raising hope | s.m

♡Twenty-One♡

Maya

My head is in my hands as I wait for Shawn to get out of surgery. He's internally bleeding and had to go into surgery for three hours. It's been three days and he hasn't woken up. My tears have dried and my throat is sore.

"You okay?" Haylie asks. Her, Mason, and Noah are here. 

"I told him not to fight," I whisper. 

"He had to," Mason mumbles.

"He doesn't have to do anything."

"Do you not understand the point of a contract?" he questions harshly.

"Do you not understand the point of his life?" I retort. "He could die, Mason, and you're worried about some contract."

His jaw clenches and he stands. 

"He signed that contract and he knew that his life was on the line. Don't get pissed at me for something your boy toy did." Memories flash in my head of Jake and Drew. They're the only ones who have called Shawn my 'boy toy'.

"Don't call him that," I mumble, my voice wavering.

"You're treating him like he is! He's not someone you can mind wash." Standing, I walk over to him. I stop when I'm a few paces away.

"What do you have against me?" He steps closer to me and I step back.

"Mason," Noah growls. 

"He came to me a few weeks ago and said he didn't want to do this anymore. He doesn't want to fight, Mason." He scoffs. 

"If he knows what's good for him, he would have left after the bar incident." My heart stops. A stray tear falls down my cheek so I wipe it away with the hoodie sleeve.

"Mason!" Haylie scolds.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe he should have left me after my assaults. After I was assaulted four times and kicked out of my apartment. He should have left me after I was..." I purse my lips before proceeding, "Raped. He didn't though. Honestly, that's one of the best things he's done."

"Maya..." his voice trails off.

"No, it's fine. You're right. He should have left me. I'd be out on the streets or still at that damn bar. Instead, I'm living in his apartment, I have a better job, and someone who loves me and protects me."

"Maya, I-" I cut him off.

"It's fine, Mason, really. You're right." Turning on my heel, I walk out of the waiting room. The walls of the hospital start caving in and my chest feels heavy. Tears burn in my eyes and blur my vision. All I want is for Shawn's arms to be around me. For him to whisper kind things to me. For him to just be here.

As I'm walking, I bump into someone. Wiping my eyes, I see a girl standing in front of me. She's about my height and has dark brown hair, brown eyes, and tan skin. She looks familiar.

"I'm so sorry," she comments. I shake my head and wipe my eyes.

"No, it's my fault I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Are you okay?" she questions softly. My shoulders shrug. Her eyes look sad.

"Are you?" She copies my shrug.

"I just got notified that my brother was in a coma so, no, not really," she smiles sadly.

"Yeah, someone I love is in a coma too." We sit on a bench outside one of the rooms.

"What's his name?"

"Shawn." Her eyebrows furrow. "What?"

"My name is Aaliyah Mendes. Shawn is my brother." My heart stops for the second time today.