Page 76 of Love You Madly

He ghosted me. And he thinks he can just walk back into my life like nothing happened.

I take a deep breath, steadying the flood of emotions that rush through me. Anger, hurt, confusion… they all blend together in a messy swirl that makes my chest ache.

Then it hits me—I’m standing in my room without any bottoms on, fresh off an orgasm I conjured up by thinking about Owen. And now he’s texting me.

Universe, you have a sick sense of humor.

For a second, I consider not replying. Let him sweat it out. Let him send another dozen texts without a response, see how it feels. But that’s not who I am.

Instead, I pull on a pair of jeans, and in my most mature, composed fashion, I type:

Me:

New phone, who dis?

There’s a slight satisfaction as I hit send, the perfect balance of sass and sarcasm. Maybe it’s childish, but I don’t care.

Owen:

You used that line already, Callie.

Me:

Oh, did I? Must have forgotten just like you “forgot” to text me back for three fucking weeks.

Owen:

I deserved that. But I can explain.

Oh, this should be good. I sit on the edge of my bed, arms crossed, waiting for whatever excuse he’s about to dish out.

Me:

I’m listening…

Owen:

I lost my phone at the hospital. I couldn’t replace it right away, and I hadn’t backed up anything. I didn’t just lose your number, Callie. I also lost two years of photos of Barrett.

Ipause, my anger flickering. Losing pictures of his son… that’s a punch to the gut. The typing bubble appears again, and I hesitate, waiting to see what else he has to say.

Owen:

I get that this looks bad, and I know you’re pissed, but I swear I didn’t ghost you on purpose. I just got my old phone back today. Someone found it and turned it into the Verizon store.

You’ve been on my mind, though. I missed you.

I bite my lip, reading his words. Damn it. It’s hard to stay mad when he says stuff like that.

Me:

To be fair… I wasn’t sure I was going to respond either. It’s kind of crazy, though–I was just thinking about you.

Owen:

You were?

Me:

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