Love Lost, Love Gained – Part 12

Shuffling could be heard inside then the lock turning and finally the door opened. Carmen held her breathe. ‘This is it’.
She saw Shane take a step back in surprise. Mouth agape.

Shane shook her head “Carm?”
“Hi Shane” Shane continued to stare at her, “You going to let me in or are we going to talk out here?”
“O yeah, um come in” Shane opened the door wider letting Carmen pass.

Shane walked over to the sofa and sat down, Carmen sitting down on the spare chair. The tension inside the room could be cut with a knife. Shane ran a shaky hand through her hair, her gaze never moving from Carmen. She did not want it all to be a dream.
“You’re sets at the club were awesome”
Carmen looks up “Thank you” she sighs “but I’m not here for that… well I am but I just want to know why Shane? Why?”
Shane looked at the closed curtains then back at her. “That’s the reason why I am here, in New York, to explain…..to apologize…….I came by the club to see you but I did not want it to be …. BAM…. You know?” Shane motioned with her hands.
“Shane it was a shock, I have not heard from you in five months. Neither have your friends back home in LA” Carmen played dumb.
“They know I’m back, they know that I am here. Bette grilled my arse” Shane grinned but it faded as she saw Carmen staring intently at her.
“What about Alice?”

“We’ve worked things out” Shane looked at her hands “Things are not how they were; I doubt they ever will be but we are talking and hanging out. But there is still tension there and I don’t think she trusts me fully yet”.
Carmen was quiet, this was a completely new Shane. The old one would not have opened up like she just did; expressing her feelings.

“Shane you have to understand a lot has been going on while you have been away, doing god knows what, everybody has been affected some how by your actions. They are your family, and I am grateful, thankful that you are back where you belong. It will take time for them to regain their trust in you. And you have to be prepared for heartaches and laughter along the way because it is not going to be plain sailing”.
“Carmen, I know all this. I screwed up royally. I’m just trying to make amends, and I want to explain to you why I did what I did – how I know that it was the worst decision I have ever made. I also want to tell you what I have been doing these last few months”.
“I don’t want to know that you went back to Cherie Jaffee!”