Stop Calling

Have you had a crazy ex that blows up your phone? 40 texts, 15 missed calls, and a DM on three different social media platforms? I actually haven’t (thank God), probably because I fall for men with avoidant attachment styles. But I know it happens. My question is… when does it happen? Usually within like a week of the break up, right? Maybe week two you have five missed calls and a triple text. Maybe by month two you get a lone “I miss you” message, hoping to lure you back into a conversation. But eventually it fizzles out right?

Well, maybe not.

Ryan stopped sleeping in the same bedroom as Sara over a year ago and moved out of their house over six months ago. And she’s still insanely annoying.

He was dropping me off at my house but I hadn’t gone inside yet. We were sitting in his car talking when his car stereo jarringly blasted his phone ringing. I saw Sara’s name on the screen. He hit ignore. She called again immediately and this time I reached out and declined the call because I was annoyed. She called a third time, and he turned the car stereo off so we wouldn’t hear it. I don’t know if she called any more times.

I was at his place after work. He hung up after talking to their kid on the phone (on her phone) but she called him right back. He let it ring.

“She calls you all the time?”

He sighed. “Yeah.”

“What does she want?”

“She just wants to talk.”

“Why? You obviously don’t want to talk to her.”

“I don’t know,” he said as the phone started to ring again.

“Pick it up,” I said with a devious smirk. “I want to see what she wants.”

He hesitated… But he knows that I can be just as annoying and stubborn as she is. He picked up and she just kept asking questions. What was he doing? Who was he with? He kept giving non-answers. “It’s a work night, where do you think I am?” Home? (correct.) “What do you think I’m doing?” playing Xbox? (incorrect. Preparing to bruise my cervix.) 

The entire phone call I debated speaking up and saying something sassy. I think Ryan could see it on my face, he looked braced for the ramifications if I did. But I wanted to fuck him and wasn’t in the mood for her to show up and interrupt us. Eventually he hangs up… And she calls again. Bruh. What the fuck lol. He went and put his phone in another room.

“Why is she still calling?”

“She hates being ignored.”

“But you didn’t ignore her?” I laughed.

He shrugged and then pushed me backward on the bed and climbed on top of me.

Recently I was spending the night and I have to wonder what went through Ryan’s head when he awoke at 4am to me no longer in bed and his wife calling. I, at least, would be confused. But she just had weirdly good timing, I was peeing.

Of course I’m curious what she wants. Especially at 4am. So I encourage him to talk to her. She either calls again and he answers, or maybe he actually called her back, I don’t really remember which. The reason to wake him up at four in the morning? Because apparently she’s incapable of parenting by herself. Which is embarrassing.

Ryan is probably exhausted. I imagine she doesn’t just happen to call when we’re together. She seemingly disturbs him most if not all days. He even mentioned getting some app or service that only let’s them communicate about their child, since she can’t act like an adult. But over the last six months I’ve gotten less and less annoyed by her calls and honestly more entertained. Because at the end of the day when he’s ignoring her, I know she’s upset while I’m getting all of his attention. And I also know any time he ignores her, whether I'm there or not, she’s at least a little suspicious it’s because I’m getting his attention.

I’m genuinely curious, so feel free to comment, what’s the greatest extent that an ex has blown up your phone?