Rose's POV:
„So I don't get to see you later before you leave?" Carter questions, as I put my shoes and jacket on. „No I'm sorry. Shawn said we have to fly back tonight." I reply, walking over to hug him.
"Oh." he pouts, making me chuckle. „I love to hear that sound." Carter mumbles, wrapping his arms tighter around me. I smile, rubbing his back. „It's still not fair... this jerk can see you all the time and I can't."
"You saw me every day for years Carter." I say, shaking my head. „Still." he sighs, leaning against the door frame in front of me. „I really missed you." I say, causing him to smile. „I missed you to, sweetie."
We look at each other for a while and I just hope that he doesn't talk about the kiss now. I'm more than confused. I wouldn't give him the answer he probably wants anyways.
"I'm sorry if I overwhelmed you. It get it. You can't say anything now but just know that we are best friends okey? I'm only one call away and now I'm always gonna pick up." Carter says, a sigh of relief escaping my lips. Thank god.
"Thank you." I reply, hugging him once more. Carter groans as we hear a car honk outside. "Guess it's time to go." I sigh, pulling back. "Can't you stay?" "Carter." "Okey. Take care and FaceTime me tomorrow as soon as you can." He says, as I open the door.
"Promise. Have fun with work." I tease, stepping down the few stones stairs. "Haha. See you, you dork." Carter call after me. I stick my tongue out, before turning around to open the car door, sitting in.
"Finally." I hear Shawn mumble, my mood instantly getting worse again but I ignore it. Maybe he is nervous. But why would he be nervous to meet his family. "So um... you know my family thinks we are together." He says, turning his head to me.
"I know." I look up into his eyes and I could see them wandering to my lips. I raise my eyebrows, watching him with a questioning look. "What's that below your lip?" He asks. "What?" I murmur, placing my finger on that place to feel that I have smeared my lipstick.
Or I mean Carter smeared my lipstick... "Oh that's called lipstick." I answer sarcastically, noticing how his jaw clenches for a few moments before his gaze falls out of the window again. "It's used on the lips you know. Not below." He comments back.
"You know what? I can also go back to Carter instead to the dinner so keep your remarks for yourself tonight." I scoff, crossing my arms. Shawn says nothing anymore until we arrive in front of his house. I curiously look out of the window, seeing already some cars here till Shawn's torso is blocking my view.
He opens the door and I step out, fixing the simple black dress I changed into earlier. "They are weird sometimes.-" "I can handle weird." I say cutting him off as I head towards the front door. Shawn sighs but follows me anyways. He reaches his hand up to ring the bell he intertwines our fingers with the other one.
I hear him inhale deeply as footsteps become audible. "Why are you so nervous?" "I just... I don't even know." Shawn mumbles. I wonder what's wrong now. It's just his family. "Shawn! Even on time that's surprising." Karen laughs after opening the door and pulling Shawn into a hug.
"See how good of an influence you are on him sweetheart. How are you?" She questions, now wrapping her arms around me for a short moment. I try to think of everything else but the confusion in my life right now and smile a bit replying with a simple 'good' and also asking how she is.
"Oh I'm great. Come in kids or the food will get cold. I hope you have a present for your grandma Shawn." Karen warns jokingly as she lets us step in. "I've never forgot presents, mum." Shawn grumbles, slipping his jacket off. I quietly chuckle.
The way he pronounces mum is just funny. "I didn't say that you ever did. Now come on in." Silently I follow Shawn into the already filled room, who is pulling me along by my hand. As soon as we set one step inside all eyes are on us and I already want to sink into the ground.
I hate meeting so many new people at once. And they are gonna ask every kind of question. Did they see the article? Of course they did, it's Shawn's family.
"So you have to be the girl who is finally talking sense in my son's head." A man with dark hair says, as he walks towards us patting Shawn's shoulder. "Dad." Shawn sighs. "I'm Shawn's dad Manuel, but you can call me Manny. Nice to meet you. Rose right?"
"Yes I'm Rose. Nice to meet you too." I greet, smiling. After I met his grandma, grandad, four cousins, his aunt, his uncle and their wife and husband we finally start to eat. I quietly eat, hoping everytime someone asks Shawn a question that it isn't about me.
My eyes wander over the people, landing on Aaliyah who is looking at me. I smile a bit and she actually smiles back, then continuing to eat. "So how did you get to know each other? Did you meet on the br-"
"We met before." Shawn says, cutting off his uncle, who is sitting opposite of us. I sigh, mentally preparing myself for all the questions which means I would have to think about that moment again. "Oh and where?" His uncle questions, sending me a friendly smile.
"At the gym." "At a friends party." Shawn and I say in unison just that we didn't say the same place... I take a sip of my water, leaving all the confused looks to Shawn. God, we can't even answer questions right. "Uh..." Shawn chuckles.
