My phone kept buzzing.
I did not answer.
I turned it off, pulled out the SIM card, and tossed it into a roadside trash can.
I went to another city.
A small southern town with no shared memories of us.
I rented an apartment facing the sea.
I bought a new drawing board and fresh paints.
I emptied my mind completely.
Each day, I did only three things.
Eat.
Sleep.
Paint.
The wound on my abdomen slowly healed.
But the hole in my heart only grew bigger.
I often woke up in the middle of the night.
My body was soaked in cold sweat.
Sleep stopped coming.
Night after night, I stared at the ceiling till dawn.
Messages from unknown numbers kept popping up on my phone.
[Sierra, are you done throwing a fit yet?]
[You think hiding will solve anything?]
[If you don't call me back, don
