Chapter 12- Never Letting Go

Shannon stepped into Boone's room. He was sitting on his bed in a black and white button down shirt, and a pair of khakis.

Shannon smiled, "You look sexy."

Boone sat up, "You look nice to Shannon."

Shannon flipped her hair off of her shoulder, and then did a little spin. "Nice? Boone I gave you sexy, can I get that back?"

Boone gave her a half smile, "Okay, you look um…"

Shannon raised an eyebrow, "Say it."

Boone shook his head and then got back to his journal.

Shannon walked over to him, her high heels clanked on the floor as she sat down on the bed next to him. "Tell me I look sexy,"

Boone closed his journal, "Shannon are you that needy, come on."

"I'm not needy."

Boone stood up, Shannon tugged on the pant leg of his khakis.

"Yeah Shannon?"

Shannon let go, "Forget it, just don't worry about it."

Boone paused, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, when are we going to dinner? I'm starved."

"Well we have to wait for Isabella to come back from shopping." Boone lit some candles on his desk.

"Are you trying to seduce me?"

Boone laughed, "Shannon have you been drinking."

"Maybe, I threw back a couple of Cosmos,"

Boone scowled, "No more,"

"You can't tell me how much to drink."

"I don't want to have to babysit you tonight, you know how you are when you get drunk."

Shannon ran her hands through her hair, and then leaned forward. "At least I can control myself."

Boone remained silent, and then lit the last candle. He turned off the light and then flipped on the radio.

Shannon smiled as Luther Vandross filtered throughout the room. "Are you sure you're not trying to seduce me?"

"No,"

Shannon kicked off her heels, and then relaxed on Boone's bed. "You set a romantic setting Boone."

"Shannon, c'mon…"

"Boone, why don't you come over here."

"After a while it gets old Shannon, coming onto me and then pushing me away."

"I'm not coming onto you…I don't even know why I try." Shannon got up and then stormed out of the room.

"Shannon wait," Boone said walking after her.

Shannon ran down the stairs.

Boone followed after her. "Where are you going?"

Shannon stepped into the foyer, and then turned around to face him. "To the beach, It's boring here."

"Why is it boring."

"Because you're not giving me the attention I need and deserve."

Boone smirked, "I wish I had a tape recorder. You should hear some of the things that comes out of your mouth."

Shannon flicked him off, "Maybe I shouldn't have come."

"And what's with the sudden change of attitude,"

Shannon sighed, "I don't feel like dealing with this right now."

Boone looked down at his watch, "Why is she so late?"

Shannon smiled smugly back at Boone, "Maybe she's meeting with that Sawyer guy, or maybe even another man."

"Shannon," He muttered walking back upstairs.

"Where are you going?" Shannon complained.

"I'm going upstairs to call her."

"Maybe you shouldn't." Shannon suggested.

"Why not?"

Shannon ran up the stairs, and then grabbed his hand. "Why don't you show me around the place, the beach is always nice at night."

"Shannon…"

Shannon scowled, "C'mon Boone what's the point of sitting around and waiting for her like a lost puppy, come with me and let's go take a walk on the beach."

"Shannon…"

Shannon grabbed his hand. "Follow me."

Boone gave in and allowed Shannon to lead him to the door.

Shannon opened the door. "This is a romantic place you know."

Boone nodded, "Yeah…"

Shannon opened the door for him, "Ladies first."

Boone groaned and then stepped out first. Shannon locked the door behind her.

"It feels so good, it's not to hot…it's just perfect."

Boone glanced out towards the ocean. He wanted a drink. He clenched his jaw, but he hadn't had so much as a beer in three months.

Shannon wrapped her arm around his lower back. "It's so much better without her here."

Boone remained silent.

Shannon turned to him and then rested her chin on his shoulder, "I think she's cheating on you."

"Why would you say something like that?"

"Why would she go to the mall, and stay there for such a long time, when she had you to undress later," Shannon said with a giggle as she brought her lips to Boone's ear.

"I know what you're trying to do, and it's not working."

Shannon nuzzled against Boone's neck. "You let people walk all over you, and that's what she's doing."

Boone tried to push Shannon away, but she grabbed onto his sleeve with viper like force. "Listen to me Boone, she's cheating on you."

Boone stared back at Shannon in hurt, "I wonder about your intentions sometimes."

Shannon raised her chin, "What do you mean?"

"Do you enjoy seeing me down? Do you…"

Shannon silenced him with a kiss. She held her hand behind his head, and then forced her lips onto his. Tasting every crevice of Boone's mouth, she refused to let him go.

