chapter twenty-five
fake
[anya rose steinburg]
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"anya, could you get that?" kelsey calls from the kitchen, as the phone starts blaring out its ugly ringtone.

"sure." i sigh, picking the phone up. "hello?"

"anya rose steinburg, we have a lot to talk about. i'm at the airport, i will be at your apartment in an hour." and sharply, my mother hangs up.

"shit." i mumble. "uh kelsey?"

"yeah?"

"we need to clean up every trace of things we shouldn't be doing, now." i day to her. "my moms on her way."

"wait, you're kidding? i thought she disowned you? no offence." she says quickly.

"yeah, i did too, come on, put all the alcohol under my bed, um everything else, shove into a cupboard." i explain, beginning to haul the bottles to my room.

we finish in around half an hour, before doing the washing and cleaning up around the apartment.

a knock is heard on the door. i sigh, pulling down my top so it covers my skin, and walking to answer it.

"shawn? what are you doing here?" i ask quickly. "you need to go."

"what? i left my phone here-"

"shawn you need to go, now." i warn, glaring at him.

"can i get my-" i cut him off again.

"you need to go!" i shout, as my mother emerges from the elevator. shit. he turns around, seeing my mother standing there, a black coat over her body, arms folded and a black handbag in her hands.

"and who are you?" she says coolly to shawn. i step in front of him, putting my arm over his body.

"don't talk to him like that." i spit.

"don't use that tone on me, young lady."

"you disowned me, i can talk to you however i want." i feel shawn slip his hand into mine.

"i can go if you want." he whispers quietly. i shake my head.

"i did not disown you, you are still my child, and you still have to follow my rules." she glares at me. "now, who are you?" she asks to shawn.

"um, i'm shawn, mrs steinburg, shawn mendes, anya's uh boyfriend." i fold my lips together, shutting my eyes briefly.

"she does not have time for a boyfriend, dump him anya." she says to me. "you have a lot more important things to do, especially since you dropped medical studies."

"oh shut up mom." i groan. "i hate medical studies, and journalism suits me." i say quickly.

"well, will you let me in?" she says, taking her sunglasses off.

"come on in." i sigh, stepping back, as she steps in front of shawn and i.

"i can go-"

"no." i tell him quietly. "stay, i need you." he softly smiles at me, squeezing my hand.

"i'll make some tea, okay?" i nod, as he wanders off to the kitchen, greeting kelsey. i walk in, seeing my mother seated on the couch, going through a random newspaper on the coffee table.

"so, what brings you here?" i ask, no expression on my face.

"can i not see how my daughter is getting on?"

"i am not your daughter, you lost the title of my mother years ago." i snap. she stands up, facing me and raising her hand up, slapping it firmly on my cheek.

"what the hell?" shawn yells, as i feel a stinging pain in my cheek.

"shawn, don't, i'm used to it." i say shakily.

"no! she hit you anya!" he argues, putting the mugs of tea down.

"shawn!" i warn. "please, just go to my room okay?" he nods, walking to my room, kelsey following him.

i feel my cheek start to swell, and go white hot, i can already sense a bruise beginning to form.

"now, tell me, why did you quit medical studies?" she says sharply at me, still standing up.

"because i don't like it." i answer simply. and another slap.

"real answers!" she shouts.

"it wasn't for me okay? i don't want to go into medicine, i hate it!" i moan, earning another slap.

"anya rose, do you even know what you're saying?" she slaps me again, this time her diamond on her ring landing on my cheek, cutting into it slightly.

"get out." i mumble. "i will call apartment security."

"fine." she spits, picking up a mug of tea and pouring it over my bare arms, burning them, making me scream in pain.

shawn opens the door sharply, running towards me. "anya what happened?" he asks, as tears pour out of my eyes, my mother slamming my door shut.

"m-my arms." i stutter, rushing to the tap, switching on the cold water and holding my arms under the water, the coolness of it soothing my burned arms.

"oh my god, you're bleeding." shawn whispers, touching my cheek lightly. i wince, stepping back.

after ten minutes of me running water over my arms, and shawn cleaning up my cut, bandaging it up, and holding ice on my cheek, i get the strength to start doing things on my own.

"where did you leave your phone?" i ask him, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"it was in your room, i got it when i was in there." he says softly, his eyes, wandering about my face. "why didn't you ever tell me she abused you?"

"it never came up." i shrug, looking down. "i'm thinking of moving after i finish uni now."

"move to canada." i laugh softly, nudging his arm with my shoulder as he stands next to me. "god, how could she hurt you?"

i shrug again, sighing. "she's never really liked me. i mean she did, when my brother was alive."

"i'm so sorry." he whispers to me, as i wipe away a few of my tears, sniffling. "how old was he?"

"17, car wreck." i state. "i was 6 at the time, but i still remember him being the best brother i could ever ask for. after that, my parents started pushing onto me, and i guess it fell apart."

"anya, i'm so sorry to hear that." he says softly. "i can't imagine loosing aaliyah, siblings, as much as they annoy you, are like your other half."

"it's hard, but i get through it." i mumble, looking up and smiling sadly at him. "i wish my parents would take me in as a normal person."

shawn puts his arm around me, rubbing my shoulder, as i lean slightly into him, sighing. "i should really go to my classes."

"i'll walk you." shawn offers, as i nod.

"yeah it's only a ten minute walk, come on, lets go now." i get my jacket and shoes in, grabbing my bag, saying goodbye to kelsey and rushing out, shawn trailing behind me.

he links his hand with mine, and i smile slightly, holding his hand back.

"shawn?" i ask.

"hmm?"

"can you like walk me back after my class too?" i ask, biting on my lower lip.

