Recipe for Distraction

Stella

The phone rings for a beat too long. My heart is practically in my throat as I wait, each drone of the ringtone sounding like a warning siren in my ears.

What will I even say to him? “Hey, sorry I kissed you and then told you it was a mistake for the millionth time. Anyway, will you come back to help me again?”

I shake my head as if to dispel the thought. No. I just want to tell him that I