Gabi.

"What do you want, mom?" I say sternly into my phone.

"Gabi, I know you don't want to talk to me right now, but it's your brother."

"What happened to him?" I ask, heart racing.

"He's been getting into a lot of trouble. Skipping school, wrecking things, even stealing. I can't get to him, he won't listen to me. Is there any way you could help?"

"Really? That's not like him at all. I'll call him."

"Okay thank you."

"No problem." I hang up, then let out a long sigh.

"What happened, Gab?" Kenna asks.

"It's my brother. He's been doing some... unacceptable things. Things that aren't like him at all." I say. "It's been four days! I don't know how I'm going to manage to keep myself sane, let alone him too? What am I supposed to do?"

Kenna comes over to sit on the couch beside me, and she drapes her arms around me, comforting me. Her parents got a divorce when she was only 8, so she understands what I'm going through.

"Okay, I have to call him." I say, finally finding the strength to take out my phone and dial his cell phone number.

"Okay good luck." She sends me a smile.

"Hey what's going on?" I ask as he picks up the phone, and I notice Kenna leave the room.

"What? Nothing." He says, and sniffles.

"Come on, Landon. Mom told me, you can't hide it."

"I can't deal with this." he says. "I don't know what I'm gonna do."

"Awe Lan, It's going to be okay. You need to stay strong, if not for mom and dad, then for me." I say, almost tearing up.

"I can't do this anymore." he says, and that's when I start to cry.

"Landon, you'll be okay, well get through this together, I promise. I'm always here for you."

"I can't."

"Landon, stop." I demand. "Promise me you won't do anything."

He's full on crying now too.

"Please," I beg him. "If not for me then for mom and dad."

"Fine, I won't." He sighs.

"Promise."

"I promise, Gabi. I won't. I don't know what I was thinking, I'm sorry."

"Geez, you scared me, Lan." I cry out. "I don't know what's going on with you, but if you need anything, please tell someone okay? I'm hurting too, it's so hard I know." The tears stream down my face, like rain pouring down the window on a rainy day. I'm pretty certain my makeup is ruined.

"Okay, I will. I'm sorry, Gabi. For scaring you, that is."

"I just hope you're okay." I sigh. "Please talk to mom, though. She's worried about you."

"Okay, I will. Thanks, sis."

"I love you, stay strong bud."

"Same to you, sis."

And with that I hang up, then wipe my eyes on my red lifeguard sweater that now has black smudges on it from my makeup. Great.

"What's up?" Kenna comes back down with Lana at her heels, both concerned looks on their faces.

"My brother tried to hurt himself..."

Immediately they both rush over to sit on either side of me, cuddling me and telling me how they're sorry, and that it'll be okay.

I eventually clean myself up, compose myself, and get into my work uniform as my shift starts in 20 minutes. Once I finish my makeup, I take a deep breath.

"Come on, Gabi. You can do this." I look at myself in the mirror. Cool and composed on the outside, broken on the inside. I can deal with that for now.

Work is insanely busy tonight, I guess that's what I should expect for a Saturday night. But it's great. Yeah, more stress? Exactly what i need, right?

"Hi there, I'm Gabriella and I'll be your waitress tonight. Can I get you started with some drinks?" I ask a table of young guys. They look like jerks.

"Wow what a hottie." the one smirks, leaning on the table with his fingers on his temples. "What's your number?" I was right.

"I appreciate the compliment, but I'm actually taken, thank you very much." I say with a fake smile.

"Woah, feisty." he replies. "What happened, did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something?"

I turn around and go to the back, even though they're yelling rude things at me I don't stop. I almost immediately spot Jess and go tap her on the shoulder. She already noticed I didn't look too good and asked, so I told her what happened today and she said that if I need help (like this) not to hesitate and ask. "Hey can you please take my table? It's a couple of jerks and I can't do it right now." I say, refusing to crack.

"No problem, you okay?" she asks, rubbing my shoulder.

"Yep. Just fine." I smile, and I hear her discipline the boys.

"If you're going to harass my coworker like that, then please leave."

"Oh. We were just kidding."

"I don't care." she replies. I roll my eyes at their dick-like behaviour and head to my next table where a nice old couple is seated. Much better.

⌘

 
After we close the restaurant, one of my supervisors, Rebecca, asks me to go to the back room with the freezer to put some extra stock away and to reorganize the room since it's a mess.

So I do, I go take the extra frozen fries and burgers to the big freezers and continue to clean up for awhile, until I finish. I walk back upstairs and it seems like everyone's gone, or at least at the front door ready to be signed out and go home. There could still be some people in the kitchen, but I don't go that way to get out. I doubt it though.

When I get into the main part of the restaurant, I realize that I'm wrong. My eyes are immediately glued on Shawn, who's sitting in a booth.

When he sees me, he gets up from the booth and opens his arms.

I go into his embrace, breathing in his scent and burying my head in his chest. It almost makes me forget everything, like the whole world's disappeared. But it hasn't.

"Babe, what are you doing here?" I whisper into his chest.

"Well, I figure you've been through a lot, so I thought I'd arrange something special for you. Sit down." he demands with a smile.

I sit, holding his hand from across the booth.

"But wh-"

"Hello, Gabriella, Shawn. What may I get you two to drink this fine evening?" Jess asks with a smile.

