chapter thirty-three
feelings
[anya rose steinburg]
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"liyah are you sure you don't want to stay wit me for another couple days?" shawn asks aaliyah, as the three of us walk up the pathway to shawns parents house.

"gross, that'd be way too much love for me." she shudders, unlocking the front door. "we're back!" she yells through the house.

"in the kitchen!" i hear karen yell back, making shawn chuckle. i take off my jacket, hanging it up, before slipping off my shoes, leaving me in a light blue off the shoulder shirt and a pair of black jeans. shawn knots his hand with mine, smiling gently.

"ready?" he asks quietly, as i nod, smiling back at him. he pulls me in to the kitchen, as i see karen cooking over some food, and manny helping her with the food prep. "hi mum, hi dad." shawn let's go of my hand, going over to embrace his two parents and greet them, making me smile softly. after greeting them, he walks back over to me, holding my hand again.

"so, anya and i have some news." shawn bites his lower lip nervously. "i know this will seem bad, but i have been cheating on sydney for the past five or so weeks."

"oh shawn, you idiot." manny groans. "you don't cheat."

"well i'm not cheating anymore, which is why i'm here with anya, and we wanted to tell you that we're engaged." he quickly says, a faint blush running along his cheekbones, as he looks at his parents nervously. "i know that we are young, but we're both going to be 20 in august and anya's parents got engaged a month after knowing each other and-"

"stop your rambling and come here! i want to give my daughter in law a hug!" karen chuckles, running over to embrace me. i laugh, as she throws her arms around me, swaying me. "congratulations!"

"i'm proud of you, son." manny says, hugging shawn once more. "i think you've finally found a girl who makes you happier than words can express, congratulations." he beams at the two of us, as shawn and i both let out small chuckles, shawn definitely calmer about the situation now.

"you did break up with sydney though, right?" karen asks shawn carefully.

"yeah i did, she went a bit crazy when she found out about the engagement, but it's okay." he says softly, his eyes glazing over, as he ponders about the awards and guitar that got ruined.

"would you excuse me for a second? i need to make a quick phone call." i say to the four of them.

"sure, you can call them in my room." shawn says, pecking my forehead, before i run off up the stairs, taking my phone out and dialling up andrew's number.

"hello?" andrew answers, as i breathe a sigh of relief.

"andrew! hey, okay i need to ask you a few things." i say quickly. "is there any chance the awards shawn has won can be replaced?"

"what the heck happened to his awards?" andrew asks confused.

"sydney happened, answer my question."

"i can call around and see what the companies can do, no promises though." he says, sighing. "are they all really broken?"

"more or less." i shrug, sighing. "thanks andrew."

"that's okay, i'll inform you about anything i can do about it. oh, and congratulations by the way." he chuckles, making me laugh.

"thanks andrew, see you soon." i hang up, sliding my phone back into my pocket and rushing back down the stairs into the kitchen.

"everything alright?" shawn asks me, slipping his hand around my waist, as he holds out a bottle of beer for me to take.

"never better." i respond, a smile on my lips. he leans down, pressing his lips to mine briefly, before grinning widely at me.

"so have you two thought about a wedding date or locations yet?" karen asks us, as i take a sip of beer.

"well, anya's only got a year left of her uni course from september." shawn says. "maybe not next spring but the spring after? spring 2020?" shawn looks at me, and i shrug, nodding.

"that sounds great, honestly." i say, imagining a perfect spring beach wedding. "let's get married on the beach."

"you'd have to get a decking for guests and the altar though." karen explains. "no one wants sand on a dress."

"what about a lakeside wedding?" aaliyah asks us, sitting opposite shawn and i. "or you could go traditional in a function room."

"maybe." shawn shrugs. "let's wait a couple months before planning though, we have plenty of time." he chuckles, making me laugh.

"that is very true." i add. "i already have a dress in mind though, so let's not make it too far away." i say, as shawn chuckles, a soft blush running at his cheeks.

"i can't wait to meet your parents properly." karen says to me, plating up my dish with food.

"i'm pretty sure they want to meet you guys properly too." i chuckle at manny and karen, taking another sip of my beer. shawn smiles over me, holding my left hand in his right hand, squeezing it softly as he checks his phone.

"i've invited a couple people over for drinks tonight." he whispers lowly. "is that okay?"

"that's fine." i whisper back, smiling up at him.

"so, how long are you staying in toronto for, anya?" manny asks me, as i bite my lower lip, looking at shawn once more.

"now, i guess until i'm needed at uni." i answer, letting out a low laugh.

i've never been more glad to stay in toronto.
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"so you literally came back here to propose?" lauren laughs at me, as we both sip on the white wine we hold. i chuckle, nodding, feeling the blush rise at my cheeks. "damn, you have some nerve."

"i don't regret it." i chuckle, replying to her, as the light breeze of the early evening makes my hair fly back.

"well that's good, at least." she says, as i turn around, seeing shawn walk towards me, holding a beer in his hands. he leans down, kissing me softly, before taking a seat in the sofa next to me, wrapping his arm loosely around my waist.

"go away, we're trying to have some girl talk." i moan, pushing shawn playfully. he scoffs at me, rolling his eyes.

"so is it about hair or boys this time?" he teases, making me roll my eyes.

"you, so stupid boys." i smirk back, playfully. he shakes his head, grinning and letting out a small chuckle. "thanks for those photos you took on my phone earlier, by the way." i say to him, smirking. he chuckles, nodding.

"that's okay, you looked pretty." he beams, pecking my forehead.

"i'm so single." lauren groans, making shawn and i laugh. "i'm gonna go and get a top up." she points to her empty wine glass, chuckling.

shawn pulls me to his chest, as i smile, resting on top of him, glazing my eyes at the scene of toronto in front of us. every so often shawn kisses my forehead, as the two of us sit there, content with life.
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bitch i want drama but dramas just not fitting in this storyline smh