Shawn went home that day, and moving in his lounge, his eyes caught the attention on the little souvenir Lia had given him three years back. He wasn't sure if he was right, but he guessed that the little key inside the closed jar meant something, something deep. And while he guessed it meant he had an official key to his heart, he wasn't sure if it was even allowed for him to think so cliché in the 21st century. Keeping it back next to the dove, he took out a chilled beer from the refrigerator and took a sip from it, taking off the grandpa clothes off, now being shirtless.
Amelia couldn't help but think of the way thinks work around Shawn. Marco found him in the club last night, drunk to a point that all he said was her name. And when she finally was able to pick him up from the club, on Marco's request, she was disgusted from the idea of being next to him. But with a sleepy head on the passengers seat, which Marco had tugged him in with the seat belt, Amelia listened to Shawn's apology, and how he had thought about her every second in the past three years, how he would kiss the little souvenir she had gifted him on a few occasions, and how he would look at her photographs that he had clicked. Since he was out, she also managed to ask him about Bella, to which he had said he hated her, because she had ruined his and his brother's bond for life. Though he passed out before answering more, but Amelia got a fair square of an idea, that he wasn't really at fault. All that she was angry at him now was as to why didn't he call her once. Once. But what had been done, was done. The little hope that was lost, was now again foaming inside her, and no matter how much she denied to like it, she did.
The rest of the week went by with this little feeling she felt inside her. The only highlight being the roses Shawn sent her on one morning. Definitely made her day. It was a Thank you gift for taking care of him, but somewhere she knew it was more than just that.
Placing them on her vanity table she loved the fragrance that lifted her mood every time she would enter the room.
Another highlight was receiving an invitation to the Saturday Brunch Fest at the local park, which she received because of Shawn. And with that she woke up on Saturday morning fresh to start the day. Wearing a pair of denim shorts with a white top, she let her waves flow down to her waist length. Spraying the perfume lightly, she smiled looking at herself in the mirror.
And with that she moved out of the apartment, where Shawn was waiting to pick her up. The two drove towards the park, and walked towards the tables. Eating their meals, the two looked at the kids playing at the distance.
"So?" Amelia said.
"So?" Shawn said.
"These muffins are amazing," she said.
"Yah, these are great," he said biting into his muffin.
"So when will we sit down for discussing the terms, and signing the papers?" Amelia asked.
"Let's do it on Wednesday" Shawn suggested.
"Sounds great"
"So Lia what happened in these three years?" Shawn asked.
"Really, we are gonna go down that lane?"
"Why not?" He said keeping his eyes on hers.
"Okay, fine" she said placing her muffin between the two on the bench, and turning towards him keeping her leg stable on the bench. Looking at her do this, he turned in her direction as well, keeping the wrapper on the bench between them and placing his head on his elbow which was stable on the back of the bench.
"I completed high school, and then did creative writing, but before I could work on my first book... I was asked to take care of the publishers, as my mum had to be in England."
"England?" He asked.
"You know about my dad, "
"Yah"
"He came back, to us, and he apologized... and ... uhm.. yah that's it, after a year of being a family the two of them left for England for two years, so that he could work on his book and mom could stay with him all this time."
"Why'd you stay back?" He asked.
"I had work, and...her business... someone had to handle it so..."
"So you gave up your ream for it?"
"Are you crazy?" she asked while he flinched his eyebrow asking her to explain.
"No, I didn't, I stayed back so that I could work on it"
"Ohh, and I see you working "on it" " he said pointing at the way she sat on the bench talking.
"Dude, I can't work all the time"
"Can't you? I thought...." he pause, looked to the ground, thinking if he should continue.
"What?" She asked.
"Your Superman," he said with a tilted smile on his face.
"Man?" She corrected.
"Women" He tried to correct.
"Women? As in plural?" She asked again.
"Woman, Jeez, understand already" he said laughing at the end.
The two of them laughed, Lia bending on her stomach to the front, while Shawn lying his head back on the bench. They looked at each other between laughs. And at one such stare they stopped, laughing.
"So, Lia why'd you write to me to stay away from you?" He asked as soon as the two had stopped.
"What? Why would I do that?" She asked.
"You told me you wanted good last memories with me, and then that note on the door that morning."
"I never came to your house that morning" She stated sipping from the beer bottle now.
"Come on, don't be shy" she joked.
"I'm not, because I actually didn't"
He looked at the sincerity in her eyes, and thought of the same.
