Matt sat in his car, staring blankly at the road ahead. The dashboard clock ticked slowly, each second amplifying the uneasy silence that had settled over him. He’d spent the entire day trying to shake off the growing concern gnawing at him. It wasn’t like you to disappear without a word, especially not when the shadows of your past struggles loomed so large. Your usual social media updates were conspicuously absent, and his attempts to reach you had gone unanswered.

He knew the signs all too well—had seen them before. Every missed call, every unread message, felt like a silent cry for help. As he drove towards your house, the weight of his worry seemed to press down on him with every mile. Just when the anxiety reached its peak, his phone buzzed, jolting him from his spiraling thoughts. It was you.

He answered with a shaky breath, hoping that the voice on the other end would bring some relief, or at least a clue about what had transpired during the long, haunting silence.

“Hi, baby, how you feelin’?” he asked as soon as he picked up.