chapter forty-nine
fake
[anya rose steinburg]
-
shawn and i sit next to each other, as the family dine around one of the massive dining tables in the house. of course, some are in their rooms, some are in the garden, and some are in the lounge eating, but the cousins occupied one dining room for themselves.

"are you still mad at me?" shawn whispers, moving his head closer to my ear.

"we'll talk later, i promise." i whisper back. "so, kelsey-" the doorbell cuts me off, and shawn sighs, going to open the door. it's a curse and a blessing that this specific dining room is right next to the front door.

tonight, everyone is arriving, at different times depending on where they are coming from, so we are in charge of opening the door for anyone who arrives. luckily this house is big enough for all the main guests to stay in.

shawn walks back in, another brunette with him. brooklyn. by the look on shawns face, i can guarantee he's annoyed.

i sigh, twirling my food on my fork, looking down at the table whilst everyone basks in the glory that is brooklyn beckham. shawn sits beside me again, taking a big gulp of his beer, and putting it beside his plate again.

"hey, shh calm down." i tell shawn, putting my hand over his. "actually, lets have that talk now." i stand up, making everyone look at shawn and i. "excuse us, we have to talk about the house for a few seconds." i lead shawn out, going straight up to my room, and locking the door behind us.

"honey i'm so sorry i-" i cut him off by smashing my lips to his.

"i'm mad, yes." i mumble against them. "but like your dad said, forgive and forget."

"forgive and forget." shawn repeats, pulling away. "god, anya i really am sorry, i shouldn't have brought laur up at all, or blamed you on anything."

"are you sure you're okay with the arrangements for the wedding? i can bargain my way with peter, i know i'm his favourite cousin." i suggest, linking my arms around his neck.

"i'm not okay with the arrangements, but don't change them. it's how kelsey and peter want it." he whispers. "i'll be fine."

"i'm sorry about it." i say to him, cupping his cheek. "i knew how excited you were and it was just not fair."

"anya, it's okay." he smiles softly at me. "i'm just glad you're not pissed at me anymore."

i shake my head, smiling with a sigh. shawn leans forward, pecking my forehead, leaving his lips lingering there for a few seconds. "i love you, shawn." i bite my lip softly, as his lips pull away from my forehead. a smile is painted on his face, and he links his arms around my waist more securely.

"i love you, anya." he repeats, removing one of his hands from me and opening the door behind him. "but come on, i can hear your stomach grumbling from here."

i slap his arm lightly, laughing, following him back to the dining room where we take our seats again.

"so, tell us mendes, were you talking about the house or were you two secretly fucking?" jason asks, as i spit out the wine i was drinking.

"jason!" i scold, glaring at him.

"we were talking about the house, honestly." shawn laughs. "if we were fucking i guarantee anya wouldn't be able to walk." my eyes go wide and my cheeks heat up, as i sink in my seat, sipping the wine.

"aw she's gone all red." poppy laughs. "kelsey, what time is the rehearsal tomorrow?"

"you could ask me, you know, your brother." peter says to her, offended.

"at 2, if you could all make it, that would be amazing." kelsey looks at shawn. "you too, shawn, we managed to fit you in. anya, you and shawn will be walking together." i smile at her widely, as i feel shawn link hands with me.

"thanks kels." i say, sighing. "shawn was a little worried here." i laugh, running my hand through his hair as he blushes softly, looking down.

"you two are too cute." jasmine says to us. "shawn do you have any friends like you?"

"um no clue." he laughs. "sorry jasmine."

"so how has everyone been?" i ask, sipping on my red wine, leaning my head on shawns shoulder.

"england sucks." sophie groans. "i had to enter school in the hardest year too!" brooklyn stifles a laugh.

"let me guess, A2?" sophie nods at him, groaning again.

"it's horrid, honestly." she sighs. "i should be going to do some spanish grammar, adios mi familia, te amo." she waves away, taking a folder with her and shutting the white door behind her.

"spanish confused the hell out of me." poppy laughs, standing up from her seat. "i'm gonna head up to bed, i need my beauty sleep, au reviour babes." she takes a wine bottle and a glass with her, exiting the room.

"actually, shawn and i are heading up too, that flight was horrid." i yawn, rubbing the back of shawns neck. "night guys." shawn and i rise from our places, taking our plates to the kitchen, before heading up the marble stairs to my room.

shawn lifts me up as soon as the door closes, and takes me to the bed, where he sits me down, as i giggle, trying to work out what he is doing.

"i got you something in the airport." he looks at me cheekily, going into his backpack, where he brings out a cartier box. i gasp, immediately shaking my head.

"shawn mendes, what are you doing?" he opens up the red box, revealing two white gold love bracelets, and a ring to match. "the amount of rings you buy me i swear." i laugh, holding up my promise ring from him.