"You didn't." I say to Shawn and he squeezes my hand.

He nods. "I'll have a coke please."

"Um, iced tea please."

"Oh, and since it's not exactly busy at this time, I can take your order as well!" she laughs.

"Yeah, I wonder why it's not busy eh?" Shawn adds.

"You're so Canadian, eh?" I giggle.

"Shut up." he laughs.

"Okay you go first." I say.

"No, you need to tell me what I should have."

(a/n play Perfect by Ed Sheeran here, i'll put it in the media ;))

"We will have a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs for two please." I say to Jess and send Shawn a wink. "Good?"

"Perfect." he confirms, smiling.

"I can't believe you did this, this is amazing. How'd you manage to get it planned?" I ask.

"A man will not tell."

"Ugh, fine. Anyways, after stressful events piling on top of each other the past few days, especially today, I need this. Thank you."

"You're welcome. So how's your brother?"

I take a deep breath. "Well, my mom called this morning and asked me to call him because he's been into some bad behaviour, as my mom told me. So I did, and he was- he was gonna hurt himself, Shawn. I made him promise he wouldn't but I'm just- I'm so scared, I-" I'm cut off, but a single tear slips down my cheek.

"Hey, no crying tonight, okay? It's going to be okay, just don't think about it." he says, taking his thumb and wiping the tear from under my eye, and then I hold his hand on my cheek.

Jess, and my other coworker Daisie, bring our meal and drinks over.

"Thank you. I appreciate it guys. Now go home for gosh sakes. No more slaving over me." I joke.

"It's not like I have anywhere to be." Jess smiles. "Plus a girls gotta help her girl out."

"Thank you so much." I smile.

"Bon appetit!"

"Gabriella Reyes, are you calling me cliché?" he says, looking appalled.

"Is that such a bad thing?" I wink.

"I guess not, whatever you say." he puts his hands up and gives me a goofy smile.

"So, college in the fall. Have you been accepted into any universities or colleges?" I ask. "Oh wait that's a stupid question, obviously you have." I smile.

"I actually haven't, believe it or not." he says and, not gonna lie, my jaw drops a little. "But I haven't applied, either. I'm not quite sure what I want to do yet."

"Oh, I see. So what are you doing this year then?"

"Taking a year off, exploring my opportunities a bit. I love music and hockey but that's not really gonna get me places, they're both very hard to get into as professions. I've been posting covers on Youtube for awhile now, but I'm not expecting to get anywhere."

"You didn't tell me you're on Youtube! I haven't ever heard you sing but I'm sure you're amazing, I'll have to look you up." I smile.

"Thank you, that's sweet. Anyways, enough about me, what's next year looking like for you?"

"I'm going into UCLA for my Arts Major." I reply.

"I can see that, so will you still be continuing with dance then?"

"Is that even a question?" I laugh. "Of course, dance is my life and if I'd have to live without it I might as well not live at all."

"Okay phew, because you're really good, when I saw you yesterday I was in awe." he smiles at the ground and I blush.

At some point the girls come to grab our dishes, and we continue to make small talk. It also seems I've been able to keep my mind off of... Yeah, I'm not going to think about it.

"So if everyone leaves are you okay to turn the lights off and lock up?" Jess asks as the remaining staff members all follow her. "We turned everything off in the kitchen, lights, appliances, so all you need to do is turn off the lights in the restaurant."

"Yep, sounds great." I smile. "Thank you all so much, I owe you!" I say, blowing kisses to them all.

"Thank you!" Shawn says as they walk out.

"Ooh, I know how to put my phone music on the speakers." I wink, as if asking for permission.

"Go for it." He smiles this lazy smile that I adore.

"Yes!" I do a fist pump.

I put on a playlist with a mix of a ton of my favourite songs, some fast and some slow, and a lot of Ed Sheeran because I love him and I know Shawn loves him too. Plus, Ed has songs for every single mood and occasion.

I shuffle the playlist, then meet Shawn back in the restaurant.

"Hey beautiful." he smiles, putting his hands on my waist.

"Hey handsome." I say, snaking my arms around his neck as he leans down to put his lips on mine.

This is really random, but I'm just saying that Moonlight by Ariana Grande is a great song to make out to.

When Perfect by Ed Sheeran plays, I pull back and drape myself on his chest, hearing his heartbeat in my ear. It calms me.

"I love you." I say nervously, but it comes out sounding a little more like a question. Not like 'I love you?' but as hestitant and unsure. As if I'm unsure if it was the right thing to say. I feel his heartbeat increase rapidly like mine, and I pull my head back to look in his eyes. "I love you, Shawn Mendes."

His chocolate brown eyes are filled with pure affection. "I love you, Gabriella Reyes."

My eyes meet his and a smile creeps onto my face as my lips are on his again, but this kiss is slow and filled no longer with lust or desire but with love.

I am in love with this boy.

a/n
 
omg they love each other

this chapter was all over the place, sad, happy, and cute! all the feels!

also ik i said i wouldn't update but i had someone (you know who you are 😏🙄) nagging at me for so long and i've been procrastinating studying anyways
 
i love you guys so much, thank you for reading!
 
p.s. don't forget to vote for me in the fanfiction awards!
 
~em 💗