59 - PERFECT TIMING

Aria’s pov

“Here, the cinnamon rolls are readyyy” I heard Shawn sing from the kitchen, the same time the metallic sound of the cling clang of pots and pans went off, I struggled to stifle my laugh from the ruckus Shawn was causing in there.

“What’s going on?” I called out but only more ruckuses echoed back at me and I stood up from the comfort of the couch where I sat buried with warm blankets and duvet that Shawn had buried me in. I walked to the kitchen to find Shawn struggling with an oven mitt and at the same time trying to pull out a tray of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and placing on the counter top. The delicious smell trickled into my nose as I reached out for one but Shawn slapped my hands away

“It’s hot babe” he said then continued “What do you think of these chocolate chip cookies for our engagement party” oh that, totally skipped my mind for a minute. I was actually engaged

“What are we? Throwing a birthday party for a five year old, but anyways like we agreed you’re in charge so anything you want goes. I think all I have to do is show up and look pretty right”

“Yes honey” he blew a kiss over my head with a sweet smile on his face. The dynamics of Shawn and I’s relationship had pretty much changed over the last few days since the incident. I would say it brought us closer together, and we’ve way too much sex than I’ll care to admit. In as much as the butterflies fluttered a bit now and then, thoughts of Kyle fluttered in and again for the millionth time, I resolved to put him out of my mind. Shawn was right here, baking chocolate chips cookies and at the same time planning our engagement party, all these while he was a full time lawyer with another big case in his hands.

“What do you think of me finding my father’s killers” I said out of the blue and catching Shawn unawares, and he paused – turning away from the sink to fix his eyes on me. His eyes were wide with surprise, and I couldn’t fault it. My father was a topic I never discussed with Shawn, even while he was the lawyer investigating the case, I had vehemently refused to participate.

“Why now? What changed?” he threw questions at me and I shrugged back, unsure of what to say, unsure of how to explain that he’ll understand.

“It’s just a thought, what do you think? And besides you were the lawyer in charge then, so what do you know, anything at all”

“Nothing” it was Shawn’s turn to shrug, but his eyes no longer met mine as he had turned his back to me and was either concentrating on doing the dishes or was pretending to, either way I didn’t think this was a discussion he was ready to have with me.

“What? you don’t think that’s a good idea” I pressed.

Shawn turned around now “Actually I don’t. Truthfully honey, they were no leads and the case was dropped, I don’t know anything and pursuing that now is going to open wounds that you’ve been trying to heal” he said and again his eyes still wasn’t meeting mine even though I had my gaze fervently fixed on him.

“And with the engagement party and the wedding and everything that’s been going on, I really don’t think that’s a good idea, some secrets are not worth finding out and it might ruin your perceptions of certain people in your life right now”

I gave him an odd look at his cryptic words, Shawn had always talked code that sometimes I didn’t try to bother to decode his words in my head. I felt it was a lawyer thing to do and I left it at that with a shrug.

“But if you really want to, I could – ”

“No you’re right” I stopped him immediately actually seeing reason in his words and I shook my head “There’s really no point, I don’t think I’ll be able to deal with it all again”
Shawn nodded passively and walked over the counter to where I stood blowing hot chocolate chip cookies to shove them in my mouth, but when he pulled me in for a cute embrace, I melted into his arms. I truly loved Shawn, but it was the safe kind of love. The kind of love you know wasn’t dangerous or exhilarating, a kind of love where you weren’t chasing a certain kind of dopamine because of the anxiety that consumes you when you think about them. This kind of love was in the definition of the word simplicity – there was no wildness or reckless thrill. It didn’t leave you shattered and then try to consume you with its overpowering sentiments. It was safe and it was the kind meant for me – safe and secure.

“You think you’ll be okay with that?” he said to me softly with a voice that attempted to calm the storm that was brewing within me, the indecisiveness that I couldn’t seem to curb. His fingers worked through the intricate knots in my hair, smoothing, massaging it down and I sighed, holding him tighter forcing myself to feel something dangerous, something wild the way it was when Kyle barely touched me, his hands barely grazing my skin but at the same time drawing out desires that I wanted to stay hidden.

“I love you” he whispered in my ears and I should say it back, the words formed in my mouth but when I opened my mouth to speak, nothing came forth just a tiny gasp that escaped.
I pulled away from Shawn to look into his eyes, and his brown eyes swam with love and admiration. I ran my hands through his curls, my cococnut scented shampoo drifting into my nose because Shawn always used my products and never got his but I was always willing to share, with Shawn I had no problem sharing.

“So when’s the engagement party, you never gave me a date” this was a reckless attempt to steer the conversation away from the sentiments that was slowly building.

“Two weeks from now, on the 27th” he replied instantly and I nodded.

“That’s fair”

Shawn went back to continue dishes while I busied myself with games on my phone when a text popped in and it was a work email from Kyle, I read through it

*Banquet dinner has been fixed two weeks for now, on the 27th of this month. We have to close the deal for the venue before the end of the week.

Perfect timing!