"well you'll get the engagement one soon." he smirks, walking up to me. "now the guy showed me how to put them on but i think i forgot so i'm just gonna wing it tomorrow, i feel like it's too late for you to wear them." he chuckles.

"shawn, you're the sweetest." i whisper, cupping his cheek. he puts the box on the table next to us, looking up at me and biting his lip, edging close to me. "kiss me." i whisper, as he slowly brings his lips to mine, pushing me back on the bed lightly, whilst i knot my hands in his hair, tugging at his curls.

"you're adorable." he mumbles, pulling away and brushing some hairs from my forehead. i smile sadly, shutting my eyes briefly, rolling my head to the side.

"do you want to see the dress i'm wearing to the reception party?" i whisper, tracing patterns on the t-shirt covering his chest.

"mhm." he nods, rolling off me, as i sigh, standing up and walking to my suitcase, taking out the gold and white sherri hill mock two piece, the white covering my top half in a halter, ending as a crop top but joined to the the back of the gold skirt, that ends just below my knee.

"oh hunny, it's beautiful." he beams at me, gazing at the dress. "you're gonna look like a princess, definitely better than the bride." i smile softly at him, putting the dress back into its cover, putting it into my bag again.

"i saw it online and i knew i had to have it." sighing, i lie down next to shawn again, stretching my feet out.

"you know what i just realised?" shawn whispers to me, a smirk hidden in his speech.

"what?" i ask him, sitting up.

"brooklyn can't walk with you." i chuckle softly, rolling my eyes as shawn snorts a laugh, coming to sit next to me.

"you're so immature." i giggle, crawling into his embrace. "do you want some tea honey?"

"hmm, okay, but i'll miss you." he groans, as i stand up, laughing.

"dude, i'm gonna be downstairs." he chuckles at me, flipping me off, as i roll my eyes. "i'll see you in a second honey."

"one, come back!" he counts, making me laugh as i leave my room, heading down to the kitchen to make us both some tea.

peter and brooklyn are in the kitchen, talking about who knows what. i smile softly at brooklyn, giving him a small wave. "look who it is." peter says to me, as i roll my eyes.

"peter shut up." i laugh, getting two mugs out, and green tea. "also hi brooklyn, how are you?"

"great, how are you?" he smiles at me.

"i'm great, i just bought a place with shawn." i add, pouring the boiling water in the mugs.

"lucky bugger." peter mumbles, in a teasing way. "how is life with mendes?"

"life with mendes is good." i laugh. "travelling everywhere has its benefits." peter scoffs at me, chuckling himself. "how's life with my roommate?"

"oh she's amazing." peter smiles. "i'm kinda scared for the baby."

"you'll be fine, both of you will be. plus shawn and i will always be on hand if you need babysitting, i don't mind coming to the hamptons, it's only a eight hour drive for us." i shrug. "anyway, i'll see you two in the morning, goodnight."

"night anya!" they call, as i disappear back upstairs, opening the door, seeing shawn on the phone to someone.

"-it's not like that, and you know it isn't." he says. "andrew i don't know what else you want me to do!" i put the tea down on my bedside table, walking up to shawn concerned. "i can't do that! andrew i'm moving in with her! i can't just take the deal out!"

"what's going on?" i ask softly, confused at why i'm being talked about. shawn sighs, putting the phone on loudspeaker. "andrew what's going on?"

"he's making me not able to come back to toronto for a year." shawn rolls his eyes, grumbling. "andrew i have a property now, i can't just leave for a year!"

"shawn it won't be so bad, come on, camila will be there for most of it, the touring i mean." andrew says.

"camila?" shawn and i both say, shocked.

"it's not that i don't like camila, she's a good friend and all but anya doesn't feel comfortable with the whole topic, remember what happened last year." shawn bargains.

"okay, well i'll talk to the board to see if they can reorganise some press and things, i'm so sorry." andrew apologises. "honestly i kicked up a fight too, so it's okay. you've been working too hard for two years, i'm honestly thinking of getting you a year long break after the us tour."

"honestly, i'd love that, please try andrew." shawn asks softly. "okay, well i'm gonna go, we've got an early start tomorrow, i'll see you in a week."

"bye you two." andrew tells us.

"bye." shawn and i mumble, shawn hanging up the phone, and putting it back on charge. "hey, hey, what's happening?" i ask shawn, rushing up to him and cupping his cheeks.

"i need to go to toronto every so often, i can't just do continuous tours, i'm exhausted." he mumbles. "anya i don't think i can cope."

"you love performing don't you?" i ask him, as he nods.

"i love it, it's amazing, but the stress of tour, and the exhaustion of it, i won't be able to cope." he explains.

