"Merry Christmas dad." Shawn smiled and gave his father a hug. I just awkwardly smiled at his stepmom, who returned it as I pulled the sleeves of my sweatshirt down.
"Merry Christmas Shawn. The place looks beautiful." He complimented and the two pulled away. "You didn't do this all yourself, did you? There's no way."
"I just hung them up. Jenny told me where to put it and what colours to get. She gets all the credit, I'm just the tall worker who can reach up high." He laughed and I blushed a bit as his dad looked at me.
"You look beautiful. Merry Christmas darling."
He gave me a hug and a cold feeling ran up my spine. My stomach twisted with a nasty feeling as Shawn watched me nervously, his teeth digging into his bottom lip as I hesitated. I gulped quietly, my arms slowly coming down and hugging him back for the fraction of a second.
"M-Merry Christmas s-sir." I stammered and he pulled away. Shawn was quick to get me by his side once again, ushering us all to the kitchen for lunch, which was a soup we made earlier.
"Are you alright?" He whispered to me and I took a deep breath.
"I uh... I'll be fine. I've been worse." I muttered and he nodded as I crossed my arms. "Why does he act like everything's alright when it's not?"
"It's Christmas, everyone forgets quarrels or arguments they had with someone." He reminded me and I nodded as I helped him set the table, my movements slow.
When Shawn set a hand on my shoulder, I jerked it back violently, catching everyone's attention. "I'm sorry." I apologized and then looked at him, shaking my head softly. "I'm sorry."
"Go upstairs for a moment beautiful, it's fine. It'll be alright. Come back down when you feel better." He suggested quietly and I nodded as he looked at his parents, who were talking in hushed voices themselves.
"Excuse me." I whispered to them and then went upstairs, immediately heading towards Shawn's room since that's were I've been spending most of my time recently.
I shut the door and then fell back on to his bed, sniffling quietly as I took a deep breath. My hands were shaking as I laid them on top of my forehead, memories of Shawn's dad grabbing me and forcing me through some building. I felt like those ropes were bound around my ankles and wrists again, scratching against my body.
A familiar ache hit my chest and at this point, I just wanted to lay down beside Shawn and sleep away my feelings. I normally pushed everthing aside for him, so he didn't doubt how I felt about him or didn't try to change our plans of running from this place, which was only a few heartbeats away.
I heard a knock on the door and I sniffled loudly as I sat up. I wiped my eyes and then cleared my throat, mascara smeared on my pale sweater. "Yeah?" I asked and the the door opened.
Shawn's stepmother smiled softly and walked in ad she saw me. "Are you alright dear?" She asked me and I nodded. "Really?"
"Yeah-"
"You don't look alright." She pointed out and I couldn't help but fire back sarcastically.
"Thanks for pointing that out the one time you actually talk." I told her and she nodded softly.
"I know I'm not the ideal person to talk to you or be here with you, but I just want to help." She offered, walking up to me slowly. "I know what you're going through-"
"You're a liar." I narrowed my eyes at her as I held a hand to my mouth. "Your husband... he ruined my life."
"You fell in love-"
"At the cost of losing my family, my friends, and my freedom." I sobbed out, shaking slightly because of the overwhelming feeling of grief. "He killed people without batting an eyelash-"
"They wouldn't follow his demands-"
"How could you defend him? How could you stand by his side knowing full well what he has done and will do?" I asked and she sighed as she sat beside me. "You don't understand, don't say that you do-"
"I was in your situation." She cut me off and I shook my head. I stood up and then went to Shawn's dresser, picking up a box of makeup wipes.
"I don't believe you-"
"My father couldn't pay for his expensive drug habits. As a punishment, Manuel was supposed to ship me off like he had done to you, only I wasn't going to his son, but to another unexprcting someone else." She explained to me and I began wiping away my smeared makeup.
"Why don't you hate him?"
"Why don't you hate Shawn?"
"Shawn didn't rip me away from my family and friends." I reminded, my voice trailing off as I realized what she meant.
"Manuel didn't either. It was all my father." She tsk'ed. "I understand your bitterness and your distaste-"
"Hatred-"
"It's happily ever after when this chapter ends." She smiled as she stood up, taking the wipe away and running it over my cheek. "Then you guys will become like us."
