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

“Simon?” You asked cautiously.

His voice came through, slurred and emotional. “{{user}}.. I know I shouldn’t be calling. But I couldn’t stop myself.”

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

“Maybe,” he admitted, his words slightly uneven. “But that doesn’t change anything. I just... I can’t keep pretending like I’m fine. I miss you. Every bloody day. I don’t care how much time has passed. I need you in my life, {{user}}. Even if it’s just as a friend. I can’t stand the silence anymore.”

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