“Do you still love her, Kayden?” Sophia asked me with a hint of sadness in her voice.
“I love only you, Sophia. My feelings for Lisa vanished long ago. She crushed any love I had for her. She’s a sneaky bitch,” I told her firmly.
“Okay. Just be careful what you say to her. Ignore her whenever possible. I couldn’t deal with you going to jail.”
“I won’t. She would never turn me in for the messages she sent me. They aren’t even from her account,” I told her, hoping to calm her nerves.
I stored all the screenshots on my tablet. I had little hope they would be of any use, but Sophia asked me to do it.
23
Sophia
Change of Plans
Fall was in full swing, and I was excited for Halloween and all things fall. I was decorating the library for the students. There wasn’t really a fall in Florida. The leaves didn’t change, and the air didn’t cool until well after Thanksgiving. I climbed off the ladder as I heard my phone chirp.
Kayden: I’ve been told to stop working. I just got a call from the main office.
Me: What? Why?
Kayden: They said there was an issue with my drug test or background check. I didn’t really understand. It’s bullshit. Let me call some of the guys and see what’s up. BRB.
Nothing had changed since his employment with the company began. His past was finally coming back to haunt him, even though it had been a year and a half since the incident with Lisa. There had to be some mistake or a mix-up with the paperwork.
Kayden: Okay. Five other people were pulled off the job too. Headquarters came in, did an audit, and found an error in my file. I’m fucked, Sophia. I was told they’re cracking down on background check results and their guidelines. I may not have a job anymore. Fuck.
Me: There must be a mistake. They’ll straighten it out. Don’t panic yet.
I felt ill at the thought of his world unraveling.
Kayden: I don’t know what I’ll do without work. I need to make some more calls and grab dinner. I’ll call you when I get home, okay?
Me: Yes, love. Take your time.
Sitting on my bed, I chewed my nails, staring at the wall.
What the fuck is he going to do?Where would he go? He lived in company housing, after all. Would they kick him out? The thoughts swirling through my mind only heightened my anxiety. I needed to release some stress and decided to go for a run. Kayden called me hours later.
“Hey,” I said answering the phone.
“Hi, baby doll. I’m making dinner and talking to Tom.” I could hear a chopping noise in the background and Tom’s loud voice. “I’ll text you around nine to Skype. We’re talking about work, trying to figure out what the fuck is going on. Is that okay?”
I wrinkled my nose, annoyed that I was being brushed off. “Yes, don’t forget about me.”
“Babe, how could I ever forget about you? We’re just having a couple drinks and bullshitting. I’ll text, promise.”
“I love you, Kayden,” I said, wishing I could touch him at that moment.
“I love you, too, baby doll. Talk in a bit.” The line went dead.
I tried to keep myself busy reading books and watching television, but nothing took my mind off Kayden. He hadn’t sent me a message in hours. I flipped my phone in my hand, debating sending him a text first, but I couldn’t resist any longer.
Me: Hey, it’s almost nine. Are we going to Skype tonight, lover?
Nothing. What the fuck? Kayden had never ignored me. I texted him again, pacing around the room panicking. Silence.
Maybe his cell phone battery died.I sent a message to his tablet. I called his phone, letting it ring over ten times since he didn’t have voice mail. No answer. My heart sank. What happened to him? We hadn’t missed an evening since we met. He never disappeared. I felt lost and helpless with the distance between us.
