Page 39 of Love You Madly

New phone. Who dis?

The reply comes instantly, almost too fast.

Unknown:

You’re hilarious.

I guess you must have responded to the guy who said he’d make you forget your Baby Daddy and gave him your phone number, too. Damn, that’s too bad. I thought I was special.

I laugh out loud despite myself, the tension in my chest easing just a little. Yep, it’s Owen. His humor is a refreshing contrast to the chaos that is in my life lately.

Green Flag #3.

Me:

You caught me. He made me forget my Baby Daddy and the name of the guy I talked to last night.

Unknown:

Very funny, Callie… But just in case you’re serious, it’s Owen.

The flutter in my stomach deepens. I shouldn’t be this excited. Should I? Before I can overthink it, I save his contact.

Me:

Ohhhhh! Owen! That’s right!

I’m joking, obviously. I don’t give my number out to everyone, believe it or not.

Owen:

I’m curious… Why did you give it to me?

His question makes me pause. Why did I? This shouldn’t be serious, just a fun distraction. But there is something about him, the way we clicked last night, the way thoughts of him lingered in my mind all day. It feels like something I could lose myself in. And that’s dangerous.

Me:

Idk… I’m thinking about deleting the app because it’s really not my thing and you seem like a decent enough human and I liked talking to you last night.

Owen:

Decent enough? I’ll take it. Haha!

His easy humor calms me, but the question still lingers in my mind:Why did I give him my number?Maybe I’m lonelier than I realized.

Owen:

So what did you do today?

I glance around at the remnants of the day—the smell of crawfish still lingers in the air, and the memory of laughter with family feels both distant and close.

Me:

My dad hosted a crawfish boil, so we had family over. It was good to seeeveryone.

Owen:

That’s awesome. What are you up to now?

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