The Black Tangled Heart

The Brothers Code

The drive took 2 hours and barely a word was spoken the entire time.

Ethan's hands gripped the black, leather steering wheel tightly as he occasionally spared a glance towards Camila and occasionally towards his phone, calling Shawn intermittently but using words that Camila couldn't make any sense of in some kind of'Brothers Code'

"He should be around here somewhere" Ethan suddenly announced before pushing the horn in what Camila assumed was an attempt to gain Shawns attention

"Why couldn't he drive home again?" She asked but she received no reply, instead following Ethan's line of vision to a tall figure draped in a black hoody that was sat by the side of the road

"You stay here" Instructed the oldest Mendes brother as he hopped out of the white SUV and hurried across to where Shawn sat with his head between his knees

"You brought her with you?!" Shawn spat at his brother

"What was I supposed to do, it's her car!"

"Your supposed to say thank you very much for the loan of your car now you stay home and paint your nails like a good fuckin girl whilst I go get my brother!"

"Yeah, well she isn't a 'good fuckin girl' is she? In fact she doesn't do a God damn thing I tell her!"

Looking over his shoulder, Shawn grimaced at the sight of Camila sat in the passenger side of the car watching on with something close to disinterest on her face "Get her in the back"

"Shawn..."

"Fuck sake Eth, it's one simple request, get her in the back and then get us home as quickly as possible"

"Where's the car?" Ethan asked whilst fiddling with a thread on his navy blue hoody with the words Team Mendes scrawled over the back in gold

"I had it towed, get her in the back Ethan and then get me home" Shawn rested his head in his hands as his brother stroked his head through the black material of his hoodie and then headed back to the car

"Okay princess into the back you go, instructions of Shawn" he instructed Camila who didn't even look away from Shawn whilst objecting to Ethan's request "Please Camila, he's in a bad fuckin mood, make this easy on all of us and just get into the back"

"I get motion sickness in the back" she lied

"I will give you Shawns training bag to puke in. Please. Camila... this is going to be a long trip home if you and Shawn don't play nice"

"What's up with him anyways? Why'd we have to drive all the way out here? Where's his car?"

"Questions can wait Camila, please!"

"Fine!" She finally mumbled as she began unbuckling her seatbelt, "But he should remember this because any questions he asks me demand an answer immediately"

"I'll be sure to let him know. Now come on"

Finally Camila stepped out of the car and then took her seat in the back as Ethan heaved in a deep breath of relief. Shawn in a bad mood was a handful, Camila on her best day was turning out to be a handful, Ethan wasn't sure that he could cope with them both at them at the same time and in the confines of a car.

Letting out a shrill whistle, Ethan moved to the drivers side of the car as Shawn slowly rose to his feet and then headed to the vehicle, pulling open the door and then sliding down on to the seat all without making eye contact with Camila

"Straight home" Shawn ordered and Camila shot bolt upright in her seat

"No way we are just turning around. I need food"

"You don't need food now you can get food at home" Shawn replied, leaning his head against the headrest of the black leather seat and groaning

"What's wrong with you? Are you drunk?"

"No!"

"You sound drunk"

"And you sound like nails on a chalk board"

"Is that your way of saying 'thank you for lending us your car Camila, thank you for driving two hours and then turning around and heading straight back Camila'?"

"No. It's my way of saying shut the fuck up Camila"

The drive home was excruciating, the silence between the three of them deafening as a silent conversation seemed to play out between the brothers.

"Ethan, I'm taking your room, you have the couch, Camila can have my bed" Shawn kept his hood up as he slammed the front door shut and then moved towards the bathroom but before he made it Camila grabbed his arm, using all her might to spin him around and then gasping at what she saw beneath his hood

"What the fuck...?!"

"It's none of your business" Shawn growled as he tried to move past her but her hands were quickly on his hood dragging it down and then covering her mouth in shock at what she saw.

One beautiful caramel eye remained untouched whilst the other hid behind a purple and blue swelling, his full lips were swollen and the bottom one split as blood continued to seep from a wound on his cheek

"I thought you were supposed to be a boxer" she said whilst crossing her arms over her chest and raising her eyebrows, her chest hurting for what she saw before her but her tolerance low due to the way Shawn had treated her the entire car ride home

"I am" he said, straightening his spine and clenching his teeth

"Not a very good one by the looks of it"

"Do. Not. Push me tonight Camila, you won't like what happens"

"Well it looks like someone already pushed you" She taunted, "it's a shame you didn't push back, maybe then your face wouldn't look like shit"

"Not someone, four guys. Four guys did this and believe me they look worse than I do so don't act like you think I can't take care of myself"

"Shawn... go grab a shower bro"

"Yeah tough guy why don't you do as your mama says, go and have a shower, I'll bring you a rubber ducky if you're a good boy" she just had time to wink before Shawn stalked towards her, she gasped in surprise but tried to toughen her face, refusing to let him know he was beginning to scare her

"I got jumped by four guys, no warning no pride, no honour, just four fuckin cowards that can't lose like fuckin men. Do not stand there and smirk at me like I'm a fuckin loser, like I can't handle myself"

"I'm sorry" Camila admitted honestly "I am, I was just pissed at you, I shouldn't have said those things"

"And don't fuckin look at me like that either!"

"Like what?!"

"Like you pity me, like you feel sorry for me, like 'poor little Shawn got a beating let's pat him on the head and make him feel better about it'"

"Shawn..." Ethan warned but Shawns temper was too far gone for him to stop now

"I dont need your big fuckin eyes or your pouty fuckin lips, I don't need your pity or your sympathy but most of all I don't need YOU!" Shawns face was pink and so close to Camilas that his breath felt like water droplets against her skin "Fuck it I'm going out"

"Shawn it's nearly 2 am..." Ethan said whilst grabbing his brothers arm but Shawn span him and pushed him hard against the wall

"It doesn't matter what time it is there's always someone willing to open their legs for me" he spat whilst looking over his shoulder to make sure Camila had heard him, his temper blazing so out of control that he could barely consider what he was saying or why he was saying it as the words just flowed out of his mouth in a violent torrent of abuse

"So that's what's going to make you feel like the big man again?" Asked Camila, her voice cold and controlled "Fucking some girl you don't even know"

"It's how I met you isn't it?! Some stranger willing to open their legs to anyone" he didn't give her time to reply or argue or object as he heaved the front door open and then disappeared into the cool dark air of the black night

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