"I know who did that" he said.
"Who?" she asked.
"Marco?"
"No he wouldn't, are you nuts?" She exclaimed.
"Who else Lia?" He asked, "Oh maybe it was your little boyfriend"
"Boyfriend?" She asked with an intimidating tone now.
"Boyfriend as in the guy you kissed, Nick" he tried to cover up.
"I didn't kiss him for one, and second at least I didn't go around running after every second person I saw" she said.
"Seriously? I told you that was a misunderstanding, oh but yah last I check you are a terrible listener."
"Oh yah? And you are the Casa...." she stopped remembering what he had heard him say on the way back home from the cub the other night.
"What say it?"
"Shawn, I...uhm...am in no mood to fight, okay? So let's just keep it in the past" She said.
"Happily" he said looking to the ground now.
What had gotten into her, he thought. All the sassiness is being kept low, and no more feisty replies, what had gotten into her, for real?
"So we will meet on Wednesday?" He said walking her to her door.
"Yup, get the papers thought" she reminded.
"Oh yes, I'll take care of that" he said drooling, looking in her eyes.
"So?"
"So?"
"I....uh"
"You...uh"
"I...uh"
"You...uh"
"Have to go" she said closing the door on his face.
"Lia, really again?" he said rolling his eyes at the wooden door in front of his eyes.
"Bye, Shawn" she said from the other end of the door.
"You'll have to pay for this" he shouted, moving towards the elevator.
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Love... humm
Makes you wanna dance to a beat, only you can hear
Makes you wanna sing to a song, only know
Makes you wanna smile to all the walls, and windows
Because love can make you fly with your feet on the ground.
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Sunday's were the writing days, and with life slowly turning out to be more lovable now for Amelia, she finally knew where Tasha will find her love. She knew exactly where to take her plot now, and nothing in the world would make her happier then writing about it right now. Sipping her regular, as Sara got it for her, she wrote, and wrote and wrote. Mrs. Grayson and Sara looked at each other while she typed, for the first time non stop for four complete hours, without even one frown forming on her face. Mrs. Grayson got her, her cupcake while she typed, but being so engrossed in it, she didn't notice anything else. The two ladies knew something was up with her, like something had changed about her, but none of them were quite able to put a finger on it.
"Darling, are you alright?" Asked Mrs. Grayson.
"Yes, I'm great actually, I feel like...I'm eating a cupcake even when I'm not..." she said looking at the screen of her laptop.
"Sweety?"
"Oh, I mean I'm good," she said smiling at her.
"Aren't you late to meet your friend?" Sara shouted from behind the counter.
Amelia looked at the bottom right of the screen, " Shoot, I forgot" she said closing the laptop, and collecting her things from the table, and stuffed it into her handbag.
"Saved me Sara, " she said flying a kiss in her direction, while running out of the coffee shop smiling at Mrs. Grayson, with the cupcake in her hand.
"Did you see that?" Sara said shocked to see her fly a kiss, while Mrs. Grayson nodded, both of their heads still towards the door, through which she had left a few seconds ago.
"Dude you are never on time." Marco stated as Amelia pulled her chair in the restaurant.
Placing her bag on the side of the chair and checking her phone, she apologized politely, to which Marco smiled.
"Apology accepted," he said, "Did you invite him here?"
Amelia looked behind her, and in through the door came Shawn, smiling at their table.
"I didn't for sure" she said still looking at him walking in all his glory.
"Hey Marco, Hi Amelia" He said looking at them turn by turn.
"Why are you bugging us?" Marco said unpleasantly.
"Ahh..." Shawn looked at him in confusion.
"Marco! uhm Shawn, wanna sit?"Â Amelia asked.
"Yah sure," Shawn accepted, and sat in the middle of Marco and Amelia, while Amelia smiled at him, Marco rolled his eyes.
"So what are you doing here Casanova?" Marco said.
"You talking to me?" Shawn asked.
"Ha-ha, very funny" he rolled his eyes.
"Well, I saw you guys from across the street, and I couldn't resist" he said.
"Right, how could you?" Marco whispered.
"You said something?" Amelia asked.
"Nah, sushi is great" he stated.
"Yes it actually is," Shawn said taking a bite in his mouth.
After paying the bill, since it was Amelia's turn today and no one could win a fight from her on that, Shawn decided to join them on their movie marathon pizza night. While Shawn drove them to her place, Marco cursed internally, Amelia fetched the keys to her place from her bag.