As we enter the house, Shaw yells, "Good morning parental units! What's for breakfast we're hungry?"
I snicker from behind him as he skips us into the kitchen. His mom looks up from the stove and smiles at us. She's used to this by now. Since this has been going on for 3 years now.
" Oh just french toast, eggs and bacon. Are you two hungry?" She informs us.
God I love this woman she reminds me of my own mom, that I lost to cancer 4 years ago.
Shaw walks us over to the breakfast counter and places me on the stool then sits down next to me. His mom turns around and smiles at me.
"It's so good to see you Shawn. How was your summer? We missed you this year. I still don't know why your Father said no. Such a shame. " She says.
All this is because she hasn't seen me since Shaw went to Europe for work, my Dad wouldn't let me go so I stayed and worked. Not much fun but I won't tell her that. Shaw knows because he called me every day 4 to 5 times a day.
I smile and say, "It was great mom." My voice is bright and light and a little excited.
I'm a good actress when I have to be. And since my Dad married that twitch I've been able to place the everything is fine mask on my face. Nobody but Shaw knows anything and he found out about it by accident.
Mom smiles and goes about making breakfast and chatting away at us about everything and anything. It's nice and washes over me to give me a since of belonging. When his mom turns back to the stove Shaw leans over a whispers, "So do we need to go upstairs and have a talk baby?"
Ugh he notices everything. I'm about to shake my head no when his mom tells us to go upstairs and get ready for school. I start to get up when she asks, " Has Shaw showed you your new clothes he got you?"
"No he hasn't." I reply.
"Well don't just stand there go up with him so he can show you your new school clothes."
"Ok mom I will." I answer back as we start going up the stairs. Once we are up stairs I head straight for the last door down the hall.
This is Shaw's room it's a master bedroom big enough for a large bed, a sitting area, plus 2 huge walk in closet and a bathroom that's bigger than my whole room at my Dad's house. I have long become used to it and our sleeping arrangements when I'm over here. Which is all the time. That's why I have a closet with clothes and bathroom supplies here. We practically live together anyways.
I head for the bed and plop down on it. With a chuckle Shaw closes the door and locks it. Then he walks over to me and looms over the bed that I'm starfishing on. With his hands on his hips he looks down and arches one eyebrow at me.
"Tell me what really happened to have you in your car this morning."
See he knew it wasn't just me not wanting to see Samantha but something else altogether. He knows me so well.
"No. It doesn't matter now that your home things will go back to normal."
I say. I close my eyes so I won't be able to see him. It's hard for me to lie but to Shaw it's ducking impossible. I just can't face it anymore. But knowing Shaw, he's not going to let it go. And it seems that I'm right because right cue he climbs on top of me so we can talk.
This is a normal way we talk because I like to hide and he won't let me.
"Well let me think about it. Hmm I'm getting a firm fuck no. Sorry baby but you know I'm not going to let this one slide." Shaw says.
Which has me sighing and opening my eyes. I look into his green gaze and I feel a dam breaking open in my chest.
I will not cry. I tell myself over and over. Because I know he will kill for me if I do. But after I tell him he probably will anyways.
I take a deep breath and spill it to him,
"I found cameras in my bedroom and then in the bathroom and shower. I don't feel safe there anymore. No one will listen to me. Mitch has his mother and my Dad convinced that I'm the one who put them there. But they are linked to the internet and I don't know if that creep has put any of it on you tube or any other site. So I've been leaving the house early every morning and not going back until their all in bed."
My voice breaks at the end of this and again I feel violated. Not just because of the cameras but also because my Dad hasn't done anything to protect me.
It's quite in the room now and I call see the horror on his face and then it morphs into outrage in the space of one heartbeat to the next.
"That mother fucking creep I'll fucking kill him." Shaw says and he gets up to pace the room ranting about how I'm never going back there and I'm moving in with him. There's no more talk about it. It's going to happen and once I'm out he'll go after him.
I let him rant. He needs to get it out of he's system. We go to school in an hour and 15 minutes anyways and he needs to be calm so he won't act on it.
Shaw has to be good this year to get his scholarship from Georgetown. No more getting into fights or starting trouble this year his future rides on it. Shaw is really smart and would have graduated last year if it wasn't for me. He's a senior this year and the captain of the football team and baseball team as well. But he stayed for me because he said he couldn't leave me behind.
After pacing for 10 minutes he plops down next to me and pulls me into his arms. He just holds me and rocks me a little. I know it's not only to give me comfort but also him as well.
"Baby, how long has this been going on?" He asks.
Here's the hard part because I didn't tell him when it first started. He was working in Europe and wouldn't have been able to do anything about it.
I swallow hard and answer, "I found them a week after summer started. "
He tighten his hold on me a whispers, " Why didn't you tell me right when you found them?"
" Because you were working and couldn't have done anything about it. And I didn't want you to back out of your contract. "
" Fuck that!" He lifts up my head and looks me in the eyes. " Your mine. You know this and you know I take care of what's mine right baby. "
I nod my head.
"So why did it take you so long to tell me?"
"Mitch said if I went to you or the police he would up load the camera feeds to the schools web site." I say in a whisper.
"From now on you don't hide anything from me. Is that clear baby. I can't protect you if your hiding things from me. You're the most important one in my life, not my work or school or even my family it's you Shawn. Just you. Do you understand that now baby?"
I nod my head again with my face buried in his chest. He tighten his hold on me even more.
I'm almost asleep listening to his heartbeat and feeling his warmth seep into me. It's been a long summer. When there's a knock on the door, that's followed by a voice asking, " Are you two ready yet? Your breakfast is almost ready and you have about 45 minutes until school starts."
I start in his arms, Shaw calms me down by rubbing my back. He answer, " Almost Mom just waiting for Shawn to get out of the shower."
"Well ok, just remind her to hurry up. You guy's don't want to be late for your first day do you?"
With a smirk he replies, " No ma'am we don't."
As we hear her footsteps leaving the hallway Shaw swats me on my butt and says, " Get a move on. You need to hurry up and get in the shower. You know we can't be late because we still have to see about your schedule for this year."
Ugh, how could I forget we had to take care of that monkey fudging thing. Samantha knows no boundaries at all. Just because her daughter can't get into advanced classes she decide that I couldn't take them either. She didn't want Tammy to feel bad. I really don't like the twitch.
And with that happy thought I scrambled out of Shaw's arms and run for the bathroom and the shower.