The One After [SHAWN MENDES]

Chapter 115

On the afternoon of my besties' housewarming party, I went to the bakery to help with the cupcakes. My dad made an assortment of cake flavors that morning, so all I had to do was pipe the delicious buttercream on top and add sprinkles for decoration.

"Jennifer was saying last night that you should come over for dinner soon," Dad remarked conversationally as we worked side by side.

"I'd like that, though I think it's my turn to host the two of you. I saw a recipe online that I'm dying to try."

I'd only been on my meds a short time, so what I was experiencing was probably more of a placebo effect than a chemical change, but I was interested in cooking again. My stomach had shrunk considerably, which meant I still rarely felt hungry, and I couldn't wait to actually crave food again.

He smiled. "That sounds terrific. Name a day and we'll be there."

When I was done, I went on my phone and looked at my calendar. I didn't want to do anything social on a day I had therapy, because lately I'd been feeling very emotional after my sessions. I also wanted to keep my weekends free since I was on the cusp of activating my dating apps. We settled on a Sunday and he texted Jennifer to make sure it worked for her, which it did.

I boxed up the cupcakes and carefully carried them to my car. At home, I showered and got ready for the party, taking extra time to look my prettiest. This wasn't just for Shawn. The girls told me that they were inviting everyone on their floor, which included some guys our age.

Since I was bringing dessert, I arrived at my friends' new place early. Briya was in the bathroom finishing her hair while Fallon ran the vacuum in the living area. Their apartment looked incredible, and I felt inspired to start my redecorating project. They'd shared that they were able to do everything on a pretty tight budget, and I hoped to do the same since I wanted to save my settlement money.

Briya came out of their bedroom looking as gorgeous as could be, and I smiled when her girlfriend gawked at her appreciatively. Fallon was beautiful, too, though their looks were very different.

"Lucy," Bri said as she looked me up and down, "you are the definition of hotness. That dress is insane!"

I'd found a short body-hugging black dress that had long sleeves and a plunging back on the sale rack of one of my favorite shops. I paired it with gold jewelry and some classic fuchsia pumps leftover from my party girl days. When I was selecting a necklace, I found the beautiful birthday gift from Shawn. I knew I'd never wear it again, but I couldn't bring myself to let go of it, so I put it in my underwear drawer.

"Thanks! I want you to open my housewarming gift now," I told them.

They sat down on their light cocoa-colored couch and worked together to unwrap the print I'd bought at a local art gallery. It was abstract interpretation of a beach, and the predominant colors were navy and peach.

"This is perfect!" Fallon said as she held it up. "The one thing we haven't done yet is buy new stuff to hang on the walls, but this will be the showpiece of our apartment. I'm going to grab a hammer and picture hook and put it up right now!"

They squabbled for a minute about where to place it, and eventually I intervened. "Why don't you just lean it against the wall in the dining room for now? You shouldn't rush your decision."

"You've always been the smart one," Briya said before she did as I suggested.

I helped them put out all the food, which was a mix of things they'd either made themselves or bought at a gourmet grocery store. They thought the cupcakes were beautiful, and opted to put them on several plates that they placed around the room. Their new dining table held the hot and cold appetizers, and there was a bar set up on the kitchen counter. I made myself a vodka and cranberry juice while they greeted their first guests, who were two of Fallon's coworkers. It wasn't long before the small apartment was packed, though one person was noticeably absent. The girls told me he said he would try to stop by, but I wondered if he had the same reservations about seeing me that I had about him and was going to skip tonight.

"What line of work are you in?" a good-looking guy who lived across the hall asked me an hour or so later. The party was in full swing, and people were conversing in small clusters while music played over the Bluetooth speakers

"I'm an accountant and I do the bookkeeping for several businesses in my family."

"I'm a business school grad, too!" he said enthusiastically. "I studied economics and I'm working as a budget analyst for the city. Do you need another drink?"

My glass was empty, so I gave him a warm smile. "I'd love one."

He trotted off to the kitchen, and I selected a stuffed mushroom from the buffet and popped it in my mouth. Looking around, I saw that many of the cupcakes had disappeared, which pleased me. Brian waved to me from across the room, and as I waved back, I made a mental note to go chat with him and Meg when I was free.

"Here you go," the economist said when he returned with my drink. "I didn't catch your name before. I'm Liam."

I must have made a face because he then asked, "You alright?"

"Sorry. I had a pretty bad run-in with another Liam last year, but of course that has nothing to do with you. I'm Lucy."

He smacked his palm against his forehead. "I thought you looked familiar. You're the woman who Shawn Mendes saved!" His voice was extremely loud so every person in the room turned towards us.

My cheeks immediately flared red. "Yes, but I'd prefer not to talk about that. Tell me more about your job. It sounds interesting."

The subsequent thirty minute description of what he did all day proved that it was not interesting at all. I excused myself to use the restroom, and when I returned, Liam was talking to someone else. I looked for Brian and Meg but they were nowhere to be seen, so I approached Fallon at the food table and asked where they went.

"They had another party to go to, which they explained when they RSVPed," she told me.

I felt horrible that I hadn't even said hello to them, and I hoped they didn't think it was because I was being petty.

Fallon eyed the platters of snacks.  "Should I put out more veggies? Or maybe pop another tray of mini quiches in the oven?"

"I'd wait a bit more and if people keep eating like they've been doing, I'll replenish everything so that you can be social."

"Thanks! Are you having fun? I saw you talking to Liam. He seems nice, despite his name."

"Very nice," I then lowered my voice to a whisper, "but not really my type."

"Yeah, I didn't think you'd go for him. His roommate is pretty sexy but he's got a girlfriend."

Briya approached us. "Do you think the music is too loud?"

I shrugged. "Seems okay to me. Aren't most of your neighbors here anyway? Who would complain?"

"Maybe someone on the floor below or above us? We probably should have invited them, too." She then put a hand on my arm, "Before they left, Meg said to tell you hi. She saw you were occupied and didn't want to bother you."

I went to the bedroom and retrieved my phone from my bag and sent her a quick message saying I was sorry we hadn't talked. The party they went to was probably where Shawn was since they had many mutual friends, so at least I could relax and not worry about seeing him. I sat down on the bed for a second and took a moment alone to reflect on how I felt about this. I was relieved that there'd be no awkward interaction with my ex, but if I was being honest with myself, I was also disappointed. Almost eight weeks had passed since I last saw him, and a tiny part of me craved being in the same room again, though that scenario also terrified me.

"You are a conflicted mess," I muttered under my breath. Then I got a couple Advil because the stress of the evening had given me a mild headache.