Landon & Shep Have A Big Talk On 'Southern Charm'

Shep be nimble, Shep be quick, Shep jump over what Landon admitted to Cameran while making candlesticks (ugh, I’m sorry). On Monday evening’s edition of Southern Charm, one quasi-couple went their separate ways, and one half of a friendship confessed her feeling-feelings to the other. At the top of the hour, Shep and his not-girlfriend Bailey met up for wine and snacks, acknowledged that they were on different pages (Bailey wanted to be in an exclusive relationship, Shep wanted to keep doing his Shep thing), and called off their whole situation. “I love getting dumped,” Shep laughed into a napkin. Little did he know that another cast member wanted to do the opposite of dump him. Little did he know that just around the corner, Landon was waiting with a French press, a wine opener, and an “I love you.” Yep, Landon told Shep she was into him. And Shep said, "Why?"

Shortly after the quasi-breakup, Shep went to Landon's abode with a bottle of wine and announced that he was a free and single bird. Channeling the power of the candle making class heart-to-heart, Landon admitted that she was “a little jealous when [he] was getting serious with [Bailey].” Shep asked why. Remembering the advice Cameran's words of wisdom, Landon replied,“Maybe I love you.”

When Shep heard this, he almost choked on his wine. And when I saw Shep almost choke on his wine, my jaw went into full-on clench mode. Welp, this is going be an uncomfortable scene.

After a few moments of strained silence, Shep asked Landon why she thought she loved him.

“I’ve loved you for a long time,” she insisted.

“You have?”

The rest of the scene was a blur of awkward pauses and stammering. A blur of very polite awkward pauses and stammering. After what felt like 45 minutes of uncomfortable dialogue about settling down and not settling down and not expecting this reveal and friendship and why why why, Shep told his close pal that he felt bad about all of this. Landon didn’t want Shep to feel bad. I didn't want anyone to feel bad. They exchanged a very polite and very awkward goodbye, and that was that. In a talking head, Landon said she wasn't expecting The Notebook, but eesh. The big "I love you" reveal ended not with a bang, but a lot of tepid smiles.

A few nights later, while seated at Patricia's marzipan chauvinist pig-adorned dining table, Shep told his buddies and the host about his conversation with Landon. And then, a sliver of hope pushed its way past the whys and the spittakes: Patricia recommended Shep just “see what happens” with his dear friend. I nodded along (what can I say? I'm a full-on Lash shipper now). Shep didn't shoot this idea down entirely. Shep seemed a little more open to pursuing something than the spit up wine would suggest.

You know what that means, right?

The dream of Lash lives on to see another episode!

Images: Charles Sykes/Bravo; gifs-for-the-masses, littlemissrambles/tumblr