Love Like This (The Romance Chronicles-Book #1)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Up in her room, Keira held her phone in her trembling hand and tried to calm her ragged breath. She dialed Shane's number, willing him to pick up, to stop blocking her out. But he didn't. The voicemail clicked on.

"Shane, it's me again. I know you don't want to speak to me but hear me out, please? There's so much I need to say. I know there's nothing I can say to make this okay. And I understand if you don't accept my apology. But I really care about you, Shane. And I'm leaving tomorrow. I don't want us to part like this, on this sour note. I need you to know how sorry I am. I wish I could go back in time and not write a single one of those awful words. I was wrong. I was being the snob you thought I was. But everything has changed now. Please, let's talk this through. I don't want to go without saying a proper goodbye."

She hung up. Leaving the message had been very difficult to do. But hadn't Simon and Sylvia told her the best course of action was honesty? She sounded nervous because she was, and there was nothing wrong with Shane knowing that.

She sat on the bed and stared at her phone, breathing deeply. She'd never felt so on edge; not when Zachary was losing it that day when she told him she was flying to Ireland; not even when Joshua had called her out and insulted her in front of the entire writing staff. She realized now that that was because she hadn't cared about either of those things even half as much as she thought she did. What she cared about was Shane. How had it taken her so long to realize? To accept her feelings toward him? She'd pretty much left it until the very last second! If Shane didn't call her back today it would be too late—she was flying home tomorrow; there would be no other chance to make amends.

She twiddled her fingers and watched her phone, willing it to ring. Then suddenly it did.

Keira's heart leapt into her throat. She grabbed the phone. But it wasn't Shane calling her back. It was Zachary.

Keira felt immediately enraged to see his name there. How dare he be calling her?

She was about to reject the call—neither wanting to hear Zach's voice or block up the line in case Shane did decide to call her back—but paused for a brief moment of reflection. Why would Zachary be calling her? Things had ended so sourly between them. For him to get in touch after all these weeks of silence worried her. Maybe it was something to do with the apartment they rented together? What if it was something even worse like his mom or sister being struck down with an illness? What if he'd been diagnosed with something terminal?

Realizing she was just going to work herself up into a frenzy by speculating, Keira reluctantly accepted the call.

"I didn't think you were going to pick up," Zach said.

It was so strange to hear his voice again.

"I wasn't sure I was going to," Keira replied. "Your voice isn't exactly one I've been wanting to hear."

"That's a bit harsh," Zach said.

"Is it?" Keira challenged him. "Were you really expecting me to be cordial after the way you treated me?"

Zach sighed. "I'm not calling you to drag up the past."

"I'm sure you aren't!" Keira said. "It paints you in a pretty bad light if I recall." She found that she was suddenly fuming. All the anger she'd had inside of her all this time was suddenly spilling out.

"Keira, can you just shut up for a minute?" Zach said. "I need to talk to you."

Keira was about to lay into him for his rudeness, but the tone of his voice concerned her. "What's happened? Is everything okay?"