Page 28 of Shattered Union

The choir sings and I’m wondering when the hell everything went to fucking shit?

* * *

“Callie,” I whisper as soon as she answers.

A week, it’s been a fucking week and I’ve been calling every hour on the hour and she’s not answered.

“Leave me alone, Denis.” The venom in her voice isn’t surprising. But it sure as fuck hurts. But fuck, hearing her voice soothes me. She answered. That’s a good sign.

“Mo ghrá,” I say softly, hoping now she’s answered the phone she’ll let me explain.

I hear the sniffle; it’s followed by her pulling in a shaky breath. “Are you married?” she questions.

I palm my nape, there’s no way I can lie. “Yes, but—”

Her sob breaks my fucking heart. “You’re an arsehole, Denis,” she hisses. “What was I? Hmm, just a fun thing to pass the time. God, I was so fucking stupid.”

“Baby, please,” I plead as the heaviness in my chest gets heavier. I’m struggling to breathe.

“Fuck you, God, I loved you. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. And all along you were playing me.”

I swallow back the pain; tears sting the back of my eyes. God, this is worse than I could have ever imagined.

“I never played you. There’s so much you don’t know. Please, baby, let me explain.”

“Like how you have a two-month-old baby?”

I close my eyes. Fucking Zoe. God damn that bitch.

“Yeah,” she whispers. “I know.”

“Listen, Callie—”

“I’m done,” she says. The finality in her voice has my knees buckling. I reach out for the counter and hold on. “You’ve fucking shattered me, Denis. I never thought it was possible to hurt this much. I can’t do this,” she sobs. “Lose my number. I no longer exist for you.”

I’m met with dead air. She’s hung up on me.

I hit redial, needing her to give me a chance to explain.

“The customer you are calling cannot be reached at this time or may have their mobile phone switched off.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This can’t be happening.

Zoe. That motherfucking bitch. I’m going to kill her. I’ll end her the moment I see her. I’m not putting up with her shit anymore.

“Everything okay?” Danny asks, placing his hand on my shoulder.

“Grand,” I bite out, lying through my teeth.

“Has she answered yet?” he questions.

“I fucked up,” I say, the pain in my chest intensifying. Knowing she’s never going to talk to me again.

He sighs. “Da, I understand why you never told her about Ma, but, you really should have.”

I release a bitter laugh. “Hindsight is a fucking funny thing.”

“It’ll be all right,” he tries to assure me, but I can see even he doesn’t believe what he’s said.

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