The next morning I roll myself out of bed, literally. I fall onto the floor and grab the side of my bed to help myself to my feet again. The pain in my back and stomach kills me, and I can barely function normally. My phone rings and when I see it's Zayneb I pick up and put her on speaker.

'I'm dying!' She says.

'Me too! When did your period start?' I ask while walking to the kitchen.

'Yesterday. I can't go to work today. I just can't!' She yells.

'I'm just going to pop some pills and head to work.' I manage to say.

'You sound like a drug addict.'

'I know. I'll call you later.' I groan, hanging up the phone.

Zayneb has been my best friend my whole life, but since she stayed in Scotland I don't see her as often as I would like. 

For the past two years, our periods are in sync and we endure the same level of pain every time it comes. She always calls in sick when she's on her period, but I always try to get myself to work if the pills do their job right.

An hour later the pain still hasn't subdued. I call Bakker to cover for me at work. I just can't go to the office today. 

I spend the whole morning laying in bed, watching television and eating. I accidentally watched the ending of Game of Thrones and cried for two hours straight, I immediately reminded myself why I don't watch endings.

'I'll drop Adriana off tomorrow morning.' My dad text says.

I start crying harder. I forgot about babysitting the devil. My phone rings again, it's my work phone this time.

'Elizabeth McCullen speaking.' I say with tears in my eyes.

'Why are you crying?' Shawn asks through the phone.

'I don't want to babysit my sister!' I cry harder.

Why did I say that?!

'Why?'

'Because she's the devil...' My voice sounds calmer now.

'Can I come over?' He asks.

I see a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I look like a sad pile of bathrobes. I think for a moment, I really want chips, and I'm not going anywhere today so I could ask him to drop some off in the lobby?

No, I can't do that, we kissed once. I can't ask that from him.

'No, I'm sorry. I feel like shit.' I say after an awkward silence.

'It's okay. I'll text you.' He says.

My phone falls onto the ground and I start crying louder. I'm never this weak and emotional, but my period kills me every time. 

I climb out of bed and walk to the kitchen with my phone in my hand. I put my phone on the kitchen island and open the fridge. I wipe my tears away and swallow another painkiller, drinking it down with a Red Bull.

'I hate this shit, fuck, shit, horrible, fuck day!' I scream.

Someone laughs, and it wasn't me or the television. I look around, like a cat watching a spectacle. Where the fuck did that sound come from? 

I grab my phone to call nine-one-one, but when I see Shawn's name still on my screen I'm a little relieved and embarrassed at the same time.

'Did you hear that?' I whisper.

'Yes, I did...' He laughs again. 'Do you have the flu or something?' He asks.

'No, I wish I did. I'm on my period.' I say sliding to the floor, my back against the kitchen cabinet.

'I can bring you chocolate? Or ice cream?' He says.

'No. You're not my boyfriend.'

'I don't have to be your boyfriend to do something nice for you.' He says with a soft voice.

'Maybe you're right.' I give in. I really feel terrible and I don't know how to get through this day without chips.

'Am I allowed past the lobby today then?' I hear the smile in his voice.

'I'll call Sam to let you through. But only for today!' I say.

'What do you want me to get you?'

'Chips! Please get me chips! You call it fries.' I cry again.

After Shawn hangs up the phone I dial Sam's number. I tell him to let Shawn through if he shows up today. 

'Can you give him the key? I don't want to open the door for him.' I ask Sam.

'Yeah, but I'll need it back later today.'

'Yes, of course.'

I drag my ass to the couch and turn on Netflix. I decide to watch an animation, and when the animal dies I start to cry again. Fuck! I need to stop fucking crying!

I decide to take a shower and put on a clean pair of pyjamas before Shawn arrives. 

When I look respectable I grab a bottle of water and walk to my bedroom again. I remove the sheets, and when everything is clean I lay down again, wrapping the duvet around my body.

An hour later I hear keys jingle outside my front door. When the door opens I hear him call my name.

'I'm in my bedroom!' I say as loud as I can.

I hear Shawn remove his shoes before walking down the hall. He stops for a second, trying to figure out where my voice came from. I hear him standing in front of the door of the guest room.

'In here!' I say again.

He knocks softly before pushing the door open. He's wearing a red hoodie with dark blue jeans, and black socks. His hair is messy and wet, is it raining outside? He's holding a paper bag, full of food. He smiles at me when he sees me drowning in the bedsheets.

'Hey, Beth.' He says, shaking his head a little.

'Hey, Mendes.' I respond.

'Is it raining outside?' I ask when he stands in front of my bed.

'No. I got out of the shower before I left.' He says.

Everything is still awkward between us, but it's a good kind of awkward I think?

I keep forgetting I've only known him for one week. It looks like I've known him my whole life, and it's weird in a nice way.

He asks where he can put the food and I climb out of bed to show him the way to the kitchen. When we walk into the kitchen he looks around, staring at the living room. He empties the bag and puts everything down on the kitchen island.

'Why is your house so... grey?' He asks.