"you will." i urge. "get through this year, and andrew was saying for you to get a year off, so don't worry." i press my lips to his briefly. "i'll be there with you, the entire way."

"can we just drink our tea, and cuddle and sleep?" he asks me softly, rubbing my arms.

"i wouldn't want anything else, that sounds perfect."

after brushing our teeth and finishing our tea, shawn and i lay in my bed, finally, at around 3am. i feel his hand hook around my waist, pulling me to his chest.

"love you." he mumbles, pressing his lips to my exposed neck.

"love you more." i whisper back, sighing in bliss.
-
"shit, shawn get up!" i shout, nudging the sleeping guy next to me. "shawn mendes get the fuck up!" no response. "shawn i swear to god if you don't get up-"

"i'm up!" he yells, sitting up and groaning. "what is it?"

"it's 1:45pm and we have to be at the rehearsal in 15 fucking minutes." i seethe, throwing the duvet off of us and getting up to quickly brush my teeth.

"i don't even have to be there, i don't know why you're rushing me." shawn shrugs, coming next to me in the bathroom.

"you dipshit! you're walking with me now, remember?" i day with a mouthful of toothpaste.

"hey don't call me a dipshit, if i'm a dipshit, what are you?" he teases, brushing his teeth.

"i'm a princess, duh." i say in a matter of fact tone, making him laugh and wrap his spare arm around me. "okay i'm gonna go change, hurry up with your morning pamper routine." i tell him, pecking his cheek and walking into my room, taking out a black halter top, black jeans and a denim jacket. i strip of shawns shirt and my silk shorts, changing into the clothes i picked out, putting my ring on, and spraying some perfume over my pulse points.

"aw man." shawn curses, coming out in clothes that are exact replications of mine, apart from he's wearing his everyday button black jersey. "oh, before we forget." he smirks, picking up the cartier box, walking towards me, and opening it up. he removes the bracelets, as i hold out my right hand, whilst shawn screws them on. he then slides the ring on my index finger, kissing my hand softly.

"lets take a snapchat." he says, pulling me to his side and getting his phone out. he points the camera at the mirror, and we pose, as he snaps the picture, putting it onto his story.

"are we that couple now? who match and post it online for everyone to see?" i laugh, leaning up and wrapping my arms around him.

"of course we are, now come on, i want to rub it in brooklyns face that we're together." he whispers, laughing and pecking my cheek. i frown, whilst his head is to the side of me, not being able to see my face.

he's just being a bully now, i think brooklyn knows that i'm with shawn, and shawn knows that i'm with him, well i think he does.

"come on, lets go down." i say softly, pulling away from his hug. "i bet kelsey's getting stressed at us."

"i can hear her from here." shawn chuckles, holding onto my hand, as we both leave my room, meeting everyone downstairs.

"finally, the lovebirds rise." jasmine teases, picking tommy up on her hip.

"alright, everyone drive there, you all know the venue, right?" peter announces, as everyone mutters a yes. "see you there then."

shawn and i race to the garage, getting into my car and quickly driving off so no one else can come with us. car journeys are special to us, and it's a chance where we listen to our favourite music.

"ed or john?" shawn asks, plugging his phone into the aux and scrolling through it.

"james!" i burst. "ex, please." shawn laughs, shaking his head, and playing the song.

"god i wish he was coming on tour with us." shawn sighs, leaning back in his passenger seat, whilst i drive to the church.

"who's coming?" i ask him, turning out of the road.

"i don't think we've found anyone yet." shawn shrugs, turning the music up. "well, i don't know, andrew handles that."

"well nah he isn't your manager." i roll my eyes, chuckling.

"ha ha, very funny." shawn grumbles, laughing himself. "this song is insane. it would describe me if you actually left me."

"oh shawn, you cutie." i giggle, as he glares at me playfully. "also, shawn i know it's hard for you but don't get too savage with brooklyn."

"why?" he suddenly asks me. "give me one reason why."

"because he knows that you and i are together." i say, sighing. shawn doesn't reply to me and looks out the window instead. "don't be mad at me."

"i'm not mad at you." he lies, as i sigh again, pulling into the church, and parking in one of the parking spaces. shawn gets out first, slamming the door behind him and cursing.

"honey," i whisper, holding onto his arm. "shawn look at me."

"what, anya?" he groans, turning to me.

"i love you so much, you know that, right?" he softens his gaze, leaning down and pecking my lips, holding me in his arms.

"i love you too." he mumbles back, peppering my forehead with kisses. "now come on, lets go in before they yell at us for being late again." i laugh at him softly, linking my hand in his, walking into the chapel.

"you got here before all of us, yet we're still inside before you two." my mom chuckles. "go line up with them." she tells us, pointing at my cousins, peters and kelseys friends. "shawn could i have a quick word with you?"