"We are two totally different people." I whispered to her, catching her eyes in my gaze. "I'm never going to be like you, and Shawn will never be like his dad."
"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." She taunted me, poking my nose as she looked behind me. Confusion clouded her face and I furrowed my eyebrows together.
"What?"
"This brand is horrible!" She gasped as she grabbed the box, scrunched up wipes inside of her fist as she looked at me. "Oh dear, I should have got you makeup wipes for Christmas."
I rolled my eyes and she shoved the wipes in her pocket, tsk'ing quietly. "I have some of the better brand in my purse. I'll go grab them, just wait here."
"Uh... okay?" I mumbled and she walked out, leaving me here confused and unsure of what just happened.
-
"Do you play the piano?" Layla asked Shawn and he nodded. "Could I hear?"
"I think you can if we're having a conversation right now." Shawn retorted and I laughed as his dad chuckled.
"Always a joking." He smiled and I nodded as Shawn held my hand tightly. "Play us a song son."
"I'm not a performer." Shawn dismissed and I leaned into his arm as I played a game on his phone. I wasn't able to have my own phone, so I was stuck using his.
"You used to perform all the time when you were little." His dad told us, but I just ignored him and his wife all together. I felt rude, but I just didn't care at this point.
"Yeah, come on. I want to hear something. Please?" Layla asked and Shawn let go of my hand. I sat up a bit and he sighed as he pulled his shirt down.
"Fine. Just one song, the chorus of one song." He agreed reluctantly as he sat down on the black stool. He pushed his sleeves up and I turned his camera on, recording him as he began to play an unfamiliar song.
I smiled softly and then ended the video as I watched him play the beautiful instrument. I crossed my legs and then set his phone on my lap, picking up my glass of ice water to take a quick drink. I nearly choked as he began to sing, not expecting him to do so.
"So open your eyes and see, the way our horizons meet, and all of the lights will lead into the night with me..." He hummed, his fingers moving gracefully on the piano. "And I know these scars will bleed, but both of our hearts believe, all of the stars will guide us home..."
He stopped playing after and his fat he r complained, asking why he couldn't play a gull song since he was so talented. "My throat hurts." Shawn replied, most likely lying to his father about it.
"It's a shame you guys aren't doing gifts." Layla spoke up as Shawn sat beside me once again. "We had the perfect gifts."
"Well, we aren't materialistic people." Shawn retorted easily and I agreed, his hand slipping into mine as I yawned quietly. "Are you tired babygirl?"
"Mhm." I leaned my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes as his dad chuckled.
"If she's tired then we best be on our way," he told us and Shawn made no effort to deny him or get them to stay. He stood up and I copied his actions, shaking their hands and giving them awkward hug after awkward hug.
Shawn walked them to the door and I began to clean up the mess of dirty dishes they left. I felt bad that they left so early, but I didn't want them around. It seems like Shawn didn't either.
As soon as the front door locked, he walked up to me and smiled softly, grabbing my arm gently. "We pack our bags tonight. Toby is driving us to an airport bright and early tomorrow and we're going wherever we see that's farthest but the cheapest."
I nodded and he leaned down, pressing a kiss against my lips as my stomach twisted with anxiety. Were we really doing this? Were we going to leave Canada and runaway from this lifestyle we were thrown in?
He gently squeezed my hand and then pulled away. "Let's get packing, then we can go sleep the rest of the night away." He offered and I nodded, following him upstairs. "Only pack what your need."
"I know." I told him and he went into his room as I sent into my own. I pulled a suitcase out since we bought some earlier this month, and then began shoving random necessities inside of it.
"Jennifer!"
"Yeah?" I asked and Shawn walked in quickly. "What's up?"
"The check is gone." He rushed out and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "It's gone. Did you move it?"
"No. I haven't touched it. Wasn't it on your dresser?" I asked him and he nodded his head. "Did it fall maybe?"
"It was by your makeup wipes." He informed me and I laughed. "This isn't funny."
"I'm trying to keep things light. Maybe it fell between the wall or the bed. Calm down grumpy pants." I teased him and he rolled his eyes.
"Let's hope." He told me and I agreed as he left my room to go look for it. "I'm not grumpy by the way. I just want this to be perfect."
"You're grumpy." I taunted him and he just scoffed as I heard his door close. I just shook my head as I packed my things.