Shawn and Kendall Ch. 15

"Um... How hard was it to find me?" She awkwardly asked as they both sat at the table, wishing they could touch.

"Let's just say I'm glad I don't have to work in this friggin' labyrinth," Shawn scratched his head, eyeballing around them.

Kendall smirked at him, snickering through her nose. She knew well that he hated getting lost and was slightly proud that he found her so quickly.

"It's done," Kendall said, her smile fading, "I called her this morning and ended things."

"Oh, damn," Shawn looked her over, "how'd she take it?"

"Not bad, but not well..." Kendall mumbled, fussing with her hands under the table, "she wanted to come here and talk about it, but obviously, I didn't go for that."

"What's there to talk about?" Shawn responded with an attitude, "she was trying to- well, whatever," he mumbled, looking away, "at least it's done."

Kendall analyzed him, noticing Shawn was acutely aware of how dangerous Grace was to their relationship. She still felt awful about what Grace said to him, and it was clear that his run-in with her bothered him, too. Her heart broke at the thought of her brother having to process every horrible thing Grace said by himself that day. She wondered if he was more upset about it than he led on.

"Shawn," Kendall softly said.

He looked up from the table into her eyes. The look on her face was distraughtly concerned.

"You know it's not true, right?" She asked.

Shawn did not answer. His eyes sank back to the table, wandering around in thought. He could not deny that he was troubled by the things said to him and their frightening accuracy.

"Hey," Kendall called out, causing his eyes to return to hers, "don't let any of what she said bother you. She doesn't know what she's talking about, okay?"

Shawn nodded, feeling reassured by her words. It meant the world to him that Kendall wouldn't allow any poisonous behavior from Grace to impact their relationship negatively.

"Promise?" Shawn asked.

Kendall reached across the table with her pinky, smiling warmly at him. They locked pinkies, but Shawn did not let go.

"I wanna hear you say it then," he raised his eyebrow with a mischievous look.

Kendall's jaw dropped with a shocked expression, knowing exactly what he wanted, and she nervously looked around them.

"Come oooon," Shawn tugged on her arm, holding her pinky hostage.

"No!" Kendall whined, fighting to hold back her smile.

"Come on, say it. For me?" Shawn teased her.

Kendall chewed her lip with a frustrated face, sighing through her nose and rechecking their surroundings.

"My pussy's yours..." She quietly mumbled with an embarrassed smirk, nervously looking around.

"Don't you ever forget it," Shawn grinned victoriously, letting go of her pinky.

"I hate you," she said, shaking her head and looking him over.

Shawn could not ignore an opportunity to tease Kendall, knowing his instincts with her were devastatingly accurate. He was rapidly learning all of her hot buttons, and the more he pushed them, the stronger their chemistry grew. Learning about each other sexually added an exciting new layer to their bond, and each new thing they learned drew them even closer together. Shawn loved that Kendall wanted to feel like she belonged to him, and Kendall rejoiced over Shawn's kink for getting off inside her repeatedly and claiming her for himself. The thrill of their connection never seemed to dampen.

"Anyway," Kendall continued, "as much as I like it when you tease me, we need to use this time more productively."

"Yeah, sorry," Shawn sat up to listen.

"Okay," Kendall sighed, scooting closer, "what did we learn? You obviously can't leave anything of yours in my room, and I can't leave anything in yours. We have got to be more careful in public, too. None of this would have happened if I had just kept my hands off you at that club."

"Hey, wait a sec," Shawn interjected, "I think what you meant to say was none of this would've happened if I didn't have feelings for you."

Kendall stared at him, processing the weight of his words.

"Don't shoulder this like it's your fault," Shawn continued, "we both know none of this would've happened if I had just been a normal brother to you, and you and Grace would still be friends. So it's more my fault than yours."

She looked into his eyes, wishing there was a way to prevent him from feeling the way he did about their situation. Kendall had never been more sure she was with the right person, but Shawn harbored understandable guilt from the changes their relationship had caused in her life. As much as she loved him, she knew their forbidden bond had launched them face-first into chaos neither could handle, and it was painful to hear him shoulder so much responsibility in their struggle.

"Listen," Kendall broke the silence, "it's not a competition, you dork. Who cares whose fault it is? What matters is how we do things now, and I've already got a pretty solid idea."

