24 Hours

Chapter 7 ~ I wanna know you

About 10 minutes later the pair made it to Jovi's apartment building and were greeted by Niles the doorman "Miss Litar and company" He nodded to the pair as they ran through the open door. "Hi Niles, thanks!" Jovi said and they shook off in the lobby. "Well I'm home now, bye!" Jovi said and turned quickly towards the elevators. "Wh-WAIT!" Shawn said putting his hands out to reach for her, panicking, he didn't want the night to end. Suddenly Jovi stopped about 10 feet from him and turned to look at Shawn, she was laughing at him! Shawn felt embarrassed that he reacted that way over someone he just met. "Clingy much?" Jovi joked "Err no, I just was having a good time." Shawn said, sticking his nervous hands in his pockets. "Listen muffin man, I let you walk me home. That's as close to my bed as you'll be getting tonight." Jovi said confidently "But I wasn't no I-" Shawn started to get embarrassed again "I'm joking Shawn relax." Jovi said playfully punching Shawn in the arm "Besides, are you and Camila even cold yet?" Jovi asked...Shawn let out a small gasp as the comment took him by surprise..."You know who I am?" Shawn said, his face dropping, stepping back from Jovi. Shrouded in shame he grew quiet.

On the walk over all the pair talked about was how Jovi attended Juilliard and how she occasionally sings in small cafes and clubs around Brooklyn. They talked about if she had any pets, and what she had planned for when she got home and what she had planned for the next day. They never talked about him being THE Shawn Mendes, him being famous. "How'd you know?" He asked Jovi seemed a little taken aback by how he reacted once she revealed she knew who he was. "How could I not know you, your face is plastered all over billboards in Times square." Jovi answered "Why didn't you say anything? " Shawn asked "Fine, I'll run to TMC and tell them popstar Shawn Mendes followed me home from a coffee shop, like a lost puppy at 3am." Jovi said "I mean like why didn't you- freak out?" Jovi finished Shawns question. "Because I'm a grown ass woman not a 10 year old girl." Jovi laughed. "I know exactly who you are Shawn, I've been to a couple of your shows, I bump your music. You're cool. Why would I ruin that by screaming and passing out on the sidewalk? " Jovi finished. Shawn was taken aback by her handling him being famous so well. She was acting like he was any normal person. That impressed Shawn.

"Seriously? Like you're okay with me being...well me?" Shawn asked "Yes stupid!" Jovi said, slapping Shawns arm. The two stood in the lobby of her building just laughing. "Well to answer your question, Camila and I are more than cold, we are straight arctic. We broke up recently and I've just been trying to figure out how to announce it." Shawn said, putting his hands in his pockets and looking down. His curls falling in his face. Suddenly Jovi got serious, I'm sorry." Jovi said putting a hand on Shawn's elbow sincerely "It happens." Shawn said, shrugging his shoulders. Jovi got quiet. "Shawn...what are you doing here?" She asked him sympathetically looking around "What do you mean? I'm walking you home." Shawn said "No I mean really, what are you doing here?" Jovi said "You're days out of a serious relationship and you're meeting strangers and taking them home...literally." Jovi said...Shawn understood now.

"You should be healing, not trying to find something to dull the pain, coffee at 2am and strangers alike. You need to sit with it, feel it, and heal from it. Otherwise it'll come back to bite you in the ass when you don't want it to." Jovi said, Shawn stood there taking it all in quietly, he was astonished. Jovi was right. Shawn went out that night looking for answers. He got a couple, but didn't expect it to be this deep. Shawn's head dropped and he took a step back just outside of Jovi's reach. "You're right...you're totally right." Shawn began with both hands up "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. I'll let you go on up...It's late." Shawn said "Have a good night Jo." Shawn said "But can I get your number?" Maybe we can talk sometime?" Shawn said "You know where I live and where I go to school and where I buy my coffee...when you're done healing come find me." Jovi said and turned to walk away "Goodnight Mr. Mendes" Jovi said without looking back at Shawn "Night Jo." Shawn smiled into his whisper as she walked away. Something about her was beautiful.