The Matchmaker

Chapter 10

Shannon miserably walked inside the house. The whole night had been a complete disaster and she had hurt her best friend as a result of it.

Finally admitting she had let the situation go too far she rested her head on the wall as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. What surprised her most was Brian’s confession. She had the inkling that he had feelings for her but had hoped so much it wasn’t the case. Now that she was faced with the realisation that it was true made her feel completely wretched.

As much as it pained her, she let herself think back on their conversation.

What Brian had said was true yet it had taken her many years to accept it. It had to take losing a best friend to help her to wake up to it. What surprised her though was that for once she didn’t feel any anger. She had been full of anger since her mother’s death and even though she never actively thought about it, it was always in the back of her mind. If anything reminded her of the past it would bring that anger bubbling to the surface. That anger had been replaced by hurt and it tore her heart in two. She wished she still had the anger, she had learnt to control that. She had no idea how to control the hurt.

The sound of the phone ringing brought her back to her senses. The footsteps from the lounge told her that her father was still awake. She dashed to her bedroom and locked herself in. Throwing herself on her bed she did something she had sworn never to do. She made herself think of the past and how it had affected her.

The death of her mother affected her so badly she just couldn’t handle the guilt. She never felt ready enough to face the reality of what had happened and even at that moment she didn’t feel ready. She had been faced with no choice though and it scared the hell out of her. Whether she liked it or not she had to determine what steps to take. Perhaps it was time to change her life once and for all. She had to face the past and change her future. She considered getting a new job and even making a few more friends. She didn’t want to lose her old friends but – she heaved a sigh – it had already begun. It was unlikely that Brian would forgive her anytime soon.

Sadness overcame her.

She realised that Brian must have had complete confidence in her. He must have seen her for who she was and hoped she would get better. Until that night.

The knock on her bedroom door snapped her out of her thoughts. Her first reaction was to be thankful for the intrusion but when she saw her father’s angered face she knew he wasn’t there for a friendly chat.

“Oh hi Dad!” Shannon enthused a little too cheerily and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m surprised you’re still awake.”

John looked at his daughter sternly. “It’s time we had a talk, Shannon.”

Shannon’s blood ran cold. “What’s up?”

“Brian just called.”

This time she froze and couldn’t move. She knew things had gone pear shaped that night but she didn’t think Brian would go calling her father the moment he returned home. She was overcome with anger, a completely welcomed feeling over the hurt she felt.

“He had no right to call!” Shannon cried. “Whatever has happened between us stays between us. It has no relevance to you whatsoever.”

“He’s practically a member of this family, Shannon. He has a right to talk to whomever he feels comfortable.”

Shannon’s face turned pale. “What did he say?”

“He told me what happened tonight, Shannon!” John’s voice started to rise in anger. “He told me you two were never dating.” Shannon opened her mouth to protest but John held his hand up to stop her. “I do not want to talk to you if you do not tell the truth.”