"Actually we saw each other at a friends party but at the gym we started to talk." He adds. I have to say not bad and it seem like they believe us. They all nod, continue to eat their food but soon the next question comes.
"Where was your first date? Did he do something romantic, sweetheart?" His grandma, asks winking playfully. "On the beach." "In a restaurant." We say again and I kick Shawn's shin under the table because he was the one who told the interviewer that it was on the beach and now he says something else.
His family stares at us skeptically, so I take his hand in mine, smiling up at him. "In a restaurant at the beach. I always say beach because we sat there watching the sunset afterwards. It was way sweeter than expected." I chuckle, kissing his cheek.
"Why is everyone acting like I can't be romantic?" Shawn questions, making everyone laugh. That was close. "Young love." His grandma says, smiling at Shawn's grandpa. After a few more questions which we fortunately don't mess up, the attention isn't only on us anymore. Thank god.
I have to say his family is really sweet and actually funny. It almost feels like when I was a kid. No problems, no drama, just being together with the closest ones. I smile, listening to one of Shawn's grandma's childhood stories.
"You can't guess how often I already heard this story." Shawn whispers, leaning towards my ear. "Shhh." I murmur, making him chuckle. "What?" "Nothing. You just seem so... interested?"
"Well, your family is so sweet. You should be glad that you have all that instead of being grumpy to your mom." I reply, raising my eyebrow. Shawn opens his mouth to say something but then he closes it again.
I turn my head again, feeling kinda embarrassed that I just said that. I didn't want to sound so... sad. "You are right." Shawn says, suddenly grabbing my hand under the table.
My eyes meet his again, flickering down to our intertwined hand before I slip it out of his but Shawn eventually grabs it again. "Why are yo doing that?" "Why are you acting so weird since you were at Carter's?" Shawn questions, quietly. "I'm not."
"Yes you are." "Well, it's not your business." I whisper, pushing his hand away. I bite my lip, trying to focus back on the story but now that Shawn mentioned Carter, the kiss pops up in my head again. Why did he kiss me? I mean... so he likes me?
Or was it in the moment... maybe it was just that yeah... But what if not? What if he really likes me? Oh god. I don't want... I can't loose him. Not Carter. Does he expect me to say something anytime soon? I hope not. Because I don't know what to say. I felt loved when he kissed me but if I'm with Carter I don't need a kiss for that.
And I still can't believe that as I opened my eyes.... I saw someone else standing in front of me. "Shawn." How do you know? "You are together with Rose right?" Wait what? I look to my right, noticing that it wasn't my imaginary voice, it was his little four seven year old cousin Emily.
"Yes she's my girlfriend, hun." He answered, stroking over her head. "Then why do you have Grace's contact name saved with a heart?" And of course everyone heard her. Great. "What? I don't..." Shawn chuckles nervously trying to snatch the phone out if her small hand but she quickly starts to run away giggling.
"Hey Emily!" Shawn says, standing up to catch her and on his way he accidentally bumps into his cousin which is carrying a soup for Emily to her place. Before I could realize what's happening I feel a burning pain on my arm.
I gasp, immediately standing up from the chair, the hot liquid dropping from my arm to the floor. "Oh my god, Rose. Come into the kitchen." Karen says and I follow her, biting my lip to hold back to scream.
This hurts like hell! Oh my god. I suck in a breath as she holds my arm under ice cold water, soothingly wrapping around my irritated skin.
"Is it bad? I'm sorry about that. Your first dinner here and you already get hurt." Karen apologizes turning the water off for a moment to look at my arm. "It's o-okey." I say, pressing my fingernails of the others hand into my palm.
"Wait a moment. I'll bring you a creme and a bandage. Trust me that will help." She says, walking off only to come back shortly after. "Here it is. Should I put it on?" "I'll do it." I suddenly hear.
Shawn walking towards us taking the cream out of Karens hand. "Don't worry mom. Let's go upstairs." He says, pulling me with him. He leads me to a bed, closing the door. I sit down attempting to take the cream from him but he stops me.
"I'll do it. I will be careful." Shawn reassures me grabbing my upper arm carefully but I pull it back. "Did it hurt?" He asks, looking up to me with furrowed eyebrows. "No..." I mumble. He didn't touch the burned area but if he pulls up my sleeve again he will see the cuts.
God damn it. Why did it have to be exactly this arm. I'm surprised Katen didn't see them... maybe she was too overweight or she just didn't want to say anything. "Rose we really need to get this on your arm." Shawn responds, taking my arm again.
I let my teeth sink into my bottom lip, the burning feeling getting too much so I let him. Who cares. He saw me almost killing myself so that actually doesn't matter anymore.
Shawn's eyes wander to my arm, pulling up the sleeve until the scars are visible under my reddened skin. He stops to move, slowly gazing from my arm up to me.