"sure, i'll see you in a second anya." he pecks my cheek, walking off with my mom, and i shrug, joining the bridesmaids and groomsmen. peter decided to have brooklyn as his best man, but looking and how shawn would probably kill me if i had to walk with him, kelsey and peter decided to not follow the traditional walking. instead, brooklyn is walking with sophie, which she is pretty happy about. shawn jogs towards me, smiling and standing next to me, getting ready for the rehearsal.

"what was that about?" i ask softly, keeping my voice down.

"it was about something your mom is planning, for us." shawn beams.

"for us? what the hell?" i ask confused.

"well your entire family are, but its something to do with us moving in together, a congratulatory party, on the second to last day we're here, before i'm off on tour." he says softly.

"i can't believe the tour has come so soon." i whisper, just as the mock ceremony starts.

"me too, it's insane how fast it's coming." he says, completely mind blown. i chuckle quietly, linking my arm with his, and following kelsey and peter down the aisle.
-
"anya, hey." brooklyn says, approaching me in the kitchen. "how have you been?"

"brooklyn!" i squeal, wiping my hands on a towel and hugging him. "i've been great, how are you?"

"amazing, thanks." he smiles, letting go of me. "i'm also sorry again about making shawn and you break up." i bite my lip, shaking my head.

"it's okay, i did it too, but let's not talk about that." i say quickly. "are you staying for shawn and i's party?"

"i think so, your mum asked me." he laughs. "i don't have to be in london for a while."

"that's great, i'm glad you're staying." i smile, sitting on one of the bar stools. "hey we should meet up when i'm back from his tour."

"when are you back?" he asks me.

"well i'm in london from june 1st, so we could meet in london." i suggest.

"i'm probably free around then." he shrugs. "can't wait."

"me neither." i smile, sipping my coffee. "do you want anything to drink?"

"no thanks-" he gets cut off by shawn walking in and grabbing him by the shirt, pushing him up to the wall. i gasp, putting my coffee down and walking up to them.

"shawn, stop!" i yell.

"are you trying to make a move on my girlfriend?" shawn shouts and brooklyn.

"man i swear, no." brooklyn starts, calmly.

"i'm not letting you break us up again!" shawn shouts. "don't ever talk to her!"

"shawn, stop!" i repeat again. "let him down!"

"do you want him to make a pass on you again? do you-" shawn gets cut off by brooklyn bringing his arm up to punch him. brooklyn succeeds, and punches shawn square in the nose. shawn gasps, shoving brooklyn against the wall, whilst bringing his fist up to punch him, but brooklyn acts fast again, and punches shawn in the mouth, making him stumble back.

"oh my god, shawn!" i rush up to him, pushing the two fighting boys apart. "stop! stop! both of you!" brooklyn shoves me away, pushing me onto the floor.

"don't you dare push my girlfriend!" shawn shouts, getting ready to hit brooklyn again.

"shut the fuck up!" poppy yells, coming into the room and pushing shawn away from brooklyn, taking him to another room.

"anya i-" brooklyn starts.

"don't even." i sigh. "and those plans are off, don't talk to me while you're here." i get up from the floor, pushing past him and walking to the room poppy took shawn in.

"shawn." i whisper, rushing towards him and cupping his cheeks. "pops go get some ice, and antiseptic, his lip split open." i tell her, scanning over shawns face.

"i'm sorry honey- it's just i overheard and got scared and-"

"shh, it's fine." i whisper to him. "oh my god shawn, your nose looks bad."

"well it hurts, but i don't think it's broken." he says light heartedly, as i chuckle, shaking my head. poppy comes back in with ice and antiseptic. i take the antiseptic, grabbing a tissue and pouring some of the liquid onto it.

"this might sting a little." i whisper, pressing the tissue to his split lip. he flinches, but soon gets used to the feeling, and returning back to his calm self.

i grab the ice pack, pressing it onto his face. "i got it, i got it." he tells me, taking the ice pack from my hands, and holding it to his nose and mouth himself.

"do you want anything?" i ask him, running my hand through his hair.

"c-could i be alone for a bit?" he croaks out, rubbing my arm with his hand he isn't using.

"i don't blame you for anything, honey." i remind him. "not at all."

"anya i started it all." he says. "if i didn't care about you being friends with someone who you want to be friends with, maybe we wouldn't have fought in the first place."

"you and brooklyn or you and me?"

"both." he mumbles, looking down, tears pooling in my his eyes. "please anya, just leave me alone."

"shawn-" i begin.

"no, please anya." he whispers. "i'm sorry baby."

"i'm sorry too." i mumble, standing up and rushing out of the room.

what's gotten into him?