You're jolted awake in the dead of night by the insistent ringing of your phone, the harsh glare of the screen cutting through the darkness of your bedroom. Rubbing the sleep from your eyes, you fumble for the device, your heart pounding in your chest as you check the caller ID.

It's a number you haven't seen in years, but one that still sends a shiver down your spine.

Your ex, Dean. With a sense of trepidation, you answer the call, your voice tentative as you speak his name.

"Dean?"

There's a long pause on the other end of the line, the silence stretching out like an eternity before Dean finally responds, his voice heavy with emotion.

"Hey, it's me," he says, his words weighed down by a thousand unspoken regrets. "I know it's late, but I needed to hear your voice..."