what she said because she knows it's true.

"It's the truth, Shawn."

He scrunches his face with squeezed-shut eyes, shaking his head wildly.