Winter Storm by Barbara Winkes

another focus. Yet, when she checked her cell phone for new messages, she remembered the meaning of a trigger.
    For a long time, she had also worked on making herself believe it hadn’t been all that bad with Nicole, and that a lot of people in relationships were worse off. What happened in Autumn Leaves made it painfully clear that she never exaggerated for a moment. Finding Nicole’s name in her inbox still had enough power to sweep away the achievements she made towards the new life.
    Sorry, Nicole wrote, I just had to try, and I trusted that you didn’t change your number. Can’t we just talk, to leave it all behind us once and for all? You ran out on me. Even if you don’t need that closure, I do, and I think you owe me that much. Please call me.
    “I can’t believe it.” Rebecca shook her head. “She still doesn’t get why you left her. Don’t talk to her. She has to learn someday…Callie?” she asked when there was no reply.
    Callie kept staring at the screen, the words mocking her. She didn’t want to talk to Nicole, that much was for sure. She just didn’t know if she could make the problem go away simply by ignoring it.
    “Maybe I could make her get it.”
    “Why? She didn’t get it the first time. It’s not your job.”
    “I’m not talking about doing her a favor.”
    “You’re not? How is talking to her anything but doing her a favor?”
    “I need to get rid of her once and for all.”
    Callie looked up at Rebecca. She could tell that Rebecca was struggling to understand her reasoning, but the idea seemed to make more sense by the minute. If she ignored the message, she’d just worry about the next that would certainly come. She wanted to be able not to care at all at some point. Desensitization therapy. She wanted to feel capable of more than the defensive rambling she’d given Nicole at the bookstore.
    “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to hang out with her. God knows that didn’t work out so well for me the last time. I’ll let her say what she wants to say, and just let it go.”
    Rebecca still looked doubtful. “You must know what feels right for you. I just don’t want you to get hurt. Again.”
    “You can’t always protect me.”
    It was the truth, but Rebecca’s expression made Callie wish she hadn’t said it out loud.
    “I’ll be okay this time. Don’t worry. I’ll call her and get this over with now.” She hadn’t meant for it to sound so much like a question.
    “I still think you should just ignore her. Okay. It’s your decision. I can come with you.”
    “Thank you, but…I have to do this alone. I need to know I can do it.”
    “I don’t like it.”
    “Rebecca, please. She’s a nuisance, but not that dangerous.”
    After a moment of silent standoff, Rebecca sighed.
    “I thought I was going to do a little work, but I haven’t even looked at that restaurant site since we came here. I should get back to it. I’ll be next door if you need me.”
    “Thanks.”
    The door fell shut, and Callie was alone with her decision. She picked up the phone and held it in her hand for a moment before she went back to the message and hit call. Maybe she was lucky and the voicemail would pick up. She could still change her mind.
    “Callie, is that you?”
    Nicole sounded happy. Callie wouldn’t let herself be fooled by that. It had taken her a long time to discover that underneath the charm, the other woman could be mean.
    “Well, obviously…okay, here’s the deal. You come to the café here at the hotel, tell me what you think it is you need to tell me, and then you leave me alone.”
    “That’s more that I expected. Thank you.” She seemed puzzled though. “You’re not afraid of me, are you?”
    “I don’t have a reason, do I?”
    “You haven’t changed a bit. It will take me about half an hour. Is that okay?”
    “Hurry up,” Callie said and hung up, wondering if she’d made a big mistake.
    Rebecca was going to stay in the room to wait for Dina.