I look at Xavier in surprise, my jaw dropped a little. I quickly close my mouth and clear my throat, fixing my position of Xavier's lap so that I'm turned away from Shawn.
"Oh." I say. "Babe, are you sure you're okay? You look bruised and your lip's swelling."
"It's fine, I'll just ignore it until we leave. I don't want you to have to end your night early because of me." Xavier says.
"Don't be ridiculous. You would've never gotten hurt if I wasn't being an idiot and decided to respond to that guy who was clearly drunk off his ass." I say, gently touching his lip. Xavier's face scrunches up at the touch, clearly in discomfort.
"Stop blaming yourself. You did nothing wrong." he says. I nod, sitting there and staring at his lip. The longer I stare, the more painful it looks until I can't bare the sight of it anymore.
"You have to go and put ice on that before it swells up." I say, shaking my head. I stand up, reaching my hand out to help him up. "We can go back to your dorm."
"I don't want you to have to leave early." he frowns, and I roll my eyes.
"Xav, your injury is more important than some stupid frat party they probably have every weekend." I say. "There'll be other parties."
"Shawn, if Helaina stays, can you keep an eye out on her for me?" Xavier asks, completely ignoring what I've said so far. I look over at Shawn, not even realizing he's still here.
"No thanks, but I don't need Shawn to babysit me." I say, more to Shawn than to Xavier. I turn back to Xavier and say, "I said I'd go back to your dorm with you. We can put ice on your bruises and lip, watch Netflix..."
"I'll watch her." Shawn says quickly, not giving Xavier the chance to reply. I shoot him a look, and he ignores it, instead looking at Xavier. "I don't mind. It'll be just like old times."
Just like old times. The old times of us hooking up at every single party we went to. I like it in the present- I don't want to relive the old times with Shawn.
Right?
"You're fine with that, right babe?" Xavier asks me. "I just don't want your entire night to be ruined because of me. Julia will hate me even more."
"Fine, if you insist. But if you get bored, text me and I'll leave immediately to go back to your dorm." I say, and he nods.
"I will."
Xavier leans down and I go up on my tip-toes, pressing my lips to his. As I kiss him back, I accidentally bite down on the cut on his lip, and he groans. He pulls back, and I frown.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry." I apologize, and he shakes his head.
"Don't worry about it. I should probably go now before this gets any worse." he says, and I nod.
"Bye Xav, love you." I say.
"Love you."
Xavier walks down the steps and down the path, and I watch until he disappears from sight and into the dark of the night. I stand there for a moment, when Shawn clears his throat from behind me, reminding me that I'm stuck here with him.
"Why did you have to get involved?" I ask, turning around to face him.
"You're seriously mad at me for defending you after some drunk guy called you a slut and a whore?" Shawn asks, and I shake my head.
"No, not that. I was perfectly fine with going back with Xavier to his dorm, but you just had to get involved!" I scream.
"Then why didn't you?" he asks simply. I blink.
"What?"
"If you wanted to go back to his dorms so badly, then why didn't you? There's nothing holding you back." Shawn says, and I narrow my eyebrows at him.
"I know exactly what you're doing. This is one of your stupid little mind games that you like to play, and guess what Shawn? I'm not interested!" I scream. "I don't want to be another player in your impossible-to-win charade of-"
I'm cut off by the force of Shawn's lips pressing up against me.
I'm stunned at first, too shocked by what's happening to react. After a few seconds, however, I relax into and feel myself falling into the familiar rhythm that Shawn and I danced to so well. I'm just about to run my hands through his hair when I have a moment of deja-vu.
Before I have the chance to blink, Ben's lips are on mine and he's kissing me passionately against the lockers. His hands tangle themselves in my hair, and I find myself kissing him back. My eyes close and I wrap my fingers in Ben's own hair, instinctively pulling on it.
It's happening again. The very thing that destroyed Shawn and I's relationship is now about to destroy my relationship with Xavier.
No. I can't do that to Xavier. I can't go through this again.
I push Shawn off of me, shoving him with all my strength. He goes flying backwards, bumping into the wall. He looks at me in surprise, his lips parted slightly and his breaths coming out quickly and heavily as he fights to catch his breath. Our eyes lock onto each others for a moment, holding one another's gaze. As we stand there staring at each other, I can't help but feel like we're suddenly in junior year again, reliving the very moment that ended us.
"You need to go." I say quietly.
"Helaina, I-"
"I said go!" I scream, my voice echoing in the night.
"I promised Xavier I would watch out for you. You don't know who else could be at this party, waiting to hurt you..." he says, and I laugh.
"Oh, like you? You promised Xav you would watch out for me, not that you would turn around and try and make out with me the moment he left!" I shout. "You say I have to be protected from the guys at the party who are looking to prey on girls, not realizing that you're one of them! I have a boyfriend Shawn, and I don't know what what part of that you don't understand!"
"It's different." he says, and I'm astonished that he's actually replying, let alone attempting to defend his disgusting actions. "You and I have a history together, Laina. You and Xavier have nothing compared to what you and I did. Anyone with eyes can see that."
"Don't you dare fucking try and speak on Xavier and I's relationship. Just because he's not trying to get in my pants every possible second doesn't mean we don't have a connection! There's more to a relationship than just sex, Shawn!" I scream.
"You didn't seem to mind it when we were going out." he says, taking steps closer to me until we're only inches apart. I can smell him now, the cologne radiating off of his body and traveling in my direction. Cologne. That's new. "From what I can recall, you loved it, actually."
"Observer bias." I shoot back.
"Then you must have it too, baby girl." he says lowly, and I feel goosebumps spread across my skin.
"Don't call me that." I say quietly. "The only person who has the right to call me that is Xavier."
"And yet, we both know he doesn't." Shawn says. I know he's just reaching; there's no plausible way he could know that about Xavier and I, so he's obviously just guessing. Still, his words are correct and it angers me that he knows me so well.
"Fuck off." I say, but my tone has lost the edge to it. Shawn's wearing me out, and he knows it.
"Baby girl; that's what you used to love being called. Nothing quite put you over the edge like when I pulled on your hair," Shawn's hand slides up my neck and into my hair, wrapping around a fistful of my locks and tugging on them. "smacked your ass, and called you baby girl."
"Stop touching me." I say, but my heart isn't it. Still, Shawn let's go of me. At least he knows the meaning of consent.
"And what was it that you used to call me?" he asks, leaning in so that his hot breath spreads against my neck. "Oh right. It was daddy."
Shawn's hand gently goes up to my chin, pushing it up ever-so-slightly so that we have to make eye contact. My lips part, and I let out a gentle sigh. Shawn's tongue licks his lips, and he slowly starts to lean in again. I don't move back. Just as he's about to make contact with my lips, my phone buzzes in my back pocket. I grab it and look down, seeing I have a text message from Xavier.
X: I miss you baby
X: leave the party and join me?
I can see Shawn reading my texts, so I type back.
H: sure daddy
H: your baby girl will be right there
I press send, locking my phone and putting it back in my pocket. I look up at Shawn, who has a look of utter disbelief on his face.
"Sorry, I have to go. My dad's expecting me home."
-
-
-
AN: hahaha omg idek what just happened. that took a wild ass turn from what i excepted to write vs what i actually wrote. here's your first shawn-filled chapter of the sequel so far!!! as always, don't forget to comment/vote/follow me & i hope your enjoyed!