A Sense of Guilt ✔

Chapter 45

'Shannon? Hello, how are you?' Mark said smoothly as if he was oblivious to the effect his call would have on her. 

Shannon swallowed hard, her throat constricting. 'Mark, what do you want?' she asked trying to keep her voice even.

'Can't I call to see how you are?'

She rolled her eyes at Kelly. 'You haven't called in over a year, so why now? And why are you hiding your number?'

'I didn't think you'd take my call if you knew it was me.'

'You got that right!'

'Don't be like that,' he said a note of irritation entering his voice. 'We had some good times together.'

Shannon scoffed, and Kelly stood closer to her to hear their conversation.

'Do you care to remind me off those good times?' Shannon asked feeling a surge of fury. 'Cos right now I'm remembering my twenty-third birthday, and Christmas in Paris, and-'

'Spare me, I've heard this all before.'

Shannon exhaled sharply. 'Spare you? Excuse me, you called me! If you don't want to be reminded about how you left me in a hotel in New York by myself, on my birthday, while you went out and got drunk, then don't call me.'

'That wasn't what happened,' Mark said impatiently. 'You forgot your ID, and you went back to the hotel to get it. It's not my fault you decided to spend the evening sulking in our room.'

Shannon began to shake with indignation. She remembered her birthday vividly. Yes, she had forgotten her ID but when she'd suggested they go for a meal or something, Mark had flat out refused, telling her to go back to the hotel to get it. She'd begged him to go with her but he'd gone for a drink instead. Once she'd got back to their room she'd called him, and her calls had gone unanswered. In the end, she'd ordered from room service, furious that as usual, he'd put himself first again. He'd not returned to the hotel until the early hours of the morning, blind drunk, and the following day had been a right off as he recovered from his hangover. It was an all too familiar occurrence.

'You know that wasn't what happened,' she said furiously. 'You couldn't defend yourself then, and you can't now.'

Mark let out an exasperated sigh. 'You're such a child Shannon, why can't you let the past go?'

'Seriously,' she said snapped. 'The thirty-year-old man child thinks I'm a child?'

He let out a long sigh. 'Shannon I didn't call you to exchange recriminations.'

She bit down her anger. 'So why did you call?'

'You still follow me on social media right?'

Shannon snorted. 'I don't actively follow you, no,' she said wondering where he was going. 'I can't recall if I've unfollowed you.' She hadn't, natural curiosity had stopped her, but she wasn't going to tell him that.

'Right, I wasn't sure but I wanted to give you a heads up.'

'I'm not following,' she said as Kelly leaned even closer to her to hear.

'Natalie's gonna make an announcement.' 

Shannon's heart sank at the mention of his girlfriend. No doubt they were going to announce their engagement, her former friend and her ex-boyfriend. She couldn't say she was surprised but it pained her all the same.

'Am I supposed to say congratulations?' she asked quietly.

Mark cleared his throat. 'You could, I guess. I thought you'd be upset?'