She reached forward and held her hand out on the table.

"Yeah? How's that?" Shawn asked, softly grabbing her hand.

"Together," she answered with a smile.

Shawn returned her smile, admiring her optimism amid their losing battle.

"I think I can get on board with that," he responded warmly.

"Good," Kendall said, "if we tackle this together, we'll be fine."

Shawn nodded, admiring her beauty and feeling privileged to have her the way he had always wanted.

"So what else?" Kendall abruptly continued, letting go of his hand, "you probably have to go soon. Think. What are some big ones we need to cover?"

"Um..." Shawn scratched his head, looking around, thinking, "this is gonna sound like my mind is in the gutter, but we gotta find a better way to have sex."

"Agreed," Kendall giggled, loving that sex was constantly on Shawn's mind like hers, "cuz I'll be honest, the more we do it, the more I want to do it."

"Oh, so it's not just me," Shawn chuckled.

Kendall chewed her lip, shaking her head and trying to hold in her laughter.

"Maybe we should move things to the basement," she answered, "for one, they won't hear us, and it'll be easier to clean up the evidence."

"Sounds like a plan," Shawn nodded, "what about you? Anything else come to mind?"

Kendall's hands fidgeted as she looked him over, wishing they didn't have to hide in the first place.

"I'm worried about Grace," she mumbled, "even though I had full grounds to end things after what she said to you, my stomach is telling me she doesn't see it that way."

"You don't think she's about to go psycho on us, do you?" Shawn asked.

"Not sure," Kendall shrugged, "but I think we should be mindful at the very least. I've never been on the receiving end of her insanity. Remember what she did to that guy who stole my nudes from Bradley's phone and shared them with his friends?"

"Oh, shit..." Shawn scratched his head nervously, recalling the debacle, "I sure do. Wonder how that guy's therapy is going."

"Bingo," Kendall nodded, "so let's keep an eye out for that. At least until we know she's not planning on retaliating."

As they discussed their new methods of keeping their relationship a secret, Kendall's phone suddenly lit up on the table. Bradley's name appeared, causing Kendall to look down and immediately screen the call. She sighed through her nose as she swiftly rejected it. Shawn looked down and saw his name just in time, and his eyes shot back toward hers with justified concern. Kendall returned his gaze, hoping the call would not upset him.

"Uh... How long's that been going on?" Shawn asked, pointing at her phone.

"A few days..." Kendall closed her eyes, shaking her head, wishing he hadn't seen the name.

Shawn stared at her, wondering why Bradley would ever have to call her again. It bothered him that Kendall said nothing about it, but he did not want to seem aggressive or paranoid.

"Have you talked to him?" He nervously asked.

Kendall shook her head, seemingly wanting to avoid the discussion altogether.

"Why does he keep calling then?" Shawn asked, growing concerned.

"I don't know, Shawn," she shrugged stressfully, "probably to do what every other douchebag ex does and ask me to take him back."

Shawn's eyes sank to the table as he struggled to fight off his insecurities about Bradley forcing his way back into Kendall's life. He could not deny that he was afraid of Bradley resurfacing with promises to be better, using his skills of manipulation to rope her back into the same game. What girl would say no to the lavish life he can buy them and his toned, good looks? Shawn knew he could never compare to Bradley in the areas most women cared about. Even if Shawn was a likable, more empathetic guy who treated everyone with more respect, none of that stacked up to money, opulent vacations, living in a luxury highrise, fine dining every week, a premium athletic club membership, and everything else Bradley could offer a partner. Shawn's average success, average looks, and general disinterest in going anywhere outside of his home made him feel very undesirable in comparison. At twenty-five years old, Bradley ran a highly successful company selling medical equipment to various facilities. His parents, who owned multiple businesses, funded his lift-off so he could run it without employees. He was a one-person business that raked in more money than any twenty-something would know what to do with, and he intentionally spoiled Kendall with it during their time together. Shawn couldn't help but acknowledge how easily a person could return to that if approached with a clever or sinister enough pitch.

"Hey," Kendall's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

When he looked at her, she peered into his eyes with a dire look.

"Don't think for one second I would ever give him another chance," she shook her head, "I don't care what he's calling about. I'm not answering."

