Unexpected Reunion

The Talk with Shane

           "Shane, I didn't expect to see you here!"  He rubbed his arm.

"Yeah, I'm sorry to just drop by, I will go if you are busy." He went to turn around, but I grabbed his arm. 

"No, don't go. Do you want to come in it's just Linda and Katie left?"

He nodded his head. "Alright, I mean if it's ok with you."

"Yes, it's fine, come on in."  He walked past me into the living room. "You can have a seat on the couch, and I'll be right back." I watched as he sat down, he looked so sad, and I know that was my fault.

When I went into the kitchen Linda and Katie were putting food in the fridge.  "Guys, you will never believe who is here."  They both turned to look at me.

"Shane is here in the living room right now."  Their eyes went wide.

Linda came over to me first. "What are you going to say to him?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know, I mean I didn't expect to see him here."  Katie walked over to me and hugged me. 

"We will give you some privacy. Good luck and remember just speak from your heart." I nodded and then hugged Linda.

"Good luck girly. Call us if you need us."

"I will you two. Thank you for today, it was super fun!"  

"You're welcome!"  We walked out into the living room and Shane was standing by the gift table looking at all the baby stuff. Katie went up to him and hugged him.

"I'm glad you came to talk to her, you two needed it."  He nodded his head but didn't say anything.

After I walked them out and closed the door, I took a deep breath. I wish that I could drink right now.

I walked into the living room. "So, Shane, would you like something to eat, there is plenty." 

He shook his head. "No thanks, I'm good. I see that you had your baby shower.  Hope you got a lot of stuff for the baby."  

I felt the tears trying to fight their way up, but I pushed them back down. "Yea, I did. I didn't know a baby needed this much stuff!"

He chuckled, "well I'm sure your baby will be super spoiled. Speaking of, I brought something from my mom, I placed it on the gift table."  I went and sat down across from him on the couch.

"Shane, what brings you by? I hear nothing from you all these weeks and you just show up out of the blue, what gives? Thank you for the gift from your mom, but I mean you just disappeared." He stared at me for a moment before standing back up.

I heard him take a deep breath. "Look Saint, I'm sorry I ghosted you. I was hurt and I didn't handle things very well. I mean I love you so much and the thought of you with him just rips me to pieces."  I felt a tear slip out while he was talking.

"I'm not trying to make you sad, I just want you to know how I feel."  That was when he sat down next to me and grabbed my hands.

"I took some time to think it over and I think that I would like us to maybe start over.  I know that it will take some time and effort but I'm willing to put the time in.  Being away from you these past weeks has been horrible. I'm sorry for not being here."

I squeezed his hands. "Shane, you have nothing, and I mean nothing to apologize for. I screwed up, we had a really good thing going and I threw it away like an idiot.  I never set out to be with Damon again, I didn't mean to hurt you.  I can never express how sorry I am for the hurt I caused you."

He kissed my hand.  "Do you think that there is a chance that we could try again? I mean you still love me, right?"

I nodded my head. "Of course I still love you, I never stopped." I stopped talking then because as I said it, I wasn't sure if I one hundred percent meant that anymore. I mean did I love Shane yes but was I still in love with him? I don't think that I was. I am such a terrible person. 

Just then he reached down and found the DVD of my ultrasound. "Can you see the baby on this?"

 I nodded my head. "Yes, you can, and you can hear the heartbeat."

He looked at me with hopeful eyes.  "Do you think that we could watch it just once?"

"I don't know Shane, I mean there is that possibility it isn't yours and I don't want to get your hopes up.

"I am ok Saint, I promise. I would like to see it. If that's ok with you."  I nodded my head, and he went to go put the DVD in. I watched his face light up when the little bean popped up on the screen and when the heartbeat started, his eyes filled up with tears.

"Saint, that is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I can't believe that little thing is a part of you and maybe me."  I placed my hand on his.

"Shane, if it is not yours, I will be forever sorry for the hurt I caused you. I hope that you know that." He nodded his head but would not take his eyes off the screen.

 "I know that Saint."

"I'm going to get a ginger ale, my stomach is a little queasy. Would you like anything?"  He shook his head.

 "No thank you." I got up and went out into the kitchen. I grabbed my drink and stood at the counter. This was everything I wanted Shane to say to me, but I think he may have been too late with it all. I looked out in the yard and saw the tire swing moving in the wind.  

It was then that I remembered whose face I saw when Ava pointed that gun at me. Just then Shane came up and placed his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.

"I think we can make this work Saint, I really do."  I took a deep breath and turned around to look up into his eyes. I know what I was about to say would be final.

"Shane, when Ava had her gun pointed at me, I thought that I was a goner. All my friend's faces went through my head because I thought that I would never see them again.  And then I saw one face that I didn't think I would ever see again. I saw us at our wedding that I never thought I would make it too. And I saw them holding our new baby right after it was born."

He cupped my face. "Whose face did you see Saint?"  I felt my eyes filling with tears and they started to fall down my face. Shane dropped his hand and backed away from me.

"I see, I take it that it wasn't my face you saw?" I started to slowly shake my head.

"I'm so sorry Shane, but I have to be honest. I have to follow my heart and my heart belongs to Damon."  I saw the tears in his eyes, and it was breaking my heart to hurt his man.

"So, this is the end of you and me.  What if this baby is mine then?"  I placed my hand on my stomach. Damon was right, not that I'd tell him that, but I could feel that this was his baby.

"If this baby is yours, you can be in its life as much as you want. I will never keep them from you. I would want my baby to know exactly who their daddy is."

He leaned forward and kissed the top of my head. "Thank you, Saint. I think that I'm going to get going. Will you make sure to call me when you get the paternity results?"

I nodded my head. "Of course, I will Shane. Again, I am sorry for all of this. You didn't deserve any of this." He wrapped his arms around me as I cried.

"It's ok Saint. I understand. You can't help who you love, no matter how much you think we can. Thank you for your honesty. I would rather have my heart broken now instead of later.  I am appreciative of all the time I had with you, and I will never forget it. Someone special will show up someday.  I hope you will be happy Saint. I know that you will make an amazing mama." With that, he kissed my forehead one more time and was out the door.

I can't believe that this is it with Shane. I will never see him again. Unless this baby is his, which I have to admit I don't think is. I looked out the window and watched as he drove away and then I went and called Katie who said she would be right over.

She and Linda showed up 45 minutes later and they just sat with me while I vented and cried for the last time over Shane. I hope that his someone special shows up quickly to help mend the damage I did to his heart.