A Sense of Guilt ✔

Chapter 13

Shannon got up the next day her head pounding. However, she couldn't help but smile when she thought of Joe. She told herself not to be so stupid, he was with someone else, but when she remembered how she'd been moping over her ex Mark it did raise her spirits somewhat. She checked her phone hoping for a message from Joe but there was only a brief text from Donnie suggesting they meet up. She went into the kitchen to make some coffee when her phone rang.

'Hello?' she answered without paying attention to the screen.

'Hi babe,' a familiar voice said and she felt warm inside. So she was 'babe' again.

'Hiya Joey, what are you up to?'

'I'm on domestic duty today,' he said in a hushed voice. 'I wanted to check you were ok.'

'Well of course I am.' She wasn't going to go all Fatal Attraction on him.

'I kinda hoped I wasn't that easy to forget.'

'Who said I forgot?' She smiled. 'Maybe I'm thinking of you right now.'

'Yeah...Good cos I'm thinking of you right now.'

'You are?'

'I know I shouldn't be. I should be thinking about colour schemes and wedding lists, and all that shit but actually I'm thinking of you.' She held her breath. 'And what you're wearing or not wearing.'

She let out a giggle. 'Joey please don't try to engage in phone sex cos that sort of thing was never your forte.'

'Yeah I know,' he said more seriously again. 'I'm just telling you the truth.'

'And what about Katherine?' He was talking to her like a single guy.

'God I don't know,' he admitted. 'This feels like something else.'

'Something else?' Shannon asked frowning. 'You make it sound like something is going on.'

'Isn't there?'

'I thought last night was the past,' Shannon said with a firmness she didn't feel. 'A nostalgic one night stand?' That's what she'd been telling herself, she couldn't allow herself to get hurt again.

'Well maybe I want a repeat performance,' he said lightly.

'No way! I won't be your last fling.' She knew that would only lead to heartache.

There was a long pause and then Joe spoke again. 'Say I was thinking of more than that, I could be making a big mistake here.'

She took the phone from her ear for a moment, not wanting to listen. 'Well if you think you're making a mistake you need to sort that out without my influence.'

'Yeah I know, but I still like you Shan, well more than that, and I'm trying to figure this out.'

'Well, it's best that you do that by yourself. I'll see you around.' She quickly hung up on him. It pained her to do so but no way was she going to set herself up to be his bit on the side. Whatever feelings she had for him, she had more self-respect than that.

~~~~

Joe looked at his phone as if he was expecting some sort of answer to jump out of it. He couldn't believe that a few months ago he'd been all set on the path he was taking and now he wracked with doubts. He'd been telling himself he barely knew Shannon, he was simply remembering the girl she was, but after last night that was a joke. There was a part of him that wanted to be with her, but he also wanted to be with Katherine. That couldn't have changed overnight.

'Joe, why don't we stay home today?' Katherine suggested interrupting his thoughts.

'Yeah sure.'