Chapter 29
Siobhan returned the next day to London to be greeted by Danielle. The second she saw her friend she burst into tears and held her friend tight.
”I know how hard it must be for you, Siobhan.” Danielle said holding her close. “Losing a brother is one of the worst feelings in the world.” She said thinking about her sister, Marie. Siobhan pulled back and looked at Danielle she mumbled something about Danielle leaving the next day and started crying harder.
”I’m not leaving, Siobhan. I’ve decided to stay. It’ll be alright I promise.” Siobhan just cried the pain of losing Paddy had been dulled by the pain that Connor caused her. At the moment Siobhan couldn’t tell Danielle what had happened.

Shane phoned that night looking forward to talking to Siobhan, happy to know that she was back in London, closer to him.
”Siobhan, phone call for you.” Danielle called when she answered the phone. Siobhan walked down the stairs and stood in the door way.
”Who is it?” She asked.
”Shane.” Danielle grinned and waited to see a smile spread on Siobhan’s face, but a smile didn’t show, actually the exact opposite happened. She started to cry and covered her face with her hands.
”I can’t talk to him.” She said hurriedly and ran upstairs. Danielle watched Siobhan leave the room and was speechless for a while.
”Er… Shane?”
”Yeah?” He asked waiting impatiently to talk to his love.
”She can’t come to the phone at the moment.” Danielle lied and sighed.
”Oh…” Shane was disappointed. “Why not? Did you tell her it was me?”
”Er…” Danielle was trying to think of a good excuse but Shane was hurt. “Shane, you got to understand what she’s feeling at the moment.”
”I do understand.” he said defensively. “I picked her up at the airport and she started crying and since then she hardly said two words to me. Give her some time, Ok? When she’s feeling better she’ll phone you.”
”But aren’t you going home tomorrow?” He asked worriedly. He didn’t like the idea of leaving Siobhan all on her own.
”Oh! No. I’ve decided to stay. I want to live here. I guess that’s the only good news out of all this.”
”Yeah it is.” Shane sounded pleased but unconvinced about Siobhan. Danielle tried her best to convince Shane to let her rest and that Siobhan will call him the next day. Shane reluctantly agreed and they ended the conversation.
Danielle went up to Siobhan’s room and entered after she knocked and there was no answer. She found Siobhan lying on her bed holding Shanie Bear close to her chest and crying silently. She hadn’t even realized that Danielle had entered.
”Siobhan, you want to talk about it?” Siobhan jumped at the sound of Danielle’s voice and turned to look at her. She just shook her head and turned her head back and continued to gaze at nothing letting those tears come. Danielle wasn’t going to leave her friend like that so she came and sat on the bed and put her hand on Siobhan’s shoulder. “I know how you are feeling, Siobhan, and I know if you talk about it you’ll feel much better.” Danielle said smiling consolingly. Siobhan turned to face Danielle and after a long pause, spoke.
”I can’t, I just can’t.” The look in Siobhan’s eyes was distant as if she wasn’t existing in this world. Danielle didn’t want to press her friend too much, but she had to ask.
”That’s ok you don’t have to if you don’t want, but Shane was hurt when you wouldn’t talk to him. Do you want to talk about that?” Danielle didn’t expect Siobhan’s reaction. She paled like a ghost and stared at Danielle with fear in her eyes. “Siobhan, what’s wrong?” Danielle got scared and moved her hand away from Siobhan’s shoulder.
”You can’t tell him! You can’t!” She said crazed. “You can’t tell him…” She whispered.
”But he knows already.” Danielle was confused.
”He knows? How does he know? I didn’t tell him!” She gasped. “Oh no! Connor must have told him!” She said hysterically. Danielle pulled a face when Siobhan mentioned Connor but she couldn’t ask yet. Danielle held Siobhan close and hugged her tight.
”I told him, Siobhan. Remember?” Siobhan pulled back alarmingly.
”You told him? How could you? I thought you were my friend!” Danielle backed away completely confused.
”Siobhan, everyone knows about Paddy’s death.” Danielle hated telling her that right in her face, she hated it when people reminded her of Marie’s death just like that, but she couldn’t understand what the matter was. Siobhan looked at Danielle blankly then realization dawned, no one knew about Connor, only she did, she was safe. Siobhan smiled bitterly.
”I’m sorry Kiddo. I haven’t been myself lately. I’ll be ok. I just need to rest.” Danielle smiled, relieved.
”Sure. Just don’t forget to phone Shane tomorrow, Ok?” It took a while before Siobhan nodded her head and then Danielle left her to have a good night’s sleep.

Chapter 30
Siobhan got up the next day as if nothing happened. As if Paddy’s death never occurred, as if Connor never touched her. She got up and went to work knowing what was awaiting her there.
She had decided not to argue with Mr. Ryner about her holiday, because at the moment she couldn’t face Shane, let alone spend four days with him. Thinking about that made her feel so bad and she put all her concentration into her work and completely forgot about phoning Shane.

