The One After [SHAWN MENDES]

Chapter 71

I was lounging in bed on a Sunday morning when my phone buzzed. I grabbed it and sat upright after I saw it was a message from Shawn.

What are u up to

This sounded promising, so I quickly replied to him.

I'm in bed.

Are you home?

Unsurprisingly, he called in lieu of messaging. "Hi. I caught a flight from New York at six-thirty this morning. Wanna go for a run?"

I'd gone for a couple neighborhood jogs that week, but I still didn't enjoy it. Perhaps having a partner would make it better, especially if that person was Shawn. "Sure. Keep in mind that I'm a novice. I can't go for miles and miles."

He chuckled into the phone. "That's fine, it's more about wanting to do something outdoors before it gets too hot."

"As long as you're okay walking for part of it, then I'd love to meet up. Do you know where you want to go?"

"The waterfront trail at Scarborough Heights is awesome, and it's pretty convenient to both of us, though I'm happy to pick you up," he said amiably.

"Sounds great. When?"

"I can leave now, if that works for you."

"It does!" I told him as I climbed out of bed. "See you in a bit."

We hung up and I hurried to my closet to find something to wear. I selected a pair of black cropped athletic pants and a turquoise all-in-one sleeveless top and sports bra. I threw my hair up in a high pony and used a headband to hide the weird patch where my hair was growing in. Then I applied a little mascara, which seemed adequate for a fitness-themed outing.

I desperately needed some coffee, so I made myself a small cup and was finishing it when Shawn arrived. "Good morning," he said brightly. "I smell coffee."

"I just made some. Would you like a cup?"

"I'd love one."

We went into my kitchen and I started the process by putting the kettle on.

"Good choice with the pour-over setup. It's the best," he told me.

"Someone special introduced me to this brewing method," I replied. That wasn't exactly a lie.

He gave me a sympathetic look. "Ex-boyfriend?"

"Um...yeah."

"When things end with someone, there are constant reminders of them, right? It's one of those things you don't expect but that hits the hardest."

"What's an example for you?"

He laughed. "Well the most obvious is the tattoo I have on my ribcage. I have zero regrets, but sometimes I see it in the mirror and feel sad."

"When you got it, did you think your relationship was as permanent as the ink would be?"

"Yeah. I did. When you're that in love you think it'll last forever."

"I've only been in love once," I started, leaving out that it was in a dream, "but I never thought it was going to last. I had so many insecurities." I handed him his mug of coffee.

"I know that feeling, too. It's miserable. Is that why you broke up with the coffee guy?"

Fuck. How the hell did I explain that we didn't break up; I just came out of a coma and he was gone. Except he wasn't gone; he was standing in my kitchen right now. What a fucking mess my mind had created! "Actually, it had nothing to do with that. We just both moved on and it was time to let go."