The One After [SHAWN MENDES]

Chapter 106

Christmas sucked.

My family honored my request to not bring up either Shawn or the breakup, but the pitying looks were almost as bad as actual words. At one point my aunts huddled around me and just shook their heads and clucked their tongues while trying to force feed me calamari. I stuck around until my cousin Bethany left to go to her boyfriend's place, and then I made a hasty exit. I promised my dad I wouldn't be the first person to leave, but I had zero qualms about being the second.

When I walked into my apartment, I found Inky playing with one of the crinkly snowball toys I'd given her that morning. She was playfully batting it around the room while letting out meows and chirps of happiness. I plopped down into my loveseat to watch her, which was far more enjoyable than Christmas dinner had been. At one point she held the ball in her paws and rolled onto her back before throwing it upward. It skittered across the floor and went under my bookcase. She tried to get it out but had no success, so I got up and fished it out with a wooden spoon...along with something else.

"What the fuck," I said out loud as I looked at Shawn's Amex black  card. "How on earth did this get here?"

I took it over to the couch and stared at it. He usually put his keys and wallet on my dining table when he came over, but if we were eating a meal, he moved them to the bookcase. He'd used his credit card when we booked the rental SUV online, so it could have fallen behind the bookcase then. Or maybe it had been knocked off by a mischievous cat. It was odd that he hadn't needed it in the meantime, but when I thought about it, I hadn't used mine in several weeks since I preferred debit.

Inky jumped up next to me and rubbed her face on my arm.

"What do I do now? Do I mail it to avoid contact with him, or do I call or text? I could run it over to him, but that would be weird, right?" I asked my pet and she blinked a few times in response. "You're right. Going to see him is a very bad idea. Besides...he's in Pickering and will probably be there a few days."

I stood up to put it in a safe place and realized that him not being home was the perfect scenario. I could go to his condo and slip it under the door. He'd find it whenever he returned and would undoubtedly think he dropped it on the way out. No one would be the wiser.

After putting on my coat, I drove to his condo and used the code to get into the parking garage. The same one gave me access to the elevator, and a minute later I was on the eleventh floor. As I walked down the corridor, I could hear voices and music through the doors. It was only ten o'clock, so it was no wonder that people were still celebrating.

When I got to his door, I knelt down and took the card from my purse. I thought it would slip easily under the bottom edge, but there must have been some sort barrier because it kept getting blocked by something. Most exterior doors had a sweep for insulation, but it hadn't crossed my mind that an interior door would, too.

I tried to push it one last time. It went slightly further, but then it got stuck. I couldn't get it to go any deeper in and I also couldn't get a grip on it to pull it out. "Fuck," I whispered to myself. "What now?"

"What are you doing?" a shrill woman's voice sounded from behind me.

I pivoted on my knees and saw one of Shawn's older neighbors. "Hi. I was just returning something."

"Is that so? It looks to me like you're trying to break in."

This was ridiculous since no method of breaking and entering involved the bottom of a door. I laughed nervously. "I promise I'm not a burglar! Shawn left something at my place and I tried putting it under the door but now it's stuck."

"What is it?" the woman asked with a dark scowl.

I didn't want to tell her it was his black card because what if she was able to get it out after I left? Granny could go on a major spending spree with his unlimited credit. "Just a note," I lied, though I didn't feel completely bad about it since I was definitely in the right.

"I don't believe you. I think you're one of those obsessed fans who like to sit outside the building and stalk him. I'm calling security!"

I stood up. "Please don't do that."

"Fine, then I'll call the police."

My foolproof plan was failing on every front. The very last thing I wanted was for Shawn to get involved, which was why I hadn't contacted him to begin with. Now it looked like his Christmas with his family would be interrupted because of my stupidity. I had to convince this meddling neighbor to let me leave in peace, and tomorrow I'd text him so that he could retrieve the card from under the door.

"Can I be honest with you? I'm his ex-girlfriend and I really don't want him to know I was here. If you call anyone, he'll find out and it's going to be really awkward for both me and him."

"Ex, eh? Were you putting a tracking device on his door so that you can monitor when he comes and goes?" she asked accusingly.

"What? No!" This lady watched way too many television crime shows.

Before I could say anything else, she placed a call and stated to whomever was on the other end that she'd caught someone trespassing and possibly doing something illegal. I briefly considered running away, because there was no way she could catch me with her old legs, but I was certain she'd sniped a pic and I'd end up in bigger trouble for fleeing if I was identified.

Minutes later, the elevator door opened and the building security guard lumbered down the hall. "What's going on this time, Mrs. Melfleur?"

"This girl was doing something to a door and her answers were very shady when I questioned her. I think she's a crazy stalker or maybe an ex-girlfriend, though that might be a lie!"

He looked at me. "What were you doing?"

"Shawn left something at my place, and I tried to slip it under his door while he's out but it got stuck," I told him.

"Mr. Mendes is not home? How did you have access to the building if you weren't buzzed in?" he asked.

"He gave me the code."

"Fifteen thousand dollars for new  high-tech exterior locks and keypads and the residents hand out the codes like they are candy," he said with obvious annoyance. "What did you try to put under the door?"

At this point there was no reason to be dishonest. "His credit card."

"Why is your story changing? Didn't I say she was shady? Burglars use credit cards to jimmy open locked doors!" the neighbor shrieked.

"Why didn't you just call him?" the guard asked me, ignoring the hysterical woman to his right.

"Because we broke up and I didn't want any contact with him."

He let out a long sigh and muttered, "I'm getting paid double overtime for working on Christmas but it is definitely not worth it." Then he took out his phone. "I'm going to call Mr. Mendes to make him aware of the situation."

My heart sank as he scrolled through his contacts, which I saw were listed by the condo unit numbers. With anyone else, there'd be a decent chance that they wouldn't answer since it was a holiday and they'd have set their phone aside while involved in family activities. I knew Shawn's habits, however, and his cell was always on him, often in his hand. This was why I wasn't surprised when the faint ringing stopped as the call was accepted.

"Hello, sir. This is Stanley, a security guard at your condo. There's been an incident where someone tried to put something under your door and I wanted to let you know since it's a bit suspicious." He was silent for a few moments as he listened to Shawn and then he said. "No, I don't think the person is a threat. She claims to be your ex-girlfriend."

The way he said 'claims' made it clear he thought I was lying. Shawn and I rarely entered the condo through the main entrance since we parked in the garage, so it was understandable that he didn't know me, but I did not appreciate the tone.

Stanley turned to me. "What's your name?"

"Lucy Atwood."

He repeated this into the phone and after a couple seconds, the call ended.

I raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

"He said he'll be right out."

I gasped loudly, and a moment later the door opened, revealing a shirtless Shawn in plaid flannel pajama bottoms.