Perfectly Wrong

38. Weak Moment

 “ Yes, it’s in your sewing kit.” Camila tells him.

 “ I have a sewing kit?” He seems really confused.

 “ It’s in your laundry room.” Camila says, thinking she only cleaned his house once and she already knows better than him where to find things. “ It’s next to the sewing machine on the shelf behind your mother’s patterns. I put them in chronological order according to… nevermind. I’ll just show you.”

 “ You put his patterns in chronological order?” Sinu asks in shock.

 “ I was having a bad day.” Camila says as they walk to the door.

 Camila and Shawn cross the street and she takes the opportunity to ask what happened in his meeting. She didn’t want to ask in front of the girls.

 “ I got a slap on the wrist.” Shawn says as they walk inside his house. “ They told me since I was defending another student, they couldn’t really hold it against me.”

 “ That’s good.” Camila says, walking through his kitchen and entering the laundry room, where she grabs the sewing kit. “ What about your internship?”

 “ Well, it’s a little tricky. The only available ones they had are in here, but they were all primary. My major is secondary, so I’ve been placed in a school two hours away from here.”

 “ What does that mean?” Camila asks, stopping what she’s doing and looking up at him. “ You’re moving?”

 “ No, Camila. We’re not moving.” Shawn says with a laugh when he sees her concern. “ It’s just for eight weeks. I’ll be doing a lot of driving, though. I was actually going to talk to you and your mom about it later. I’m not going to be able to take the girls to school, or pick them up. I’ll be gone a lot. I know this is not a good time to ask for your help-”

 “ Stop it.” Camila says, grabbing the measuring tape. “ You know we’ll help.”

 Shawn follows Camila as she walks back into the laundry room and returns the sewing kit to its place. When she turns around to switch the lights off, she runs into him. He’s leaning against the door frame with his head against the wall, being illuminated only by the glow from the kitchen behind him. She tries not to get her hopes up by the way he’s looking at her.

 “ Last night.” Shawn whispers. “ When I saw Jake kissing you… I thought you were kissing him back at first.”

 “ Oh.” Camila whispers back, not knowing what else to say.

 “ God, Camila. I can’t tell you how pissed I was. I wanted to hurt him so bad. But then when I realized he was hurting you, I wanted to kill him.”

 Camila thinks back on the night before and the emotions that must have gone through his mind. First he was singing his heart out to her on the stage and then he thought she was making out with Jake a few minutes later. He’s still blocking her way and her entire body tenses, not knowing what he’s about to say or do. She tries to relax, but her breathing becomes irregular in mere seconds.

 “ How did you know I was there?” Camila whispers.

 Shawn places both hands on either side of the doorframe and Camila finds breathing even harder. His height and the way he’s blocking her are intimidating, but in a very good way.

 “ I saw you.” Shawn says. “ When I finished my song, I saw you leaving.”

 Camila places her hands on the dryer behind her as her knees start to fail her. He knows she was there, but why is he telling her that? She’s trying really hard not to get her hopes up, but maybe now that he’s no longer her teacher they could finally be together. Maybe that’s what he’s trying to tell her.

 “ Shawn, does this mean...”

 Shawn takes a step towards her, leaving no space between them and making her forget whatever she was saying. His fingers move to her cheeks as he studies her face and Camila places her hands against his chest when he wraps his arms around her. Shawn pulls her body against his before pressing her against the dryer, making her gasp.

 He brings his lips to hers and Camila immediately kisses him back, letting the measuring tape fall from her hand to the floor. Shawn grabs her waist and lifts her up, setting her down on top of the dryer. He kisses her like he’s making up for all the time they spent not being able to kiss. Camila can’t tell where her body ends and his begins as they pull at each other, their hands exploring each other’s bodies.

 Her legs are wrapped around his waist as his mouth goes to her neck and she can’t barely catch her breath. All her feelings come rushing back to her and Camila tries to hold back tears as she realizes she’s in love with him. She’s in love with Shawn.

 “ Shawn.” She whispers as he continues to explore her neck with his lips. “ Does this mean… we don’t have to pretend anymore?” She’s breathing so hard she can’t barely form a sentence. “ We can be… together? Since you’re not… my teacher anymore?”

 Camila feels Shawn’s hand soften around her body as his lips slowly stop working the skin of her neck. He lifts his head and Camila tries to pull him back to her, but instead he unlocks her legs from around his waist and backs up, resting his back against the wall and avoiding her eyes.

 “ Shawn?” Camila whispers again, getting off the dryer and stepping towards him. “ Shawn? Please, tell me. Do the rules still apply?”

 He doesn’t have to answer her for her to know that they do still apply. His reaction is enough.

 “ Camila." He says quietly. “ I had a weak moment. I’m sorry.”

 “ A weak moment? That’s what you call? A weak moment?” Camila yells, shoving her hands on his chest. “ What were you going to do, Shawn? When were you going to stop making out with me and kick me out of your house this time?”

 Camila turns around and walks out of the laundry room into the kitchen.

 “ Camila, don’t. I’m sorry.” He says. “ I’m so sorry. It won’t happen again, I swear.”

 “ You’re damn right it won’t! I finally accepted it, Shawn. I was finally able to be around you again. Then you go and do this! I can’t do it anymore.” Camila feels the tears rolling down her cheeks. “ The way you consume my mind when we’re not together? I don’t have time for that anymore. I have more important things to think about now than your little weak moments.”

 She crosses the living room and opens the front door, pausing for a second.

 “ Get the measuring tape.” She tells him calmly.

 “ What?” He asks.

 “ It’s on the damn floor! Get the measuring tape!”

 Camila hears his footsteps as he walks to the laundry room, then he walks back and hands her the measuring tape, making sure to squeeze her hand.

 “ Don’t make me the bad guy, Camila.” He says.

 “ Well, you’re definitely not the martyr anymore.” She says, pulling her hand away from his.

 Camila crosses the street and doesn’t look back to see if he’s following her. She wipes her tears before walking back inside her house to help her mother make her very last Halloween costumes.