*Darren*
I was in the waiting room, my mind cleaved apart by worst-case scenarios, each more grim than the last. Each worrisome thought spurred a restless shift until I was brought to the brink of the seat. Despite all that had gone down, scandal and shares plummeting, my world was on fire but I only feared a world without her in it. In the center of this inferno, with my life seemingly dismantling piece by piece, it was her absence alone that had the power to hollow me out completely.
“Darren.”
My name seemed like a distant echo as if spoken underwater.
“Darren!”
My eyes flicked up to see Nathan, who materialized from nowhere. He offered a smile of guarded excitement. He swiveled around, searching the room until his eyes landed on the TV remote.
He burst forth, snatching it up to increase the volume of the live news broadcast. The voices of the anchors crackled louder, filling the room with a tense urgency as they delivered the latest updates.