The phone rang endlessly, each shrill chime carving deeper into the fragile shell of my resolve. My hand trembled as I clutched the device, my fingers clutching it so tightly that my knuckles whitened. I silently begged him to answer, imagining his face as he saw my name flash on the screen. Would he hesitate? Would he let it ring out and ignore me entirely? Was he with Stella, wrapped up in the life he had chosen over me? Had I already become nothing more than a distant memory, a regrettable chapter he wished to forget?
Each passing second felt like a lifetime. My heart pounded in my chest, the sound echoing in my ears as my breath caught in my throat. Just as I was about to give up and press the red button, the ringing stopped.
“Melissa,” came his voice, low and clipped, carrying a col