Shawn forced his insecure thoughts aside, not wanting them to cause unneeded tension between them.

"Y- yeah, sorry..." He mumbled, "not sure why I care about that asshole. You did say he's out of our lives forever."

"Exactly," Kendall smirked, "nobody can take me away from you, especially not him."

Her words eased his heart as he looked into her gorgeous eyes, loving her gentle smile.

"Shit, I gotta go," Shawn mumbled after checking his phone and seeing the time.

"Okay," Kendall stood up and walked him to the door.

They awkwardly looked over one another, desperately wanting to hold each other before saying goodbye. But they understood the unforgiving rules and were unwilling to chance breaking them. Kendall curled her lips in with a troubled look, grabbing his shirt near his collar and moving closer to him. Shawn checked around them, looking alarmed and letting her know she could not advance further. Her grip slowly melted from his shirt as she chewed her lip, her eyes lowering. Her desire to kiss him was overwhelming, and it pained her to let him leave without feeling his lips against hers.

"Hey," Shawn's gentle voice whispered.

Kendall's eyes wandered back up to his, seeing his warm expression.

"I'm all yours when you get home," he smiled, "you got this, Weirdo."

Kendall's face lit up as she fought to keep her big, dumb smile from growing. Her heart fluttered listening to him.

"See you later tonight, okay?" He asked, finally opening the door to leave.

"'Kay..." Kendall sighed, watching him bolt down the hall he came from.

She exhaled hard through her mouth, heading back toward the time clock. The rest of her shift would undoubtedly drag because of how excited she was to come home and be able to touch her brother again. Her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket, causing her to groan with irritation, thinking it was Bradley calling again. When her eyes met the screen, it was a text message from him. Thoughts of deleting it without even reading crossed her mind, but her curiosity got the better of her. She swiped up with her thumb to read it.

"Fine. I get it. You don't want to talk. Just letting you know I'm taking you off the phone plan at the end of the month. You have eight days. Keep the phone."

Kendall sighed, rolling her eyes. She had forgotten that she was still on Bradley's phone plan using a phone he bought her. The more she thought about it, the more she realized everything he did for her was simply a means to have more control over her. It disgusted her that she gave so much of herself to someone who thought trinkets and luxury would forgive abuse and manipulation. A slight relief overcame her that Bradley was not reaching out to make her reconsider getting back together. That was a confrontation she was not ready for yet.

With a cigarette in her mouth and determination in her steps, Grace trotted down the sidewalk leading to Bradley's athletic fitness club. She knew he spent weekday afternoons there with his friends. After flicking her cigarette into the bushes, she swung the door open, peering across the room full of equipment for Bradley. Once spotted, she walked past the front desk toward him, recognizing him on the bench press. The man at the front desk immediately saw her flannel, fishnets, jean shorts, and boots, never having seen her a day in his life.

"Hey, excuse me!" He called out, walking after her, "members need to check in with their badge before entering the floor."

"I'm not a member," Grace grumbled, not stopping.

"Then I'll have to ask you to leave, ma'am. This is a membership-only fitness club," he responded, reaching for her arm.

She yanked her arm away from his grip, stopping in front of Bradley in the middle of his reps.

"We need to talk," she crossed her arms, glaring at him.

"I'm calling the police," the receptionist mumbled, pulling his phone out.

"Dan, it's fine," Bradley mumbled, sitting up and wiping the sweat from his face with the towel around his neck, giving Grace an uninterested look.

"You sure, Brad?" He asked, eyeballing Grace.

Bradley nodded, dismissing him. He returned to the front desk, giving her a rotten look, unable to challenge Bradley's say in that environment. Bradley owned a large share of the organization.

"Now she's sending her dogs after me, huh?" He asked, looking her over.

"Oh, I'm not here for her. I'm here because of her," Grace answered with an attitude.

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Bradley snickered with his pompous disposition, "you two don't like each other anymore?"

"Ugh, what did she see in you?" Grace sneered, shaking her head.

"I thought you said you weren't here to be her angry dog," he snarked, standing up.

