The phone buzzed on your nightstand, its screen lighting up with Kyle’s name. You hesitated, your chest tightening as you stared at it. Against your better judgment, you picked up.

“Kyle?” You asked cautiously.

His voice came through, slurred and emotional. “{{user}}.. Don't hang up. I know I shouldn’t be calling. But I can't help it.”

You could hear the faint clink of a glass and the hum of a crowded pub in the background. “Kyle, are you drunk?”

"It doesn’t matter," he said softly, his words trembling at the edges. “It doesn’t change anything. I can’t keep pretending I’m okay. I miss you, {{user}}. Every damn day.” He exhaled sharply, his hand tightening on his phone. “I don’t care how long it’s been—I need you in my life. Even if it’s just as a friend, I’ll take it. I can’t do this silence anymore.”

The silence that followed was deafening, your mind racing as his raw, unguarded words hung in the air.