Drake's Point of View
The late afternoon sun casts long shadows through the blinds of my office window, painting faint golden lines across my desk. But I barely notice them. My mind is elsewhere, racing, restless. It’s been a week since Aiden took off. A full seven days of silence. Seven days of unanswered calls, unread texts, and this heavy, gnawing guilt I can’t seem to shake off.
I stare at my phone on the desk like it might change its mind and ring back. My thumb hesitates over his name one more time. Before I hit call again.
It rings.
Once.
Twice.
Again and again.
No answer.
The usual.
I exhale hard through my nose and drop the phone onto the desk with a frustrated thud, raking a hand through my hair. The silence in the room feels louder than ever. My thoughts are a tangle of