Boone tried to pull away from her, but Shannon placed her other free hand on his back.

"I love you," She said.

Boone pushed her away. "Shannon…no you don't."

"How can you tell me what I love and what I don't!"

"If you cared about me then…"

"Then what?" Shannon challenged.

Boone looked down.

"I would lie and say I was going shopping when I was actually seeing another man."

"You just hate the fact that I'm happy and you're not!"

Shannon closed her mouth. Her eyebrows furrowed low over her eyes, and she stared back at him wounded. "What,"

Boone placed his hand to his forehead. "I just want to work things out."

Shannon lashed out at him and then pushed him backwards.

Boone stumbled back, "I didn't mean that…"

"Yes you did! You did you ass!" She pushed him again.

Boone grabbed Shannon's arms, "What do you expect from me? You love me one second and then you hate me the next. Loving you is like an emotional roller coaster, I don't want to love you."

Shannon started to cry. "Then hate me! Wish me dead!"

Boone crossed his arms, "Real smooth Shannon, throw a hissy fit now, wake up everyone in the neighborhood why don't you."

"Let them wake up! I don't care!" Shannon screamed. She ran towards Boone and then tackled him towards the ground.

Boone and Shannon fell backwards into the surf that was lapping onto shore.

"You want to marry her don't you! You think she makes you happy, and you label me as the thorn in your side," Shannon cried hysterically as she cupped his face.

"Shannon, you messed up my clothes."

Shannon laughed maniacally. "And that's all you care about, you're clothes! What about me Boone! What about me?"

Boone tried to get up, but Shannon pinned him down.

The water rolled over his face.

Boone lifted his head gagging and choking on the ocean water.

Shannon pulled him up by the shirt. "You don't want to marry her,"

Boone looked away from her, "And if I don't do you think I'll be happy with you."

Shannon pouted, "You'd be miserable."

Boone tried to get up again, "I can't give someone love that doesn't love me back."

Shannon wiped at the tears with the back of her hand, "You think it's so easy to be me huh? You don't know what I go through, you don't…"

Boone shot up, "Did you almost die? Did you have the one person that you thought you loved leave you in a hospital to die! No, you didn't if that was you then I would've been there for you…I would've…"

"You don't know the half of what I go through, so don't you dare Boone!"

"What's the worst huh? You missed a sale, your husband took your money? The man I warned you not to marry. But you didn't listen."

"Shut up!"

"You know I'm right," Boone said.

Shannon stood there, crying and holding her body with her arms.

Boone looked down. He meant everything he said, but he didn't want to hurt her. Boone pulled off his damp shirt, and then stepped closer to Shannon. "We should go back in."

Shannon wiped at her face, "I don't want you to marry her,"

"It's too late for that."

"Boone, don't you dare propose to her!"

Boone clenched his jaw, "I need to settle down, maybe that's what I need to complete myself…"

"You need me." Shannon pleaded, she placed her hands on his arms and dug her nails into his skin. "I can take care of you."

Boone shook his head, "No, all you can do is leave me with holes…I need someone to complete me, not tear me apart."

"Give me that chance…I can change, I can try…just don't marry her."

Boone shook his head, as Shannon traced her hand against his lips.

"You're mine and you always have been." Shannon whispered.

Boone stared into her eyes. "You don't own me…"

Shannon silenced him with another kiss, she reached for his hands and forced them around her waist. "You know how I feel about you,"

"Actually I don't." Boone slowly pulled away from her.

Shannon bit the inside of her cheek. "I'll show you how much I love you before you even get the chance to walk down the aisle with her."

Boone looked away, "And even if I am with you, how will the world look at us…"

"Screw them, we're not blood related, and we didn't even live together that long, besides the only thing that matters is us…remember our pact."

"We were kids when we made that pact."

"So," Shannon said wiping away the last of her tears. "I still feel the same and I know you do too."

Boone ran his hands down her cheek, "I'm sorry Shan, but things have changed."

Shannon watched as Boone walked away from her. She placed her hand to her damp hair, and then placed her hand to her mouth as she cried again. Boone was not going to marry Isabella, because she was going to destroy their relationship. She loved Boone to much to let him go, especially when he was the last thing she had to hold onto.

(Hey SumMeRiTh, Silverwind 24, sunny 102, Saraiyu, Kristen, lily, and Give Love a Break, thanks a lot for reviewing! You'll are great! And I hope you liked the update!)