I didn’t want to leave her so soon. I knew in my heart I wouldn’t be able to make it back for at least thirty days, but I prayed I was wrong. It depended on the amount of destruction the city sustained during the storm. I’d driven over eighteen hours during the last couple days to see Sophia. Every moment of the drive was worth even the little time I was able to spend with her.

When I entered the city, I could see the damage. Trees were knocked down, some neighborhoods had no electricity, street signs were blown away, and debris littered the roadways.

It could have been so much worse. The city was breathing a sigh of relief. Many anticipated the storm to be so much worse, especially since it was on the exact anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I sent pictures to Sophia of everything I saw when I returned. We tried to Skype before we went to bed, but the internet connection was too sketchy due to the storm damage.

I sent her a photo the next morning on my way to work. I snapped one of me leaving my apartment with a smile on my face. I wanted her to think I was all right, even though I was a mess inside. I wanted to make her smile when she opened her eyes this morning.

When my phone dinged, I thought Sophia was awake and responding to my photo. I was wrong. Dead wrong.

It was Lisa.

Why couldn’t she just leave me alone? There was a no-contact order in place between us. She was able to contact me all she wanted, but I wasn’t supposed to respond. I ignored the message and went into my account and blocked her from sending further messages. I read her message before deleting it from my account.

Lisa: I saw your picture of your new girlfriend on your timeline. She’s not your type.

What a fucking bitch. I didn’t have a type. I loved them all. She must be watching me. Not a good sign for Sophia or me. She was destructive.

Lisa: Where’s my money?

I wanted to reply to her, but I’d promised Sophia I’d ignore any message she sent to me. When I stopped for gas, I blocked her on my account. Fuck her and her messages. Lisa was my past. Sophia was my future.

* * *

Work kept me busy. I had to work the evening I returned home. The storm had damaged the city, but not in the way Katrina had years ago. Trees were down, and roofing shingles blown about. The levees held, and the city didn’t flood. I immersed myself in my work, trying to keep my mind off the time I missed with Sophia.

My phone chimed while I was collecting my supplies for my next install. I threw the shit in the truck, unable to wait to see what Sophia had said. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and looked at the screen.

Tammy: You should know that I miss you.

Tammy? I’d never been with a Tammy. Never fucked or dated one.

Me: I don’t know you.

Tammy: Not so much anymore.

Me: I know that saying. What do you want, Lisa?

She was persistent and sneaky. She had a fake account with a picture of a horse as the profile photo and a generic name. Unknowingly, I accepted her friend request a while back and never knew it.

Tammy: I want to stop thinking about you all the time. You should know that I miss you. I want you back.

Me: Look, we did what we did. But now I’ve found the perfect woman. Hopefully, you’ll find your perfect man someday.

Tammy: I was always picking you up every time. Remember that, Kayden? I was always there for you. The past doesn’t matter. I want you back in my life. I love you.

Me: You gave up on us long before I figured it out. You kicked me out and had me arrested. You fucked me in more ways than one.

Tammy: Can’t we start over? I want you…only you.

Me: I don’t want you, Lisa. I am in love with Sophia. Leave me alone, us alone. You tried to break us up once, and it didn’t work. What’s wrong, is your boyfriend not around? Is he not as passionate as I was?

Tammy: You always did know just what to say to make me remember who you really are. Passionate maybe, compassionate never.

Me: I should’ve never let you back into my life after having me arrested. You threw me out like a piece of trash. Can’t have your cake and eat it too. I’ve always been nothing but honest with you.

Tammy: Never mind. It’s sad that you’re so mean now. Just remember, though, I love you and miss you.

Lisa destroyed me, and I’d been an active participant in the devastation. Even after everything the bitch had put me through, I still loved her afterward. That was, until Sophia came into my life.

I had to tell Sophia about Lisa’s message. I didn’t want to keep anything from her and risk losing the most precious thing in my life.

Me: Lisa is messaging me from a fake account. I’m sending you the screenshots.

I wanted to be honest with her, and she needed to know that Lisa was still trying to contact me and that the feelings weren’t mutual. My phone rang.

“Hey, baby.”

“Save the messages, Kayden,” she said to me.

“Why?” I asked her with curiosity.

“You may need them later to prove that she’s contacting you,” she told me.

“She’s allowed to contact me, but I’m not allowed to contact her in any way,” I informed her.

“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.