When Camila enters the club, she doesn’t even stop to look for him in the crowd. She knows he’s there. She doesn’t want to give herself time to second guess her decision, so she walks with confidence to the front of the room. They’re announcing the score of the previous performer when Camila steps onto the stage and grabs one of the microphones. She looks at the audience and the lights are so bright, she can’t see anyone’s face. She can’t see Shawn.
“ I would like to perform a song I wrote.” She says into the microphone with her voice unsteady and her heart beating really fast. She can’t turn back now. “ I know this isn’t standard protocol, but it’s an emergency.”
The audience laughs and Camila freezes at the thought of what she’s about to do. She starts having second thoughts when they tell her to go ahead. She doesn’t have her keyboard this time, so she’ll have to rely on her voice.
“ Three dollars!” Someone from the audience yells.
Camila realizes she hasn’t paid her fee yet, so she frantically looks through her back pocket until she finds five dollars and hands it to one of the judges.
“ My song is called-”
“ Your change.” One of the judges taps on her shoulder before she can finish her sentence. Camila takes the money and puts it in her pocket.
“ My song is called ‘Arms’.” Camila says on the microphone, her voice shaking before she takes a few deep breaths.
She lets her voice fill the room as she sings acapella the lyrics she just finished writing on her way there.
“I never thought that You would be the one to hold my heart
But you came around
And you knocked me off the ground from the start”
“You put your arms around me
And I believe that it's easier for you to let me go
You put your arms around me and I'm home”
“How many times will let you me change my mind and turn around
I can't decide if I'll let you save my life or if I'll drown”
“I hope that you see right through my walls
I hope that you catch me, 'cause I'm already falling
I'll never let a love get so close
You put your arms around me and I'm home”
“The world is coming down on me
And I can't find a reason to be loved
I never wanna leave you
But I can't make you bleed if I'm alone”
“You put your arms around me
And I believe that it's easier for you to let me go”
“I hope that you see right through my walls
I hope that you catch me, 'cause I'm already falling
I'll never let a love get so close
You put your arms around me and I'm home”
An amazing and indescribable feeling comes over Camila when she finishes her song, standing there in front of all those people as they crave her next words, wanting to see into her soul. She runs out of the stage without looking at anyone, trying to find Shawn instead. She looks at the booth they sat on their first date, but he’s not there. She keeps looking for him in the crowd, but he’s nowhere to be seen. She’s about to open the door and leave when a voice amplified by the speakers stops her.
“ That’s not a good idea.” She recognizes Shawn’s voice and slowly turns around. He’s standing on the stage with a microphone in hand, looking directly at her. “ You shouldn’t leave before you get your scores.”
He motions to the judges table and Camila notices one of the seats is empty, realizing Shawn is one of the judges. She has no doubt now that he saw her perform. She feels like she’s floating as she makes her way to the center of the room. The room is quiet and all eyes are on her. No one seems to understand what is happening.
“ I would like to perform a song. It’s an emergency.” Shawn says into the microphone.
“ Three dollars.” Someone yells.
“ I don’t have any cash.” He says.
Camila immediately takes the two dollars in change out of her pocket and runs to the stage, placing it on Shawn’s feet.
“ Still a dollar short.” One of the other judges say.
Suddenly a few random people from the audience make their way to the stage and start throwing any dollar they have. Shawn picks exactly three dollars from the stage floor and hands it to one of the other judges. He also takes his guitar that was placed next to his seat and Camila wonders if he was already planning on performing even if she wasn’t there.
“ My song is called ‘Strings’.” He says before his fingers start playing the chords.
“Darling I want all the strings attached
I love it when you look at me like that
And you're the only girl that brings me back
'Cause baby I want all the strings attached
It's like always and forever
I won't let a moment pass
And when I'm with you I feel better
I want all the strings, all the strings attached”
“All the strings attached girl
All the strings attached girl, mmm yeah”
“So come on girl let me hold your hand
Let's go get lost, live without a plan
And I know you've got the world to see
But you know you mean the world to me
And I know right now you got second thoughts
Do whatever it takes, pay whatever the cost yeah”
“You know me, not the type of guy
To stick around, to do the time
But you must have me hypnotized
I'm down to be by your side
Every night”
“Darling I want all the strings attached
I love it when you look at me like that
And you're the only girl that brings me back
'Cause baby I want all the strings attached
It's like always and forever
I won't let a moment pass
And when I'm with you I feel better
I want all the strings”
“And baby when you fall down, I fall too
And if you get lost, then I'll get lost with you
And when the waves crash down
Then baby I won't move
'Cause I need”
“All the strings attached
I love it when you look at me like that
And you're the only girl that brings me back
'Cause baby I want all the strings attached
It's like always and forever
I won't let a moment pass
And when I'm with you I feel better
I want all the strings
All the strings attached
I want all the strings
All the strings attached”
Shawn returns his guitar back to his seat before jumping off the stage and walking up to her. She tried so hard to break the hold he has on her, but as he walks to her, she knows it hasn’t worked at all. He stops in front of her and his hands reach for her face, wiping the tears rolling down her face with his thumbs.
“ I love you, Camila.” He smiles and rests his forehead against hers. “ You deserve to come first.”
Everyone else in the room fades and the only things Camila can see and hear is Shawn. The way he’s looking at her like she’s his entire world.
“ I love you too. I love you so much.” She whispers.
Shawn brings his lips to hers as her arms go around him, kissing him back like she’s trying to make up for all the lost time. She knows it took them too long to get there, but this time she’s not letting him go for anything.
________________________
A/N: So... this is the last chapter. I'll be publishing the epilogue later today 🙃
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Perfectly Wrong
FanfictionAfter the recent death of her father, Camila is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger sister. Moving away from her hometown, she immediately forms an intense and emotional connection with Shawn, her new neighbor. Now both of them hav...
