Alden entered the digits into his phone again. He was fairly certain he was calling the correct number. Especially since Eve's voicemail was picking up. Then even moreso when it would ring straight to voicemail. That meant she had turned her phone off altogether. That generally happens when a person is weary of hearing their phone ring non-stop and gets tired of simply flat out ignoring the calls.
At what point does it go from obsessed to being a stalker? Alden pondered that as he prepared to send another text message. He rationalized that it wasn't truly stalking because he hadn't driven by her house. Recently. At least not that day. It had been a good week since the last time he just coincidentally happened to be in her neighborhood. Ten miles away.
He ran his fingers through his freshly washed dreads reflecting on the words of wisdom his best friend, Devin, shared with him: he had a chronic problem with letting go. His friend even used his dreads as an example. As for the relationship, it had been over for a good fews weeks yet Alden continued to cling to a shred of fruitless hope that they could still work things out. Devin didn't know what he was talking about. He was probably jealous of Alden's dreads anyway.
Send.
That would be text message number five for that day. A quick test of his phone revealed that it was working properly. He even delivered a text to himself just to make sure. Drake's song "Best I Ever Had" played for the ringtone as his own message came though. All that did was further remind Alden of what Eve was. But it also caused him to remember what she wasn't.
Eve had been in an abusive relationship before she met Alden. One that lasted a few years with her baby's father. He had been so brutal that he nearly beat her within an inch of her life. The coward was in and out of county lock-up constantly for various offenses with many of those stemming from violating his restraining order Eve had on him. Still, when the woman-beater called on his son's birthday to ask to see him, Eve took the call.
The very thought further infuriated Alden. That demon nearly killed Eve. He left her with a six-inch scar on her neck that will never go away. Not mention that he did all this in front of their child. But she had no problem taking HIS call?? The only thing Alden did was show a little disrespect. Possibly on a more than frequent basis. However, it was nothing to the level that that monster did.
She wasn't quite as understanding as Alden would have liked either. Many of his friends had girlfriends that didn't mind when they stayed out a little late with the guys. Or that they had a multitude of lady friends. Or even that his career took precedence over a relationship that had only been a few months in the making.
The more he thought about it, the more Alden figured he was better off without Eve. There were plenty of other conquests out there waiting in the wings. They didn't have near the drama and/or baggage that Eve brought along with her. Some of them were even more attractive. Certainly more exuberant...
The sudden vibration of his phone broke his train of thought. Alden quickly grabbed it to check the LED screen...
"Please let it be her..."
