FALLING FOR SHAWN

Chapter 17 - She Cannot Choose But Love

Camila was in shock. What was wrong with him? He was clinging to her, his shoulders shaking.

"Baby, what's wrong?" she stroked his hair and leaned back to try and look at his face. He didn't loosen his grip or raise his head and she let him take his time, just stroking and soothing until he lifted his head. His eyes were red.

"Talk to me," she said. She was suddenly aware of what he must have gone through with her post-traumatic reaction following the accident. But this was something else, and she didn't know what it was.

"I'm in so much pain," he said. "I've been hiding it, but tonight....I could barely get the last few songs out, if the audience hadn't sung along it would have been a mess."

"Shawn! I thought the doctor cleared you, I thought you were all OK?"

"It hurts so bad, like my throat is being ripped out. I don't know what to do. I had the antibiotics, I stuck to the vocal rest. But I have half the tour still to go, I can't give in now."

He had started with the North American leg of the tour, then had a break, and now was on the European leg, before Asia and then South America. The break had been busy with award season and she had been busy too, but they had managed some time together. She had caught up with him in numerous cities on the North American leg and then in London and now in Italy. He would be home soon for a few weeks and then off to Asia and Australia. There was only a week in between that and the South American shows. He had about forty shows left to go. Throat problems were a singer's worst nightmare and Camila swallowed hard, feeling for him. But she was also his girlfriend, and she cared about his health, his recovery and his emotional anguish.

"We have to talk to Cez, call the doctor."

"No! I can't!"

"We have almost a week before the next show, more than enough time to get it sorted out."

"This was our break...."

"Too bad, your health is way more important," he didn't fight her. "What room is Cez in?"

"Next door, 1532."

She left him sitting on the couch, head in his hands and picked Shawn's keycard off the bureau and went to see Cez.

She knocked on the door and he called out then a moment later answered.

"Camila!" he said in surprise.

"I need to talk to you," she said briskly. "Can I come in?"

"Of course," he frowned.

She stalked in and turned to face him. "Are you aware that Shawn is in agony? His throat is so killing him, he could barely sing tonight."

He looked stunned. "He didn't say anything..."

"No, of course not, because he doesn't want to let anyone down, but you need someone to to come look at him now, because we've got five days until he has to be in Rome for the next two shows and at the moment, he would rupture his throat or something if he even got a note out."

Cez pulled out his phone. "I'll get a specialist to come see him now," he muttered then looked up at her. "You've been here fifteen minutes, how did you get him to tell you, if he was hiding it from the rest of us?"

She looked at him in surprise. "We don't keep any secrets from each other," she said. "He burst into tears as soon as he saw me." Perhaps she shouldn't have said that, but it was the truth, and Cez needed to know how deeply unhappy and in pain Shawn was.

***

Shawn undressed and showered quickly, putting on sweats and a t-shirt and stretching out on the bed. His throat still felt like he had swallowed glass but he felt like a weight had been removed off his shoulders. He should have gone and seen Cez himself, not had his girlfriend fight his battles for him, but to be honest he was grateful. It had taken everything in him to get as far as his room tonight. He had seen her sitting there smiling and all his defences had crumbled. She couldn't have come at a better time. He thought he'd have three days with her then she'd stay for Rome and then she'd fly home, but for some reason she was here and he hadn't even asked why, he had just accepted it as the miracle it was.