Husband... Husband... Husband
The word floated inside her head all night long, echoing obsessively and depriving her from some hours of restless sleep. Initially the refrain was almost soothing, lulling her into a world where everything was good. But when those two syllables kept on repeating like a broken, aggressive vinyl that haunted her in her slumber, she realized that something wasn't right. She widened her eyes, the daylight making her hiss in discomfort, and looked around the room as panic pressed on her stomach. A pounding headache was making hard for her to put two and two together. She saw the white veil hanging from a chair, she saw the satin dress laying on the floor in a silky puddle and, finally, she saw the sparkly ring on her finger.
Shawn was sleeping on his bed, still snoring and completely oblivious of what happened the night before. But Camila was wide awake and, even if some tiny parts were confusing or forgotten, she knew for sure what was the outcome of the precedent evening.
«Shawn» she whispered yelled. «Shawn! Wake up»
The boy turned to face the other side of the room, ignoring the calling of his wife. «Too early» he managed to mumble.
Normally, Camila enjoyed seeing him like that. In the morning he was still vulnerable, and his wrinkled eyes and messy hair made him look younger and cuter. Very often he bubbled some nonsense that came directly from his dreams, and Camila loved to make fun of him for that. But during that very moment, she felt nothing like softness in his regards. «Shawn! Wake up, for god's sake!». Shouting during the first few minutes of her day wasn't something she liked to do, but she was angry and pissed, unsure if more towards him or with her own self.
Shawn stood up on the bed and in a second was looking at her with wide eyes and his hair exploding in messy curls over his head. «Wha- what happened?». He was confused and the urgency in her voice made him kind of anxious. Camila's face was morphed in an angered and incredulous mask, and this only fueled his discomfort. He was sleeping, what could have he possibly done?
Camila jumped out of bed in only her underwear, and even if that wasn't the first time Shawn saw her like that, he gulped down his growing lust and looked away. The girl walked around the room, pacing anxiously back and forth with a hand pressed against her forehead. Something sparkly on her finger caught Shawn's attention and slowly – very slowly – he started to recall the events of the previous night.
«We've fucked up» whined Camila meeting his frightened gaze. «What are we going to do?»
Her husband moved his eyes on his own finger, noticing the golden band that started to burn his skin. «No, we haven't. It's not possible. I mean, we are constantly messing things up, but we're not this dumb». Denial was what he chose to use to face that bizarre situation, but Camila was quick to present him with an evidence that shredded his refusal.
On the table of their room laid unbothered a piece of paper with their names, their signatures and the date of their wedding. Camila basically threw it at him and waited for another reaction. She knew she was starting to bitch around, and she was somewhat sorry for that, but she needed to figure things out and Shawn wasn't helping her one bit. All he was able to say was «Fuuuck».
Thin on patience, she frenziedly put on some clothes and groaned when Shawn was still sitting on his bed. Like she did with their wedding certificate, she threw him his jeans and – not so nicely – barked him to get ready. And like a frightened puppy, he followed her instructions. Half an hour later they were at the same chapel in which they tied the knot, begging the old lady to help them out. «Ma'am, we're begging you. It has to be something we can do to void this... mistake».
The lady rewarded her with a sympathetic smile. «Oh dear, I'm very sorry, but you signed a contract and we told you very clearly before you wrote your name on it that it can't be voided. It's just the law».
Camila was ready to snap back to her, ignoring the calm and sweet demeanor of the lady, but Shawn softly wrapped his hand around her wrist and told her, with only the look on his face, that it was time to stop. He then faced the lady. «We're sorry for the trouble. We'll figure things out. Thank you for your help». He pulled Camila toward the exit, but the old receptionist called them one last time.
«I know you're not looking forward to continue this marriage, but I have one last thing for you» She reached down the countertop and offered them a small, decorated book. «I may be a hopeless romantic, but I think one day, when you'll look back, you'll be able to laugh about this story».
Shawn opened the book, Camila peering behind his shoulders, and saw the photos of their wedding night. He scanned them quickly, he was sensing the stare of the two women on him and felt a little too exposed, but he promised to himself to take a close look at the pics later in the day. He cleared his throat and thanked the lady, and finally he left the venue with his wife.
On the way back to their hotel they were both silent. Lost inside their thoughts, they were silently battling in their heads what they should do. Without the filter provided by the buzz, they were back to their usual conviction about the status of their relationship. They were convinced they were just friends and for this simple reason they refused to give a chance at their new liaison. But this didn't change the reality that they were now married, and they needed to decide what to do with that information.
Once back in their room, it was time to talk things out and, who knows how, they had drawn their own conclusions. «Look, we have two options here, and ironically enough I don't like none of them» Camila said. «We can get a divorce, or we can stay together»
Shawn pinched the bridge of his nose. God he felt like he was inside the most absurd, frustrating yet wonderful dream. «Yeah, I figured». With a big sigh he collected the courage to say what he wanted to say. «I don't know that we should stay together, but the thing is I can't afford a divorce right now. I have student loans to pay, the rent of my apartment, and still have to provide for myself. I don't have money for a lawyer and for all the paperwork that a divorce requires».
«Well, and I don't want to be a divorcee at 23! This could prepare the ground for a life with multiple marriages and meaningless relationships. I don't want to be like my mom! It's like my worst nightmare, I can't let it happen»
Shawn snorted and nudged her shoulder with his own, laughing. «I can totally see you with a long fake fur coat and a brand handbag, sipping mimosas and talking shit about your latest husband»
«Shawn Mendes! Don't push me to talk shit about you, instead» she scolded him playfully.
«So?» he asked more seriously. «What are we going to do?»
«I have no idea» she breathed out. «I know I said I don't want to divorce, but this thing between us isn't going to work. This is not what we signed for when we became friends. It feels... wrong?». To say those words pained her, she didn't like the idea of her and Shawn not being able to make things work for the best. They had always been a perfect duo, nothing had ever stopped them, and the possibility of a wedding ruin their immaculate record was bugging her. Of all things, did it have to be a freaking wedding? Camila felt frustrated.
Shawn, on his part, was conflicted just like her. He agreed with Camila, but her words also stung. Was there no hope at all for them? «Maybe we can compromise». Camila looked at him expectantly, waiting to hear his suggestion. «Maybe we can put things on hold for a moment. Hear me out: we go back home and live like nothing of this happened. In the meanwhile, I try to save some money and we contemplate our options if we eventually decide to end this marriage. This doesn't solve a thing but at least it gives us more time».
«I guess it will do for now». Her troubled look made Shawn's chest clenched.
He pulled her to him and hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head. «Don't worry Mila, it's not the end of the world, we'll come up with a solution»
«I'm just scared this is going to ruin things for us. I don't want to lose my best friend»
«This is nonsense. You're not going to lose me. You can't get rid of me, babe, it's just a fact, deal with it». Her giggles brought a smile on his face and the clench on his stomach lessened a little, making him fell lighter.
At that point, only time could give them answers.
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A/N I should be studying right now, so I didn't review what I wrote. If you spot any mistake let me know!!
Also, what do you think of these characters? Is this situation too absurd?