raising hope | s.m

♡Twenty-Seven♡

Shawn

My heart pounds against my chest. It's been almost twelve hours. I called Haylie earlier and she said Maya was there. She shouldn't be there. She should be here with me. My gut wants me to call her but she left her phone.

A few moments later, there's a knock on the door. When I open it, Maya and Jake stand outside. Immediately, I reach out and grab her.

"I thought she was with Haylie," I comment. He scoffs.

"She was where she shouldn't have been." My grip tightens around her. She shifts.

"This doesn't mean I forgive you. I never will."

"I don't expect you to," he responds.

"But thank you. If you hadn't of stepped in-" he cuts me off.

"It's fine Shawn. She said you were being an ass. Now, I don't know if it was the alcohol talking but..." his voice trails off, allowing me to answer.

"She wants to take your father to trial." His eyes widen slightly.

"You can't let her."

"I tried telling her that. She flipped out and left." His jaw clenches slightly.

"Did you tell her he plays dirty?"

"Yes. Look, I should really get her to bed." He nods and walks away, taking one last look at Maya. Something turns in my stomach as I close the door. Picking Maya up bridal style, I carry her into our room and lay her on the bed. I cover her up and kiss her temple. As I begin walking away from the bed, a hand wraps around my wrist.

"Please don't go," she whispers. Nodding, I lay in bed next to her. She turns over and lays her head on my chest. Her arm wraps around me and mine wraps around her. "I love you."

"I love you too."

When I wake up, I hear the shower running. Turning over, I look at the clock. Two in the afternoon. Groaning, I stretch my arms out. The shower shuts off. A moment later, Maya walks out with a towel wrapped around her. The towel is white and ends at her mid-thigh. A soft groan passes my lips.

"You okay?" she asks. Her voice is breathy and I groan again. She bites her lip in realization. Instead of getting clothes out, she shuts the drawer and walks over to me. She straddles me and my breath hitches. Slowly, her lips meet mine. She begins kissing along my jaw causing me to groan.

"I thought you already gave me my gift."

"I almost did but you spoiled it," she replies, kissing down my neck. My hands travel down to her hips.

"What does this gift consist of?" I question huskily. Her hands travel down my chest as she replies.

"You'll see."

We're sitting on the couch and Maya has her legs across my lap.

"Can we talk about last night?" I ask, rubbing her leg.

"I'm sorry for snapping." My arms wrap around her and pull her closer.

"It's okay, baby. Do you still want to go to trial?"

"Yeah. I do." Her fingers play with my hand. They trace the tattoo on my skin. "I've always wanted a tattoo."

"Maybe I'll take you to get one," I whisper into her hair. 

"You would?" I nod. She lays her head on my chest.

"Where did you want to go yesterday?"

"The fair."

"Well, let's go." We stand and I kiss her shoulder. "Go get ready."

"Are you sure? We don't have to." She grabs my hands and swings them back and forth. 

"It's fine." She rests her forehead against mine. We sit like that for a moment. Cherishing the seconds. She pecks my lips before letting go and going to get ready.

When she comes back out, my eyes almost pop out of my head. She's in a black skater skirt and a white slim-fit crop top. Her hair is curled lightly and her makeup is minimal. Mascara, making her eyes stand out even more, and a light pink lip. She has white wedges on to complete the outfit. Standing, I walk over to her and grab her hands. Even in her wedges, she's still shorter than me.

"You're still shorter than me," I joke. She playfully hits my chest. Snaking my arms around her waist, I pull her closer. "You look beautiful, like always."

"You're not so bad yourself," she smiles and fixes my collar. She also unbuttons one button. "There we go. Even more perfect than you already were."

My cheeks heat up.

"Awe, are you blushing?" she teases. She kisses my cheek. I kiss her back and we go out to my car.

We arrive at the boardwalk and I help Maya out of the car. When she gets out, she looks at the place with so much wonder in her eyes. A smile parts her lips and it's one of the biggest and most beautiful I've seen from her. Quickly, I take out my phone and snap a picture. The click snaps her out of her trance. She looks at me, startled.

"Did you take a picture of me?" Nodding, I stare down at the picture. The neon lights put beautiful colors on her face. Purples and pinks make the scene even more enchanting. I make the picture my lock screen.

"Yes, I did and you look gorgeous and happy in it. That's how it should always be. You're always gorgeous and you should always be happy."

"I love you, Shawn Peter Raul Mendes."

"I love you too, Maya Grace Young." She laughs and it's music to my ears. She grabs my hand and pulls me along.

"Let's go!" We play games and she's happier than she's ever been. She never let go of my hand. We go on the Ferris wheel and I take more pictures of her. "Shouldn't we be getting pictures together?"

Playfully, I roll my eyes. She walks over to me and wraps her arms around my neck. She kisses my cheek and puts her hand on the opposite one. The picture turns out great. I make it my home screen, keeping the one of her smiling as the one I'll see every time I turn on my phone.

As we begin leaving, I hear a familiar song begin playing. It's 'You Are In Love' by Taylor Swift. Our song.

"May I have this dance," I ask with a fake accent. She smiles and accepts. She takes my hand and I place my hand on her hip. Her other hand finds itself on my cheek. We sway back and forth in the middle of the boardwalk. "Please stay this happy for the rest of your life."

"I'm trying to."

"I know. What can I do to help?"

"Everything you have been."

"I will. Especially if you go to trial. Are you still sure about that?" My stomach churns for her.

"Yes. If I get hurt it's my fault. Promise me you won't take the blame," she whispers. My jaw clenches. Her eyes plead with me. "Please."

"Okay. I promise I won't take the blame." She takes a deep breath and lays her head on my chest. The song fades out and people clap lightly. Maya's cheeks tinge red. The thought lingers in my mind. Her going to trial, something going wrong, Drew playing dirty, her getting hurt again. I promised her I wouldn't take the blame but I'm not going to let her take it either. "Now, promise me something."

She looks up at me.

"What?"

"Promise me that you won't take the blame. You will not put yourself at fault for anything that happens in that trial because, in the end, you are the victim. You were the one hurt. You promise me that you will not let him cut you down no matter what happens." My eyes bore into hers. People move around us but she's the only thing I see and hear. "Promise me, Maya."

"I promise." I pull her back into me.

"Okay. Good. I love you, baby girl." 

"I love you too, babe. Nothing will ever change that."