"whatever you want, hun." i smile, sighing and reaching the place where my class is. "i'll see you in a hour." i mumble, as shawn leans down, hugging me.

"stay strong." he whispers, letting go of me, and leaving the cold wind to settle over me.

"thanks shawn." i say, walking in and taking a seat near the back.
-
i walk out, sighing and shrugging my bag higher on my shoulder. i spot shawn standing near a tree, and i smile, walking towards him.

"hey." i sigh, reaching him.

"hi, how was your class?" he says, handing me a bag. "i got you these, by the way."

"it was great, and thank you, you didn't have to." i say softly, opening it and revealing twelve macaroons. "aw shawn, thank you." he smiles at me, as i put them back in the bag, holding onto them with my other hand.

my right hand is captured with shawns hand, warming it up immediately.

"where do you want to go?" he asks me, as we walk down the street.

"um could we go to your hotel? i wanna see everyone." he chuckles softly.

"okay, we'll get a taxi." he hails for one, and we get in quickly, shawn telling the driver where to go.

we get to his hotel in about 30 minutes, shawn pays and we both get out, seeing fans waiting across the wall of the hotel.

"hey guys." shawn says. "pictures?" they all cheer, as i stand there, and shawn begins to take pictures with each of them.

"are you two back together for real or for the media?" a brunette girl, with a largely annoying voice says.

"um-" i start, but shawn cuts me off.

"for real." he smiles, looking at me.

"kiss her then." she says, folding her arms. shawn looks at me and i sigh, stepping forward and planting my lips on his, not giving him enough time to kiss back, but still making it look like he is. i smirk, stepping back.

"happy now?" i ask, folding by arms.

"anya..." shawn sighs quietly next to me.

"no! don't tell me to shut up shawn, i'm just facing up to it." i say quickly. "whatever, give me your hotel key."

"there's ice in the freezer okay? it's going red again." he whispers, handing me the key as i nod. "i'm sorry." i shrug.

"thank you shawn." i mumble, rushing to his hotel room, and unlocking the door, grabbing the ice from the freezer, wrapping it up in a towel and placing it on my sore cheek.

"ah." i moan in pain, as a knock is heard on the door.

"it's me." shawn says through the door. i rush to answer it, closing the door behind him. "how's your cheek?"

"painful." i say, sitting on his made up bed. "thank you for helping me out this morning."

"hey, it was my pleasure." he whispers, taking a seat next to me, holding my hand in his. "you're wearing it." he smiles, looking down at the band.

"yeah." i say nervously, a smile toying at the corners of my lips. "it's beautiful."

"i saw it and i had to get it. i didn't even need any help, i knew it was perfect for you." he says slowly.

"it truly is perfect." i say in awe, looking down and the diamonds.

"you know i'm always here for you right?" he says softly.

"yeah i do." i say, looking up and wrapping my arms around him. "i forgive you." i whisper in his ear, pecking his temple. he holds me back, burying his head in my neck, sighing happily.

"shawn why are you crying?" i mumble, pulling his head off my neck, seeing tears pouring down his cheeks. "don't cry baby."

"i-i'm sorry." he stutters. "it's just i didn't think you would ever forgive me, and after these three months i would never see you again." he says quickly.

"you'll have to try harder to get rid of me." i whisper, making him chuckle. "now kiss me mendes, i've missed your lips."

he laughs, leaning forward and capturing my lips with his.
-
"no, i wanna watch the chamber of secrets." shawn pouts, snatching his ipad back from me, clicking onto the film.

"shh!" a woman in the row in front of us says, making shawn and i laugh.

"no! goblet of fire!" i say, clicking back onto that film.

"just watch both! we are on this plane for 7 hours." geoff grumbles from next to us, folding his arms and shuffling closer to the window.

"chamber of secrets first." shawn smiles cheekily at me, kissing my nose.

"i'll break up with you." i warn sarcastically, making him roll his eyes.

"yeah right, now cuddle with me so we can watch this comfortably." he says, putting the ipad on his seat table.

"fine." i sigh, giggling, leaning onto shawns arm, him removing it and throwing it over me, as i snuggle up to his side.

"anya guess what?" he whispers, half way through the film.

"what, love?" i reply, looking up at him.

"i watch harry potter in my calvins." he sits up a bit, pulling at the waistband of his tracksuits, showing the waistband of his black calvins.

"oh my god, nope, i'm never volunteering to sit next to you two." geoff says, putting his headphones on.

"shawn! hide your underwear." i laugh, as he sits back down, laughing too.

"god i missed you." he mumbles, leaning his head on my shoulder, sighing, as i wrap my arm around his head, playing with his curls.

"i missed you so much more." i mumble back.

"anya guess what?" he asks again, making me laugh.

"what?"

"eat slugs!" he quotes the film in a british accent, making me giggle, throwing my head back.

"shh!" the same woman says to us, making us laugh even more.

"oh for god sake, shut up!" geoff finally bursts, making shawn and i laugh even more.

"hi, excuse me, we've been getting a lot of noise complaints from here, but we have a practically empty first class for you to go and sit in if you want." an air hostess comes up to us, as shawn nods.

"can we only have one seat though?" shawn asks, as we stand up, gathering our things.

"sure, sir." she guides us to first class, and gives us a window seat, the bed already pulled out, and pretty large, so it can fit the both of us.

"shawn." i groan, as he gets in next to me.

"what?"

"your feet are cold, are you even wearing socks?" i scold, turning around so i'm facing his chest.

"yes!" he moans. "go to sleep anya."

"what? why? i'm not tired, i'm-" shawn cuts me off, by pressing his lips to mine.

"sleep." he finally whispers, holding me close to his chest.

he's incredibly bipolar.
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shawns leaving london tomorrow :((