foolish mouth that last time we spoke contained not so much as an iota of truth. There’s so much more and I hope you’ll give me a chance to explain but nothing else is more important than this ….I’ve missed you, Shannon.”
His eyes and the message they sent were riveting and he seemed so moved and genuine in what he was saying but at the same time the thought screaming through Shannon’s head was he missed me ? Really, he missed me? He said that as if my absence from his life was somehow my decision. As if I had gone off and left him. As if he had the right to miss me because I was the one who’d gone away. She wanted to strangle him in that moment.
Something long denied snapped inside her; not being able to stop herself she bit out at him, “You missed me?” a bit more hysterically than she’d intende d. “That’s what you have to say? You missed me?”
All the hurt and pain which had visited her over the past eight years piled into her lap as a reminder of what he put her through. She turned on him with anger blazing in her eyes and said , “Explain to me exactly how you could miss something that you voluntarily threw away?”
Whatever Nick expected it certainly wasn’t that. H e had to hand it to her; she never was one to dance around the subject. Whatever she felt, you knew about it because she sure as hell was going to let you know. Any fool who took her sexy good looks, tousled blond hair, expressive turquoise eyes and sweet as hell bow tie lips for granted and thought that she was an empty airheaded female was in for a huge surprise. This little lady really did pack quite a wallop.
Taking a deep breath then heaving a bottomless sigh, Nick was sure there was more to come, and there was.
“I’m glad for all your help today, Nick and I thank you for your assistance.” she thundered in a prissy, prim , mother superior voice as she tried to look down her nose at him. She drew a shroud of long-ago hurt and pain around her like a cloak before continuing.
“But don’t think for a second that accepting your assistance in a crisis means that I’ve forgotten your cruelty when we parted. You made your contempt for me and our relationship quite plain, quite clear. And thank you very much, that’s not something I’m likely to forget.”
The unladylike snort of disbelief which followed pretty much summed up what she thought of his admission. Shaking her head in disbelief she muttered, “You missed me? Cut me a break.”
“Shannon, we clearly need to talk. I understand your anger and your disappointment in the way I behaved. Hell sweetheart, if I’m being honest I’m angry and disappointed in the way I behaved towards you too. You deserved better. WE deserved more and I grant you that I didn’t handle myself or the situation I found myself in very well.”
Sitting back some in his chair to lessen the intensity of a conversation which had the potential to get fiery, emotional and out of control if they weren’t both careful, Nick opted for calm sincerity; hoping that right here and right now he could defuse some of her anger and disillusionment . Before he could get another word out in his defense she erupted in an emotional tirade that shut him up pretty damn quick.
“You want honesty Nick? Really? That’s what you want? Let me give you a little of my honesty . ” she spat out in a blazing blow by blow account of how devastated she’d been by his denial of their love affair.
“You were the sun the moon and the stars to me, and while I realize that’s a bunch of romantic foolishness , it’s how I felt. I will grant you that I’m responsible for my own feelings but I have also had to totally own the fact that while you were my universe I was your…well, I don’t even know what.”
She was mad, that was clear. He had to let her be mad and he had to allow her to vent on him because after all, it was his actions that brought all this about. He had decided for her; made conclusions
His eyes and the message they sent were riveting and he seemed so moved and genuine in what he was saying but at the same time the thought screaming through Shannon’s head was he missed me ? Really, he missed me? He said that as if my absence from his life was somehow my decision. As if I had gone off and left him. As if he had the right to miss me because I was the one who’d gone away. She wanted to strangle him in that moment.
Something long denied snapped inside her; not being able to stop herself she bit out at him, “You missed me?” a bit more hysterically than she’d intende d. “That’s what you have to say? You missed me?”
All the hurt and pain which had visited her over the past eight years piled into her lap as a reminder of what he put her through. She turned on him with anger blazing in her eyes and said , “Explain to me exactly how you could miss something that you voluntarily threw away?”
Whatever Nick expected it certainly wasn’t that. H e had to hand it to her; she never was one to dance around the subject. Whatever she felt, you knew about it because she sure as hell was going to let you know. Any fool who took her sexy good looks, tousled blond hair, expressive turquoise eyes and sweet as hell bow tie lips for granted and thought that she was an empty airheaded female was in for a huge surprise. This little lady really did pack quite a wallop.
Taking a deep breath then heaving a bottomless sigh, Nick was sure there was more to come, and there was.
“I’m glad for all your help today, Nick and I thank you for your assistance.” she thundered in a prissy, prim , mother superior voice as she tried to look down her nose at him. She drew a shroud of long-ago hurt and pain around her like a cloak before continuing.
“But don’t think for a second that accepting your assistance in a crisis means that I’ve forgotten your cruelty when we parted. You made your contempt for me and our relationship quite plain, quite clear. And thank you very much, that’s not something I’m likely to forget.”
The unladylike snort of disbelief which followed pretty much summed up what she thought of his admission. Shaking her head in disbelief she muttered, “You missed me? Cut me a break.”
“Shannon, we clearly need to talk. I understand your anger and your disappointment in the way I behaved. Hell sweetheart, if I’m being honest I’m angry and disappointed in the way I behaved towards you too. You deserved better. WE deserved more and I grant you that I didn’t handle myself or the situation I found myself in very well.”
Sitting back some in his chair to lessen the intensity of a conversation which had the potential to get fiery, emotional and out of control if they weren’t both careful, Nick opted for calm sincerity; hoping that right here and right now he could defuse some of her anger and disillusionment . Before he could get another word out in his defense she erupted in an emotional tirade that shut him up pretty damn quick.
“You want honesty Nick? Really? That’s what you want? Let me give you a little of my honesty . ” she spat out in a blazing blow by blow account of how devastated she’d been by his denial of their love affair.
“You were the sun the moon and the stars to me, and while I realize that’s a bunch of romantic foolishness , it’s how I felt. I will grant you that I’m responsible for my own feelings but I have also had to totally own the fact that while you were my universe I was your…well, I don’t even know what.”
She was mad, that was clear. He had to let her be mad and he had to allow her to vent on him because after all, it was his actions that brought all this about. He had decided for her; made conclusions
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