Part Ten
Belle felt like she could cry as she hung up the phone. Hope had just called her to tell her that Shawn was going to go to college in California. It had been almost a month since they'd talked to each other. They'd seen each other a lot, though. Every time Belle looked into his eyes, she saw the immense pain she knew she had caused him. She didn't know what to say to him. What could she say to him? That she had changed her mind, that she wanted to marry him and spend the rest of her life with him? She loved him to death and would do anything for him, but she was not ready to marry him. She had no idea what she wanted out of her life. While she couldn't see herself married to anybody but Shawn, she wasn't ready to say that she could marry him or that she would.
The future was unforeseen.
She wanted to call him. She wanted to talk him into staying. They had had numerous conversations about how they would be able to keep their relationship since they were both going to SU. Now she wasn't even sure if they still counted as "together" anymore. She wanted to remind him how much she loved him, but she knew better than to do that. Instead, she got into her car and drove to the Brady Pub, where everyone was going to say good- bye to Shawn. His plane was leaving that afternoon and she had JUST found out. She couldn't believe no one had told her. If she had let herself think too much on that one she would have been really angry about that.
As she entered the Pub, she saw Mimi giving Shawn a hug. His luggage was right by the door. He was all ready to leave. Everyone looked as sad as Belle felt, even Shawn.
Shawn was the first to see Belle standing in the doorway. The smile he had just given to Mimi faded and everyone curiously turned to see what he saw.
The room became silent. Belle looked around and then turned her eyes back to Shawn. She moved to approach him. She stood right before him, and they looked into each other's eyes. Everyone else watched on, hopeful that what was about to happen would make Shawn decide to stay. No one knew what had happened between them--not even their parents or best friends.
Belle looked into his eyes. "Shawn, can I talk to you?" she whispered. He just stared back at her, wondering what she was going to stay. "Please don't go," she went on, still in a whisper. "Stay."
She saw the tears forming in his eyes, and she felt tears rolling down her cheeks. He continued to look into her eyes. "I can't. I have to go now, my dad's taking me to the airport."
With that, he moved away from her, leaving her there to cry by herself. Mimi rushed over to her to comfort her. She turned and watched Shawn hug Doug and Julie good-bye and then Shawn and Caroline. Then he turned to Hope. She was crying.
"Mom, don't cry. I'll come back for Christmas and summer every year, I promise." Hope nodded and then hugged her son for what she felt like would be the last time. Shawn looked at his dad, and as he grabbed his luggage, gave one last wave good-bye.
Belle looked on as Shawn walked out the door--and out of her life. She couldn't believe he was gone. She knew he had been accepted to a university in California, but she never thought that if they broke up, he would go. But he had gone.
Shawn sat in the car as his dad started up the car.
"You sure you wanna go, son?" Bo asked as he pulled away.
Shawn looked at his dad, not really sure of anything. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure."
"Gonna miss you." Shawn hadn't seen Bo look so sad in a long time.
"I'll miss you and Mom and JT too. And a lot of other people."
"What happened between you and Belle?"
"We broke up."
"Yeah, but what happened? Why did you break up?"
"Let's just say we both wanted different things, and it wasn't negotiable."
TBC
Belle felt like she could cry as she hung up the phone. Hope had just called her to tell her that Shawn was going to go to college in California. It had been almost a month since they'd talked to each other. They'd seen each other a lot, though. Every time Belle looked into his eyes, she saw the immense pain she knew she had caused him. She didn't know what to say to him. What could she say to him? That she had changed her mind, that she wanted to marry him and spend the rest of her life with him? She loved him to death and would do anything for him, but she was not ready to marry him. She had no idea what she wanted out of her life. While she couldn't see herself married to anybody but Shawn, she wasn't ready to say that she could marry him or that she would.
The future was unforeseen.
She wanted to call him. She wanted to talk him into staying. They had had numerous conversations about how they would be able to keep their relationship since they were both going to SU. Now she wasn't even sure if they still counted as "together" anymore. She wanted to remind him how much she loved him, but she knew better than to do that. Instead, she got into her car and drove to the Brady Pub, where everyone was going to say good- bye to Shawn. His plane was leaving that afternoon and she had JUST found out. She couldn't believe no one had told her. If she had let herself think too much on that one she would have been really angry about that.
As she entered the Pub, she saw Mimi giving Shawn a hug. His luggage was right by the door. He was all ready to leave. Everyone looked as sad as Belle felt, even Shawn.
Shawn was the first to see Belle standing in the doorway. The smile he had just given to Mimi faded and everyone curiously turned to see what he saw.
The room became silent. Belle looked around and then turned her eyes back to Shawn. She moved to approach him. She stood right before him, and they looked into each other's eyes. Everyone else watched on, hopeful that what was about to happen would make Shawn decide to stay. No one knew what had happened between them--not even their parents or best friends.
Belle looked into his eyes. "Shawn, can I talk to you?" she whispered. He just stared back at her, wondering what she was going to stay. "Please don't go," she went on, still in a whisper. "Stay."
She saw the tears forming in his eyes, and she felt tears rolling down her cheeks. He continued to look into her eyes. "I can't. I have to go now, my dad's taking me to the airport."
With that, he moved away from her, leaving her there to cry by herself. Mimi rushed over to her to comfort her. She turned and watched Shawn hug Doug and Julie good-bye and then Shawn and Caroline. Then he turned to Hope. She was crying.
"Mom, don't cry. I'll come back for Christmas and summer every year, I promise." Hope nodded and then hugged her son for what she felt like would be the last time. Shawn looked at his dad, and as he grabbed his luggage, gave one last wave good-bye.
Belle looked on as Shawn walked out the door--and out of her life. She couldn't believe he was gone. She knew he had been accepted to a university in California, but she never thought that if they broke up, he would go. But he had gone.
Shawn sat in the car as his dad started up the car.
"You sure you wanna go, son?" Bo asked as he pulled away.
Shawn looked at his dad, not really sure of anything. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure."
"Gonna miss you." Shawn hadn't seen Bo look so sad in a long time.
"I'll miss you and Mom and JT too. And a lot of other people."
"What happened between you and Belle?"
"We broke up."
"Yeah, but what happened? Why did you break up?"
"Let's just say we both wanted different things, and it wasn't negotiable."
TBC