Mark sat at his desk, the familiar hum of the office a distant backdrop to his turbulent thoughts. The open-plan space buzzed with the energy of his coworkers, but he felt isolated, trapped in his own mind. His eyes flicked to his phone for the umpteenth time, debating whether to send the message he had typed out earlier.
"Emma, we need to talk. Can we meet after work?"
The words stared back at him, simple yet loaded with all the weight of his unresolved feelings. He hit send, feeling a mix of relief and anxiety as the message whooshed off into the ether. There was no turning back now.
Mark leaned back in his chair, memories flooding his mind. It had been a shock to discover that Tom, his old college friend, lived in the same apartment building as Emma. The irony was bitter. Tom had alw
