Boyfriend + Brother || Shawn Mendes

<--chapter 25-->

I don't know why Shawn thought our excuses last night wouldn't backfire and I don't know why I agreed to go along with them. And just when I think I'm going to drop dead, I hear the front door again. This time it is the person we're expecting. I hear him before I see him, his deep voice murmuring,

"What are you doing here?" as he makes his way down the hall. Caitlin turns around at the door of the living room to face him, her expression cold.

"Where were you last night?" she says icily

"I told you," he says. I can see half of his face from over Caitlin's shoulder, and I watch him quickly swallow.

"I was with the guys."

"Shawn," Karen snaps, stepping into his view. I can see him mentally curse.

"You told me you were with her. Where did you go last night?"

"Oh my God," he says. "Why are we making this such a big deal?" lhe late spins back around to meet my eyes. I'm still holding my breath at this point, and I fear I might turn blue.

"Ellie, where did he go?" They all lock their eyes on me. Karen's stare is stern, Caitlin's expression is livid, and shawn's eyes are wide like he's begging me not to screw up, pleading for me to think of something.

"Um, he dropped me off at Lana's and then he changed his plans," I lie, praying that my thought process is logical. "He hung out with the guys instead."

"See," Shawn murmurs, reaching for Caitlins's elbow as he takes a step toward her, but she shakes him off. "Don't talk to me," she spits, placing a hand on his chest and shoving him back into the hall.

"Ellie, come with me. We need to talk, now." She stomps off.

The look in her eyes warns me not to object, so I don't. Instead, I shove the photo albums off to the side of my lap and scramble to my feet. She grasps my wrist when I near her, yanking me out of the living room and into the hall. She purposely barges into Shawn as she pulls me past him. I can tell that he is cross and confused as he glares at us, his hands balled into fists as we disappear out of the front door. I just have time to fetch my shoes before I'm hauled across the lawn in my bare feet before Caitlin gives me no option but to get into her car.

She switches on the engine, hits the pedal and we pelt down the road. I can feel my throat tighten as I have no idea what is going on but I can tell we are heading towards the beach. The car is dead silent and I don't dare to move. I slide on my converses and stay as quiet as a mouse.

We head down to the seafront but we turn off down a road where there are lines and lines of beach huts. She parks and she quickly manoeuvre herself swiftly out the car and starts walking down to one of the huge wooden shelters. Do I follow her??

I clamber out a lot less gracefully and jog up to her to catch her up. We walk to a blue hut with white strips of paint. It's really cute and shabby chique but that not what's important at the minute. Caitlin twists the door handle and walks in and I follow precautiously behind.

As soon as she shuts the door behind her. she bursts into tears. It's a full-blown sob, and she buries her face in her hands and weeps.herchest rises and lowers at an erratic pace as she struggles to breathe. 

"Are you okay?" I ask, but then angrily roll my eyes at myself. Of course, she's not okay. There are some more long sobs before she lifts her head and wipes her eyes with her thumbs. she is completely over-reacting.

I turn around and two girls. who look like clones of Caitlin, walk up to her and surround her with a massive squeeze. Her breathing is still uneven as she puts her arms around her friends and buries her face in their shoulders.