This Town

Chapter 11 - the words I never got to say the first time around

I wanna be defined by the things that I love
not the things that I hate
not the things I’m afraid of
or the things that haunt in the middle of the night
I just think that you are what you love

●●●

 Camila feels goosebumps on her spine as Shawn holds her neck and places a gentle kiss on her lips. Kissing him now is even better than it used to be when they were younger, every touch, every caress made her melt in his arms.

 “ It’s really nice to see you two like this again.” They hear Taylor’s voice and pull away, watching as she sits on the table with Joe.

 “ So you two are back on making out in every corner just like before? Life makes sense again.” Brian says as him and Alessia sit down as well.

 “ We can do it again if you’d like to see it.” Shawn says joking, knowing how Brian used to complain all the time in high school saying they were the typical annoying couple who makes out everywhere.

 “ Please don’t, I still have to eat.” Brian says faking a disgusted face that makes everyone laugh.

 “ Where’s Charlotte?” Camila asks looking at Alessia, who looks a little tired.

 “ At Brian’s parents.” Alessia says as the waiter brings them the menu, a conversation about their options on food starting right away.

 Taylor starts telling them details on the wedding, which is in two weeks, as they wait for the food. She asked Shawn to play at the reception, so he's been practicing some songs that have a special meaning for her and Joe. Camila is one of her bridesmaids and had to try on so many dresses before Taylor chose the perfect one for her and Alessia that she didn’t know how her friend was able to decide on her own wedding dress. 

 After having lunch with their friends, Shawn and Camila spend their saturday afternoon looking at a place to rent in town. It was a big step to move in together, but they were sure that’s what they wanted and everyone seemed to agree with them. Besides that, both of them wanted to move out of their parents houses, so they decided to look for a place that they could afford together.

 As they walk back to Shawn's parents house, the sky is already dark and filled with stars. Watching their old middle school at the other side of the street, Shawn pulls Camila with him until they reach the front garden. She watches as he takes one of the white and yellow flowers and places it behind her ear, her hair falling down her shoulders complementing it. Smiling at the sweet gesture, Camila gets on her tiptoes to kiss him tenderly on the lips, both of them knowing how much that small flower represented to their relationship as they grew up.

 “ I didn’t think it would be this hard to find a place with a reasonable price.” Camila says once they find themselves back in Shawn’s bedroom.

 “ I kind of expected that, but I’m sure we’ll find something.” He says trying to get her hopes up before placing a kiss on her lips. “ What do you want do now?”

 “ About the house I don’t know, but I’d love to go for a swim.” Camila says looking at him with pleading eyes.

 “ Sure.” Shawn says laughing and pulls her by the hand, walking down the stairs and reaching the back door that leads to his parent’s swimming pool.

 Shawn pulls Camila against his body and after kissing her, takes her on his arms and jumps in the water with their clothes still one. Camila laughs and holds herself on his body, joining their lips once again when they’re underwater.

 “ You’re crazy.” She says laughing once they’re above the water. “ I’m glad you’re parents had that conference to go.” She adds taking her shirt and skirt off, leaving her only in her underwear.

 “ I feel like we’re seventeen again.” Shawn says as she helps him get his clothes off too, leaving him in his boxers.

 “ You were definitely skinnier at seventeen.” Camila says teasing him, making him chase her around the pool.

 Shawn catches her in his arms and almost can’t believe she’s actually there, that he’s actually there. She looks so gorgeous with those dark brown eyes, her hair all wet as the stars are shining above them, it almost feels too good to be true. If only he had realized earlier that’s where he was supposed to be, in that small town, next to her.

 “ What are you thinking about?” Camila asks quietly as he stares at her with such intensity.

 “ That I shouldn’t have left.” Shawn says admiring every inch of her beautiful face. “ That you’re all I need, what I was looking for was right in front of me since the beginning.”

 “ You came back, that’s all that matters.” She says closing the space between their bodies in a slow kiss.

 Camila feels Shawn backing her against the side of the pool as their kiss become more heated, her whole body on fire by simply kissing him. In minutes their hands are everywhere, taking off the last piece of clothing on their bodies until they’re joined as one. She doesn’t have to wonder anymore how it would be like to be with him now that they’re older, she has the confirmation that it’s a thousand times more overwhelming than when they were sixteen.

 “ Marry me.” Shawn whispers against her lips as they breathe heavily, having to repeat one more time for Camila to understand him. She looks at him with her eyes wide open, cheeks flushed as her nails dug on the skin on his shoulder from the high she’s feeling.

 “ What?” She asks with her voice weak, not sure she got what he said right. 

 “ I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” Shawn whispers against her ear, placing kisses all over her neck and collarbone.

 Camila feels her eyes water a little, he just asked her something she didn’t even know she wanted him to ask. She nods her head slightly, taking his face on her hands and placing a kiss on the top of his nose.

 “ Yes.” She finally says as they’re still completing each other in every possible way, wondering if maybe this was how things were supposed to be so they could get to this point. They had to grow apart to come back stronger, he had to leave so he could come back and make her as happy as she feels at the moment.