the criminal // S.M.

27 // lies

Shawns POV

I couldn't sleep that night. As I tossed and turned I couldn't help but think of Mia and our argument. Well, more her explosion.

What perplexed me the most is that I was just trying to help, but she acted like I had called her something terrible.

But to be fair, I knew exactly why she got so upset. Truth be told I know nothing about what she is going through or what she must be feeling. I can't even imagine living her life, mainly because I don't know much about her life. I just know that she has a terrible job that her parents passed down to her after they were arrested. I also know that she raised Audrey on her own, keeping her life a secret from her as well.

Mia intrigued me as a person. She was like a mystery that I couldn't quite figure out, a puzzle piece without any matching pieces. Even though she had been through so much she still was so strong, and I admired that.

I got out of bed with the intentions of getting a glass of water. If I couldn't sleep, might not as well be thirsty too.

However, as I neared the kitchen I was distracted by the sounds of sobs that echoed off the walls, with the source being the bathroom across from Mia's bedroom.

I froze. I wasn't sure if I should check on her, or if I was the last person she would want to see. As I got closer, it ended up being my need to know if she was okay that made me go check on her.

Through the crack in the door, I could see Mia sitting on the lid of the toilet with her feet on the bathtub and her face in her hands, elbows rested on knees. Her back was too me, but I could still hear the quiet weeping.

I wasn't sure what to do. They don't really train you for these sorts of things.

I lightly knocked on the doorframe. "You alright?"

I mentally hit myself in the face. Obviously she isn't alright.

She looked up, wiped a few tears before turning around to look at me. She starred for a moment, probably confused as to why I was there.

"Can I come in?" I asked. She nodded and turned back around while I came in and sat on the bathtub ledge where she had her feet propped up.

I wasn't really sure what to do. She was obviously in no state to talk it out or anything, so I just scooted a little closer and wrapped my arms around her.

I expected her to flinch and throw them off, but she, to my surprise, melted into me, crying harder than before. She didn't hug me back or anything but we just stayed there while she sobbed. It hurt me to see her in such a state, but I knew I couldn't show it.

I tried my hardest to ignore the bottle of acetaminophen on the counter.

+

We stayed in the bathroom for what felt like forever, but it very easily could have only been ten minutes or so. Eventually I convinced Mia to move to her bedroom. Our breaths synced as we laid together in her bed. Her head was placed gently on my stomach, and I couldn't see her face but i could just hear the periodical sniffles telling me she was still crying.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, taking a risk at even taking.

She was silent for a few moments, and I couldn't help but ponder what was going on in that head of hers. Finally she spoke.

"Remember when I said I was a bad liar?"

My mind immediately raced to the moment. We were in the woods, just a week or so after we ran off track and we're living on our own. We were in the middle of the woods, sitting on the hood of the jeep. Mia was smoking a cigarette and we were playing never have I ever.

You've never been to a baseball game? How is that even possible? Are you lying to me? I asked her.

No, trust me i'm a bad liar. She had responded after a long drag of her cigarette.

I focused my attention back to the present and finally responded to her question.

"Mhm,"

"That was a lie,"

I stopped playing with her hair which made me realize I was playing with it in the first place. I stayed quiet for a long time, thinking about the possibilities this new fact opened up.

I wasn't sure how to respond, and I was too scared to say the wrong thing so I just said one simple word. 

"Okay."

We laid together in the silence for hours. As the sun rose I couldn't seem to fall asleep. Mia on the other hand was knocked out and I knew she rarely ever slept so I tried to let her get as much shut eye as possible.

Even if it meant being perfectly still while my whole body fell asleep beneath her.