Becoming Better

Chapter 29 - Wait

"Shawn?!" Charlie yelled once she got outside.

She wasn't even sure why she came out here. He was probably long gone by now. She would just have to call him.

The air outside was crisp and cold. It was nice, especially because the auditorium had started to feel extremely stifling. She could see her breath in the winter night.

She brought the phone to her ear and waited as it rang. After five or six rings, Shawn's voicemail picked up.

'Oh come on,' she thought. She hoped he hadn't thought Wyatt was her new boyfriend, or something like that. She felt anxious, so she walked as she dialed again. It was too hard to stay still at a time like this.

Another failed attempt at contact. When Shawn's voicemail picked up again, she sighed in frustration. She began typing out a text.

Hey Shawn, I don't know exactly what Wyatt said, but he doesn't know what he's...

A voice interrupted her frenzied typing.

"Hey Goldie."

She looked up, and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. There he was, leaning on her car. 

"Shawn!" she exhaled in relief. "I'm so glad you're still here," she said, walking over to him. "Whatever Wyatt said, he was wrong."

"Don't worry, I knew better than to listen to some guy trying to tell me what you want," he said.

"Thank god, cause I am really happy to see you," she smiled. She was standing about ten feet away from him. She wanted to go over and hug him, but she wasn't sure that was the right thing to do, since the last time she saw him she broke up with him.

"You were great up there." He nodded to the auditorium. "You stole the show. I wish I had flowers for you, but I did bring you something else."

Her eyes widened. "You didn't have to bring me anything."

"Heads up," he said, and tossed her something. It was very small. After she caught it, she held it up to the light to look at it.

It was a coin. The writing on it said, 'To Thine Own Self Be True' as well as three words, 'Unity, Service, Recovery.' She flipped it over and the other side said '30 Days.'

Charlie recognized where it was from. Courtney had several. It was an AA chip, and it meant Shawn had thirty days sober.

Charlie's jaw dropped. "You're thirty days sober?"

"Nearly sixty, actually. I'm going to take another chip next week."

She ran over to him, colliding with his chest and throwing caution to the wind. "Shawn that's amazing!"

He hugged her back, lifting her slightly. "Thank you," he said into her hair. When he put her back down, he leaned back, but he didn't let go of her. "I wanted to tell you sooner, but my sponsor wanted me to get through some steps first."

"I understand," she nodded.

"I wanna thank you for what you did," he told her, looking at her intently. "What you said that night changed a lot of things for me. You saw something I couldn't even see in myself, despite the fact that my dad is an alcoholic."

"I think that's how it is for a lot of people," Charlie said, thinking of her own conversation with Courtney.

"They say you're supposed to get sober for yourself, and trust me I did. But I want you to know that you make me want to be a better person. You've had more of an effect on my life than people I've known for years."

Her heart was about to explode. "Wow Shawn, I don't even know what to say."

He paused, then raised an eyebrow. "What do you say we give this another shot?" he asked.

She nearly said yes, but then she stepped away from him, remembering something. "Shawn aren't you supposed to stay out of relationships for a while, at least until you have more time?"

He caught her hand and pulled her back to him, spinning and trapping her between himself and the car. "Yes, but do you really think I can keep my hands off you until then?" he said, caging her with his arms, his mouth dangerously close to her lips.

Her heart rate jumped. "No," she murmured, right before he covered her mouth with his own.

He kissed her slowly at first, but it wasn't long before she was twisting her tongue with his. She definitely wanted this, she missed him more than she knew. Just being here with him felt amazing. But as much as she wanted to jump back in, she knew they had to be careful.

She pulled away, ducking out from between him and the car. "Wait, Shawn."

"What, Goldie?" he asked, smiling mischievously and following her. He knew what she was going to say.

She couldn't help but smile back, he looked adorable. "You need to take this seriously," she insisted, backing up but still facing him.

He walked with her, making sure she didn't put too much distance between them. "Oh, I'm very serious." His eyes were dark with desire. Her heart skipped a beat.

She laughed, putting her hand up to his chest, trying to keep him at arm's length as he prowled towards her. "No, I mean it. You have to put AA first, or you could relapse."

He reached up and moved her hand away, closing the distance again. "I will go to three meetings a day if it means you'll let me kiss you."

She laughed more and rolled her eyes. "Alright, no need to be excessive."

He cupped her face and kissed her again, but just lightly. It was his way promising he would do what she said.

"So, we'll just cool it, take it slow for a while?" she asked after they broke apart.

"Yes, of course," he agreed, finally being more serious. "You really wanna wait for me?"

She smiled playfully. "I've heard good things come to those who wait."