A HEALTHY LOVE

CH. 18: THE PHONE CALL

It was a strange sensation. Alex was truly missing having McCullough around during the day now. Even though she knew that McCullough was off for the day, she found herself looking for McCullough among the CO's that morning. By that afternoon, she took a break from her book cart to hide in their usual closet. She pulled out her phone and selected McCullough's name from her contacts.

Obviously, McCullough wasn't expecting Alex to call her. However, her phone started ringing from an unknown number, as Alex had not had time to text McCullough yet. McCullough looked at the unknown number and answered unsurely. "Um..Hello?" McCullough said.

"Told you I'd call," Alex replied. "What fun things have you gotten up to on your day off?"

McCullough: "Let's see..I bought groceries, and now I'm doing laundry"

Alex(chuckling) "Oh,you wild thing."

"I know, right? I'm living on the edge" McCullough jokingly. She paused as she chose her next words carefully. "I,uh...I can't stop thinking about yesterday." Sighing, Alex let herself smile before answering. "Me either. I keep looking for you even though I know you're not here" Alex replied.

McCullough: "I have my usual shift tomorrow."

"Good. This closet feels so empty when I'm alone in here" Alex replied. A few moments later,she heard voices in the hallway. "I have to go. Someone might be coming. See you tomorrow."

Alex ended the call and grabbed a few cleaning supplies to make it seem like she'd been in the closet for a reason. McCullough grinned at her phone before she finished folding her clothes. She liked hearing from Alex while outside of the prison. It made their relationship—whatever it was—feel more normal.

Later that night, Alex texted McCullough a photograph of her in a sexy pose. McCullough spent most of the night looking at that one picture, missing her inmate lover. Alex was missing McCullough as well, which was still throwing her for a loop. She wasn't expecting to feel anything for her again, and yet she was having trouble thinking about much else,even Piper.

That was when Alex looked at Piper's photograph in her phone, the one from the night of the gala, and felt a pang of sharp pain. The fact that Piper hadn't once tried to contact her since telling her go to North Hampton was speaking volumes to Alex. Of course, it was assumed on her part that Piper wouldn't call. She wanted Piper to focus on what life could be like with Zelda, though a small part of her had hoped Piper would've called Alex back already.

And yet, at the same time, Alex didn't mind having more time with McCullough. In fact, she was looking forward to it more everyday.