This story was inspired by Adele's new song 'Hello'
Steph's POV
Ring
Ring
Ring
Ring
I sigh and hang up. How many times have I tried? Probably too many times. 'One last time' I think and dial the familiar number once again.
After the tenth ring, the answering machine answers. "Hello, please leave a message after the beep tone and I will get back to you" His voice leaves a yawning feeling in my stomach and I take a deep breath, before the beep tone rings through the line.
"Hello...it's me...again. I have tried a few times now...I just want to talk to you...okay..uhmm I will call back" I hang up the phone and throw the device onto my bed. With one glance on the clock. I realize I am late to get ready for work again and have to haul ass to make it there on time.
Ring
Ring
Ring
Ring
Click
"Hello...are you there?" I question, but the person on the other end stays silent. "I am in California...but I suppose you knew that already….It nice here, I got a job at a PI's office, working on getting my licence...so things are going well…" I swallow hard and then the line drops, leaving me listening to the beeping sound.
Why do I even bother? Why do I even try to call him? What is the point? I suppose I am trying let go of the guilt I am still carrying around with me.
Ring
Ring
Ring
Ring
Click
"How are you? I just wanted to call you...again..I have been trying to tell you how sorry I am...sorry for what I have put you through" I start and keep my fingers crossed that he doesn't hang up on me again. But who knows if it is even him. It could be someone else. Maybe he changed his number and I am speaking to some stranger.
"I am sorry...I truly am. It wasn't fair to you, I should...I should have stayed and fought, but I just couldn't...I couldn't do it any more….Just say something, please just... I want to talk to you...I need to talk to you...Are you there?...Hello?" I sigh and hang up the phone this time myself.
It's been a few months since I left Trenton and have avoided calling him since then. His face, as I told him that I am moving away and didn't want him to follow me, was heart breaking. I just couldn't do it any longer. I suppose I am not as strong as everyone believed me to be. I, Stephanie Plum, finally gave up.
Ring
Ring
Ring
Ring
"Hello, please leave a message after the beep tone and I will get back to you" Voicemail again.
"It's me again...you never seem to be home when I call...I suppose this is getting kind of stalkerish isn't it?" I say, trying to make some sort of joke out of this situation. "Well something else I can add to the list of Stephanie Plum's great abilities...stalking…" I go on. "I hoped that by now you would maybe return my messages or phone calls...But I suppose you have the right not to...You said I broke your heart and I guess if someone broke my heart, I wouldn't want to talk to them either."
"But then again, I probably shouldn't be talking to myself….I broke my own heart after all, by walking away. I am sorry for that by the way. I truly am and I wish I could tell you this in person...But I am a coward...as you can tell, as I am telling this to your answering machine." I add and make a face at my own cowardice.
"I am sorry for everything that I have done, that I broke your heart, that I walked away, but I couldn't do it anymore...I have never felt like this way before and it scared the shit out of me...on top of that I felt like I didn't have any freedom and you know how much I hate not being able to do what I want...I mean my mother tried for years and look how that turned out." I shake my head.
"I get it though, why you did it...After six months out here, I actually get it, but it is not a life I want to be leading. I need my freedom, something you cannot completely give me...I am sorry for all of this. Never doubt that I didn't love you, but love sometimes isn't enough…" I swallow hard, as the tears are starting to run down my cheeks. "Maybe at some point you can forgive me...maybe at some point I will be able to forgive myself."
I sniff and wipe the tears away, with the back of my hand. "Goodbye…."
Ranger's POV
"Goodbye…" She says with a tear stricken voice, before hanging up the phone.
I sit in my one-seater in my dark living room, with the moon providing the only light, starring onto the red flashing light of the answering machine. 14 unheard messages, it shows, and double as many missed calls to my cell and home phone.
I take a healthy swig from my whisky tumbler, without breaking eye contact with the offending device, hoping that the answering machine would just explode simply by the power of my stare.
Am I angry? Am I upset?
Neither actually, my head decides, after conversing with my heart. Stephanie made her choice six months ago.
"You coming back to bed, babe?" the blonde questions, as she comes up behind me. Catherine starts kissing my shoulder and runs her red coloured nails over my naked torso.
I only nod, which seems to be enough of an answer to make her retract back into the bedroom. Without a second thought, I place the tumbler on the glass table in front of me, walk over to the answering machine and press the delete button.
What's done is done!