C'est Toi • Shawn Mendes (Coffee Shop AU)

Chapter SIX

Tuesday - January 22, 2019 - 23:11

I don't think Shawn likes me the way I like him.

___

Like any other day in London, it was raining. But it wasn't the spritz of rain I was accustomed to...It was raining hard, almost like the first day I stumbled into Brightside.

I was smart this time and wore a raincoat––I was going to bring an umbrella, but Ella smacked it out of my hands shouting about how much room it would take up on the busy sidewalk. So I was left umbrella-less, hands tucked deep into the jacket pockets, as I felt the hard patter of rain on my head and some rain water seep into my boots.

After a long day of classes, I was almost there. Almost at my desired destination.

I was craving nothing more than a hot latte––with oat milk––and the warmth of the conversation with my favorite barista. Even if I did always make a rambling fool of myself.

The handle of the door was wet with rain, and when I reached out to grab it, my hand slipped. I stumbled back a bit, not expecting my grip to falter, when I heard a loud laugh from behind me. Instantly, I knew who it was and my cheeks grew hot with embarrassment.

"Havin' a bit of trouble?"

His irish accent was distinct––In fact, I think Niall was the only Irish person I've met so far in London. And I could hear him loud and clear over the harsh pelts of rain on the sidewalk.

"It's wet," I stated the obvious, in a flat tone, having to slightly raise my voice to be heard over the rain.

Niall shook his head with a chuckle as he reached his arm past me to take hold of the door handle, "You still owe me a coffee," he flashed a smile.

He held the door open for me as I walked in with a laugh, remembering the day he didn't charge me for a coffee. Instead, he said that my payment would come from cheering up Shawn from his awful mood. And according to Niall, it worked––but now he wanted me to return the favor.

"I'll eventually get around to it," I said with a light laugh as I took a step through and was enveloped with the distinct smell of coffee beans and warm air.

Niall closed the door behind us and shook out his wet hair, "I'll hold ya to it."

I laughed again––there's nothing I do more than laugh and smile when I show up to Brightside––but when I looked toward the counter...My laughing ceased to exist and my smile dropped.

Behind the counter was Shawn and Lola.

And while I've seen them working together before, it was never like this––Shawn standing next to Lola with both of his arms around her. It felt as if my whole entire world came to a standstill. There was the guy that I liked––holding another girl who I knew didn't like me very much.

Lola was pressed up tight to Shawn's side––so close––that her cheek was smushed up against his chest. Both of her arms were wound tightly around his waist, trying to keep him as close to her as possible, as she looked up at him with the same enamored twinkle in her eyes that I was positive was always in my eyes when I looked at him.

Shawn had one arm around her shoulder, with the other arm draped across her collarbone, as both of his hands were interlocked on her shoulder––to keep her close to him.

He held her close to his side––hugging her––as he tipped his head back in laughter from something she said. Whenever I heard his laugh, it was a song I wanted to keep on repeat in my head until the end of time.