A Sense of Guilt ✔

Chapter 55

Shannon stopped walking when she reached the ladies restroom. She slowly turned around to face Katherine, hiding her trepidation. She thanked god they were in a public place and things would hopefully not get too heated with so many people about. She took a couple of quick breaths to steady her nerves, wishing she'd thought to bring her drink with her.

'So you wanted to talk?' she asked as her heart pounded in her chest. She clasped her hands together and stood up straighter, grateful she was wearing skyscraper heels.

Katherine tilted her head looking down at her. 'I thought you might appreciate the opportunity to clear the air.'

Shannon scowled, finding her tone somewhat condescending. If Katherine wanted her to apologise then fine, she would say she was sorry but that was as far as it went. 'I'm not sure there's a whole lot we have to say to each other,' she said desperately searching for the right words. 'I'm sorry you got hurt, I'm sorry for my part in it but...'

'It's okay, I know you're not sorry that you've got Joe,' Katherine said her face inscrutable. 'If you hadn't wanted him you wouldn't have done what you did. Well, unless you're the type who goes after guys' who are in relationships.'

'I'm absolutely not that type.' Her voice sounded shrill to her own ears and she tried hard to swallow her indignation. Of course, she couldn't expect Katherine to think any differently. 'Look, I am sorry, I'm not proud of myself. I shouldn't have had anything to do with Joey until your relationship was over.'

Katherine waved her hand dismissively. 'If you'd done that then we'd be married by now and that would have been an even bigger calamity.'

'I see,' Shannon said although she did not.

'Yeah, you did me a favour, kind of, because at some point you'd have come back into Joe's life and he would have realised what he was missing.' Katherine closed her eyes giving Shannon just a hint of how she was feeling. 'You don't know how hard it is for me to admit that.'

'I'm-'

'Don't say you're sorry! I didn't drag you over here to haul you over the coals, if I was going to do that to anyone then I'd do it to Joe.'

Shannon breathed a sigh of relief. 'So why haven't you done that to him?' She had to admit Katherine had let Joe off the hook lightly, it had only been Joe's mom who'd experienced any real animosity from her.

'There's no point me speaking to Joe,' Katherine said and Shannon had to strain to hear her as the music went up. 'He'll stonewall me, besides I've humiliated myself enough where he's concerned.' She looked over to Joe's table. 'You guys must have had such a laugh at my expense, at how foolish I was trying to hold onto him.'

'No, we didn't,' Shannon said shifting her weight from one foot to the another. 'In a way, I wish I was more like you. The first time around I dumped Joey on a whim, thinking the grass was greener and all that.'

'Don't do that again.' Katherine took a deep breath. 'If you and Joe split up all this hurt will have been for nothing.' Shannon nodded, not daring to interrupt. 'I want to wish you well, I do wish you well. This move to London is probably what Joe needs, he needs to step out of his parents' shadow and be his own man.'

'Yes he does,' Shannon said feeling her heart rate slow as the conversation was coming to a close.

'And he needs to grow up,' Katherine added pointedly.

Shannon stifled a laugh, she guessed Katherine was entitled to the odd dig. 'Joey does have some growing up to do, we both do,' she admitted feeling like a school girl talking to a teacher. 'Thank you for wishing us well.'