Beautiful Lies - Shawn Mendes

22. Are You Even Paying Attention?

August 15th - 13 days left

The brisk sea breeze caressed my face as I strolled across the beach, sandals in hand, savouring the feeling of the sand between my toes. An uncontrollable smile covered my face, as my hair blew in gentle torrents around me.

I was going to Shawn's rented accommodation for the first time. And we had arranged that he would pick me up from Nonna's at ten, but I decided to walk, not being able to resist the weather that I'd no longer get to experience when I returned to England. And I did not regret my choice. There was a serenity to the beach that I found nowhere else. Especially when no one was on it, the only sounds were the waves lapping at the shore and birds circling overhead singing their morning song.

I was still slightly shaken up by the events of three previous evenings ago, finding out that someone you've been close to your whole life, secretly has an underlying dislike for you, hurts. But each step I took nearer to Shawn's, the further I tried to push the negativity from my mind.

The sun warmed me to my core, as I neared his house. There were a few small, privately owned houses, only three or four rooms large, residing at the end of the beach that I had passed many a time, where I knew he was staying. The front of the houses had small gravel driveways accessible by the main road, but at the back of them, the sand and sea became their back garden. No-one in the town had ever really stayed in them, they were mostly used as holiday homes or getaways for those who owned them, or on a very rare occasion, were rented out for holiday makers who came to visit. The view alone was beautiful, you couldn't ask for a better one, and I'd heard the inside was just as good.

I found my way easily to it, and as I was about to walk up the steps, the back door opened revealing Shawn. I sucked in a breath - how he could look so effortlessly good, I would never understand. His hair was in messy waves, an obvious case of bedhead, and only his bottom half was covered with a pair of dark grey joggers. His sculpted chest was a sight for sore eyes, and I couldn't deny that my eyes didn't wander across the muscles dominating his stomach, and then down to the prominent v shaped line, that was was trying to cloud my mind with inappropriate thoughts. My heart warmed, when I saw the bracelet I had given him for his birthday, taking pride of place on his wrist.

'Soph, what're you doing here? I thought I was picking you up?' Shawn smiled confusedly, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

'Yeah, yeah I know. But I wanted to walk, and maybe I was just a little eager to see you.' I smirked, making my way up the steps to him. I pressed my palm flat against his chest and placed a lingering kiss on his lips.

'Good Morning.'

'Now this is something I could get used to.' Shawn smiled lazily, pulling me into his arms, and kissing me again, but more intensely than the first time.

He pulled away, grinning, and motioned to the house behind him, 'Welcome to my humble abode.'

I felt the cool air conditioning blast against my skin as, I entered the house, shortly after Shawn. I took in my surroundings - the house truly was lovely. The back door led into a large open plan living room, where two brown leather sofas and a comfortable looking armchair, circled a glass coffee table with sheets of paper laying across it, and countless empty coffee mugs. The walls were painted a soft grey colour and were adorned with exquisite paintings and pictures related to the beach, and the floor had no carpet, except for a fluffy white rug that took up the space between the sofas.