Shane was waiting all morning for her phone call but his mobile never rang, except for once, but he ended the conversation with his mother as soon as possible just in case Siobhan might phone, but she never did. He considered phoning her work but he remembered what Danielle said last night, he should wait till Siobhan calls him and not to nag her.
It was late at night, another concert had passed by successfully but Shane was in no mood to celebrate or even communicate with anyone. He couldn’t stand it much longer and he called Siobhan’s apartment.
”Hello?”
”Siobhan! I’m so happy it’s you!” Shane sighed in relief hearing his loved one’s voice. There was silence. “Siobhan? You there?” He asked.
”I can’t talk now.” She said sounding panicky.
”Why not?” Shane was getting very upset now.
”I’m busy.” Siobhan answered and put the phone down.
”What the hell is going on?” He shouted. “I don’t get it! Damn!” It took a while before he calmed down to think things through and then called Nicky to come to his hotel room which he did a few minutes later.
”Can you do me a favor, mate?” He asked Nicky.
”Sure. What can I do?”
”Phone Siobhan and ask to speak to Danielle when she’s on the phone give her to me.” Nicky looked confused for a second but he agreed and phoned through to Siobhan’s and got hold of Danielle and passed the phone to Shane, then he smiled, patted him on the shoulder and left the room.
”Danielle…” Shane’s voice broke and he couldn’t say anything.
”Shane? What’s wrong?” Danielle couldn’t understand her friends’ behaviors none of it made sense. First Siobhan and now Shane…
”She won’t talk to me, Danielle.” He sniffed away the tears that appeared in his eyes from no where. Shane sounded stressed and Danielle was beginning to get frustrated from the whole situation.
”I don’t get it either, Shane. She hasn’t been herself ever since she came back. Paddy’s death must have been a great tragedy in her life.” She tried to explain.
”I don’t believe that it’s the only problem. She won’t talk to me! I mean that doesn’t make sense!” Danielle heard Shane crying and felt a pang of sorrow. She wished she could be with him right now, so she could console him and promise him everything will be ok. But even she didn’t know if it would.
”I’ll try and talk to her, Shane, but I can’t promise anything.”
”No. That’s not good enough. I want my Siobhan back, Danielle. I need her.” He said between sobs and then hang up the phone. He couldn’t say another word. There was nothing else to say.

Chapter 31
Danielle tried her best to make Siobhan tell her, her troubles but she would clam up and wouldn’t say a word. A few days had passed since she had spoken to Shane and she couldn’t bring herself to phone him up and tell him that Siobhan’s behavior hadn’t changed, but she knew she had to tell him.
”Siobhan, I’m going to call Shane now. Do you want to talk to him?” She called out. It was the last thing that came to her mind, hoping it would work. Siobhan came running down the stairs and Danielle grinned, glad that it worked, but Siobhan’s expression was one of shear fear.
”No. Don’t call him!” Danielle was getting fed up with Siobhan. She wanted to see Shane and her get back together it pained her to see two of them apart from each other like that. She knew how much Siobhan suffered from being away from Shane, though at the moment she wouldn’t admit it.
”Fine then! You call him! I’ve had enough of this! What the hell is wrong with you? Why can’t you phone your boyfriend and at least end it with him properly!” Siobhan’s expression changed to one of puzzlement.
”Why would I want to end it with him?”
”Maybe because you don’t phone him? Maybe because you are feeling guilty about something?” Siobhan’s face paled. Danielle thought she caught her. “That’s it? Isn’t it?” She looked angrily at Siobhan. “You cheated on him with Connor and you can’t tell him. Right?” Siobhan backed away shaking her head violently and ran away from the room sobbing. Danielle slumped down on the sofa feeling drained after attacking Siobhan like that. She couldn’t believe that Siobhan would do that to Shane, they love each other. Or at least she used to think Siobhan did. Danielle couldn’t keep this information away from Shane but it wasn’t for her to tell him.
After debating about it endlessly for the past hour she couldn’t keep it away any longer and decided to phone him but there was no answer from his mobile. That’s strange, Danielle thought, he never leaves his mobile off. She tried a few times but it was still turned off. A knock on the door prevented Danielle to have another go to try and reach him and she went to answer the door.
”Oh my God! Shane! What are you doing here?” Danielle said with mixed emotions. They hugged and she let him in.
”I couldn’t stay away any longer, Danielle. I have to see her. I just have to. I took a single day off. That’s all I could do.” Danielle nodded and decided to let Siobhan tell him her story and she let Shane through to go upstairs to Siobhan’s room.

He opened the door carefully and stood in the doorway. He saw Siobhan lying on her bed crying miserably. Her hair was fanned out across her back and the little curls shined against the rays of the sun that entered the room through the window. Seeing his love again after so many weeks made his heartbeat quicken and all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms once again and show her how much he loved her.
”Siobhan…” He whispered and took a few paces into the room. Siobhan jolted up hearing that voice, hearing the voice of her love, of her life. She turned around and stared at him, not believing he was there after all this time.
”Shane!” She called and leapt up jumping into his outstretched arms and crying bitterly. They stood there in one another’s arms for a very long time, knowing that they were safe, knowing they were together again. Once he held her in his arms thoughts of her behavior since she returned to London dissolved. He didn’t care, he was holding her in his arms, he loved her and she loved him back.
The initial shock of seeing one another turned into happiness and elation. They pulled away and just looked at each other. Savoring every detail, never to forget what they have. Siobhan’s thoughts of Connor faded away into a dull pain the second she heard Shane and knew that for the moment it didn’t matter.
That night was theirs and they spent every second of it together, touching, feeling, kissing wanting to know that they had each other and they always will. Their lovemaking was slow and passionate and tender. They both exploded from love for one another wishing the night would never end.