The moment I wake up, I reach for my phone, desperate to prove to myself that it was just a dream. Ric hadn’t really called me in the middle of the night, stayed silent for what felt like an eternity, whispered a single, strained “hello,” and then abruptly hung up.
But there it is.
In my call log: Incoming Call — Ric, 3:02 AM.
My thumb hovers over the screen for less than a second before I hit call back, the urge overpowering every ounce of restraint. The phone rings, once, twice... and then declines.
I stare at the screen in disbelief before I try again. This time, the call doesn’t even connect. His number is blocked.
Blocked.
Groaning, I throw the phone across the room, the dull thud as it lands on the plush carpet doing little to calm my racing thoughts. Pathetic. That’s what I fe