'I just like an austere interior. It's calm.' I respond.

'Ah, ok... It's nice, I guess?' He responds.

We both take a seat at the dinner table. I thank him for bringing the chips. When he says "No problem." I almost start to cry again. We eat the chips in silence and when the crying is finally out of my system he asks me a question. I'm happy the painkillers finally start working.

'Why are you in so much pain?'

'I'm on my period.' I simply answer.

'Yeah, but when my sister is on her period she's just a bitch. You are in pain and cry the whole time.'

'Everyone has different side effects.' I explain.

He nods while dipping his food in the mayonnaise. I really miss the fish and chips from home. Zayneb and I always got them after school, it was our tradition. They have some places in the Netherlands where they sell it, but it's not as good as it is in Scotland.

'What's on your mind?' Shawn asks.

'I'm thinking about the fish and chips from home.' I answer honestly

'Do you miss it? Scotland, I mean.'

'Yeah, I miss the little things and my friend. But I don't know if I would want to live there again.' I say. 

'Do you miss Canada?'

'Nah not really, I love it that's for sure. I just don't really miss it. My parents live in England now, and my sister is on a world tour for her new album, so I don't really have any family in Toronto.' He takes a sip of his drink. 

'I have a couple of friends in Toronto, but when Camila decided to study here, I followed her. She was my girlfriend back then. When we broke up, I just decided to stay and as it turns out I kinda loved it here.'

'I'm sorry, but I think America is a shit country. Not all people, you always have the good ones, but the government?! I don't have anything against Canada, but I believe Europe is much better than the rest of the world.'

'Yeah, they have much better rules and food.' He laughs. 'Most of the things in the United States are shit, and not good for you. Like Trump.' He says.

'That's true.' I laugh.

'Anyway, why don't you want to babysit your sister?'

I tell him about my mother, the earrings, my sister stealing them. He's surprised I'm even babysitting her, but I explain to him that I'm only doing this as a favour for my dad. I just really hope she's going to behave, because I can't handle the stress.

'You can't come near this building, or city for that matter while she's staying here.' I tell him before grabbing the side of the kitchen counter. 

A jolt of pain reaches my abdomen and he looks at me with worry in his eyes.

'Are you ok?' He asks while touching my hand.

I don't jerk my hand away for the first time. The warmth of his palm covers the back of my hand, and it feels good in a way. I nod as I stand up.

'Why can't I visit this city?' He grabs his plate.

'Lucifer told me she's obsessed with you.' I tell him when I walk into the living room.

'That's adorable.'

'It really isn't.' I sit down on the couch.

He sits down next to me and looks at the flowers on the coffee table. I also stare at the beautiful flowers, they're one of the few things in the living room with a bright colour. 

We just sit there in silence, I don't know what to say to him. I enjoy his presence and I think he enjoys mine... I hope.

'Why did you call me today?' I ask after a couple of minutes.

He puts his arm behind me and rests it on the cushions of the couch. His fingers touch my left shoulder softly, I can barely feel it.

'I wanted to get your phone number - the real one - and I wanted to ask you out on a date.' He answers honestly.

'I'll give you my number, but I have to think about the date.'

'Why?'

'Because we've known each other for one week.' I say looking at him.

He shifts his body a little which makes me move closer to his body.

'That's why we're going on a date, so we can get to know each other better.'

'Maybe.'

'Okay, I'll give you time to think.'

He looks into my eyes and it's intense. It feels like he's looking right into my soul which makes me want to look away, but I can't. He's so attractive and it feels like a magnet is pulling me to his body, to his mouth. I've felt this the day I met him, but I just kept denying it, hoping the feeling would disappear.

Yesterday's kiss pops into my head and I just can't not touch him. He lowers his head a little as if he knows what I'm thinking. I move my hand to his jawline and trace it with my index finger, still staring into his eyes. He moves his hand to my thigh and pulls me onto his lap with one swift move.

Both his hands rest on my hips and he looks at me with lust in his eyes. His lips part and close again before he swallows, hard.

'You're beautiful.' He says studying my face.

My lips crash onto his and I feel all the tension in his body leave. His mouth moves along with mine and his hands squeeze my hips softly, pulling my body against his. His arms move from my hips to my back, I grab his shoulder with one hand and move it to the back of his neck, while my other hand rests on his chest. 

Shawn's tongue finds his way into my mouth, playing with my tongue, and before I know it a moan escapes my mouth.

He smiles against my lips and moves his hands back to my hips. He pushes my body onto the couch, pinning me underneath him. His hand moves over my body, from my neck to my face with his lips still against mine.

I hear the lock of my front door turn and I immediately move away from Shawn. He opens his eyes when he hears the door unlock. 

My father is humming a familiar song, and he doesn't notice me and Shawn making out on the couch when he drags his suitcase inside. 

Before I know it my whole family walks through my front door. My father is followed by Lucifer, Sheila and Adriana. This is the first time in my life I regret giving my father the keys to my apartment.

Thank you for reading!

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