Try Again: Shawn Mendes ✔️

9

Athena Elle Carter

"And then he totally swerved past Alonso and then came to second place... Athena? Athena you're not listening"

I look up from my pancakes seeing he was looking disappointed in me. "Sorry, the race right? My dad watched it" I nod.

"So erm, like I was saying you should come with me to watch the next race" he smiles at me.

"Oh right yeah, I'll have to think about it" I take my coffee taking a sip. "Athena, what is it? Why are you being like this?" He asks taking my hand from across the table.

"I'm fine" I nod, I take my hand back putting it under the table. "Athena come on-"

He was interrupted by a loud cry and the door slams shut. Everyone sorta quietens down.

I look over seeing Lia, she was holding hands with some blonde guy sitting at the table across from me. Her face was blotchy and red. She was crying.

"Athena, what are you looking at?" He asks following my stare. "Isn't that Shawn's girl?" He asks. "Erm yeah, Lia"

"You seem weirded out, what is it? Did Shawn say something to you this morning?" He ask.

"No he didn't, I erm need to leave" I get up grabbing my purse. "Okay well, I'll text you" he gets up then pecks my lips and leaves me to go.

I walk out completely confused. Leon was now acting like my boyfriend, Shawn showed up at my place and I just saw his girlfriend crying with another girl. This whole week was a mess, I don't even have a job anymore.

Soon I made it back to my place, I walked out of the lift seeing that Shawn was sat outside my door. He met my eyes then stood up brushing off his jeans.

"Why are you still here?" I ask stopping in front of him with my keys in my hand.

"I, well I was about to leave but I didn't want to leave at the same time as you and your boyfriend so I stayed here then I don't know I juts stayed" he shrugs now looking down at his shoes.

"He's not my boyfriend"

Why did I feel the need to justify myself?

"Right" he nods and there was that awkward silence. Just us in the hallway looking down at our shoes like they were made of gold.

"Can I talk to you?" He asks sounding unsure of himself. "You are" I says. He cracks a smile looking up at me.

"Should we just talk out here?" He asks. "Let's just go in" I step forward unlocking the door and he follows me inside. I take my heels off and suddenly I was so much shorter than him.

I walked into the living room sitting down and he sat in the other side of the sofa. He looked around looking at the white walls, I had a few pictures hung up and some other odd bits around.

"Nice place" he comments. "Thanks" I nod.

"Why are you here?" I ask. "It's a bit... abrupt I guess? We haven't talked, texted or seen in each other in three years" I say and he looks at me like I shot him.

"I know, I tried to-"

"No you didn't, I haven't changed my number since" I shoot. "Yeah but you obviously blocked me"

"I didn't" I shake my head and I hadn't. In fact I waited a whole three months for him to call me or text but he truly left me alone like I said.

"And you know I'm lying" he sighs. "You asked me to leave you alone" he shakes his head.

"I did, so why are you here now?" I ask.

"Lia broke up with me" he says. How was I supposed to reply to that? I didn't care.

"Okay?"

"And you don't care eh?" He scoffs. "Why should I? I haven't been in touch with you for years. I don't care who you date or all that" I shrug.

"Why are you being so cold? That's not like you"

"Cold? And you don't know me" I scoff. "I've changed"

"Athena, can I just tell you? Let me speak" he sighs. "I know what I did, I hate myself for it. I went off the rails. I stayed alone for so long just wasting away. Then I got with Lia, I made an album, went on tour but you were on my mind all the time. Every time a new marvel movie came out I thought of you or when someone mentioned fashion or even New York my mind went back to you-"

"Stop" I cut him off. "You can't just find out where I live and come here talking me how I'm on your mind when you have a girlfriend" I scoff.

"But Athena-"

"No stop it, I don't miss you. You haven't been on my mind at all and I prefer it that wa-"

"I'm not with Lia with anymore"

"And I said I don't care" I get up.

"Why are you lying to me?" His voice got louder as he stood up. "I'm not lying"

"Yes you are, your cheeks have gone pink and you can't look me in the eyes" He states.

"Get out!" I shout at him. "Athena please" he lowers his voice. "I'm staying at the Vermont room 78, I want to talk. Have the talk we never had" he says placing a hand on my cheek.

"Leave" I shove his hand off of me. "Fine" he sighs in defeat then leaves me.

He left like I asked. Leaving me to process it all.

Have the talk we never had? The talk where the ex's meet up and just say three or four words and look between each other awkwardly?

No thanks.