Grace couldn't help but ogle his toned body as he reached for his water bottle, knowing she'd let him fuck her in a heartbeat no matter how vile he was. His devilish good looks were the undoing of many women, and she secretly always hated that Kendall attracted such sexy, Herculean men. Grace knew she was freakier and more experienced in bed than Kendall, but she never got the attention of guys like Bradley because Kendall was stunning in comparison. It irked Grace to her core.

"I'm not," she grunted, snapping out of it, "as far as I'm concerned, you're still the asshole that broke my best friend's heart. But circumstances have changed, and she threw me to the curb this morning. I wouldn't be here subjecting myself to you if there was another way."

"Another way to what?" Bradley asked, seeming uninterested as he navigated to his next machine.

Grace violently snatched his water bottle from his hand to get his attention. He turned around to face her, seeing the aggressive look on her face.

"You knew, didn't you?" She pointed his bottle menacingly at him, "you knew something was going on between them the whole time. That's why you dumped her when she ran home."

Bradley stepped toward her, suddenly invested in what she had to say.

"Are you saying Kendall cheated on me?" He asked with a firey look, grabbing his bottle back.

"Maybe not physically," Grace raised her eyebrow, "but yeah, technically. And you know who with."

Bradley said nothing. He looked around subtly, making sure nobody was paying attention to them. His hand wiped the sweat from his neck as her words punctured deeper into him than he ever thought possible. Bradley's mind briefly revisited his hatred for Shawn and how obsessed Kendall had always been with him. Grace had uncovered the source of his behavior toward her brother, and he did not enjoy her reading him like a book.

"Look, it had nothing to do with that fucking loser," he quietly grunted, his anger showing, "I left her because-"

"You're so full of shit," Grace cut him off, smirking victoriously and shaking her head, "admit it. You're a fucking jealous brat, and you knew she was in love with her brother the whole time."

Bradley looked her over with irritation, hating that Grace's psychotic wiring allowed her to figure everything out so quickly. He despised that Shawn remained the center of Kendall's universe no matter how much he spoiled and tried to keep her from him, but he never told anyone. A silent anger festered within him every time he thought about Shawn, and he did not want that feeling to return now that he and Kendall had broken up.

"Why are we even talking about this?" Bradley shook his head and continued to his next workout, "she and I are done. What does it matter?"

Grace swung around the machine, clinging to it with her arms up like a monkey.

"Don't you wanna catch them?" She asked with a daring tone.

Bradley gave her an appalled look over his shoulder as he gripped the handles.

"Catch them doing what?" He answered, "I told you we're through. What do I care what she does?"

"Maybe not what, but I know you care who she does," Grace retorted, bucking her hip.

He released the handles and stared at her, feeling her slowly draw the curiosity out of him. But Bradley was too proud to bend to her mind games. He shook his head, wiping the sweat from his face and ignoring her.

"Fine," Grace rolled her eyes, "I'll bet you he's building more muscle fucking her than you are lifting weights. See you around."

Bradley's eyes wandered to the ground, furiously bouncing around in thought, thinking about everything he hated being a reality. Grace spun around and quickly left the building, knowing what she had done. She smiled to herself on the sidewalk as she walked to her car, steadily counting down in her head. As adept as Bradley was at manipulating people, Grace knew she was the queen of toxicity. The door to the club slamming open behind her caused Grace to stop walking, keeping her back to the noise, waiting to hear him.

"How do you know?" Bradley's voice called down the sidewalk.

Grace turned to face him, crossing her arms with a sadistic smirk, seeing his bag over his shoulder.

"She still on your phone plan?" She casually asked.

"Yeah? Why?" Bradley responded with a shrug.

"Come on," Grace turned around and continued walking, "I'll drive."

"Drive where?" Bradley asked, jogging after her.

"I'll explain on the way," she answered, getting her keys out.

"Ugh, why do women treat their cars like this?" Bradley grumbled, climbing into the passenger seat and nearly choking on the smell.

Her car was a wasteland of cigarette butts, empty cups, and everything else imaginable. It was the physical personification of her personality: messy, ill-managed, and out of control.

"You bitch like a girl, you know that?" She responded coldly, "now tell me who your phone carrier is."

"Cloud Mobile..." He mumbled, disliking her attitude.

"Okay," Grace sighed, starting her car, "pretty sure there's one of those over on the west side."