CALLUM
I stepped out onto the balcony, the cool night air washing over me like a bitter reminder of how messed up everything had become. The stars were barely visible, just faint pinpricks against the inky black sky, and the distant hum of the city felt like it belonged to another world entirely: one where things were simpler, where my biggest worry wasn't navigating the minefield my life had become.
I pulled out a cigarette, rolling it between my fingers as I stared out into the darkness. Quitting had been the plan, but right now, I needed something to steady the chaos in my mind. I flicked the lighter a few times, but my hands were shaking too much to get a proper flame.
"Let me," Alistair's voice came from behind me, and before I could refuse, he was holding out his own lighter, the
