Chapter 2

"Holden, wake up!"

He snapped open his eyes, sat upright, and sucked in a deep breath. He looked around and found himself in the same place where he'd woken up dozens of times before. His familiar room: walls washed in a drab colour, clothes strewn about, empty bottles with remnants of soda, a gaming console parked behind the TV, pizza boxes, and rows of books lining wooden shelves.

His pyjamas were soaked with sweat, just like his hair and the rest of his body. His eyes darted around the room until they landed on the girl who was gazing blankly through him.

"The same nightmare again?" she asked, her tone cold. He gave no response. "It doesn't matter; I have to go to work," she said, already dressed and buttoning up her shirt.

"Every time, this nightmare feels so real. I have to convince myself it's over," Holden admitted. The girl picked up her bag and walked towards the exit, pausing at the door.

"Hey," she said softly. "It's just stress. You'll forget about it soon," she hesitated, lowering her gaze. "Tell me, do you still love me?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's just immoral," Stefan retorted.

"I don't understand you," Jean-Jacques confessed.

"Yeah, what's wrong with you?!" Patrick exploded.

Holden sheepishly fixed his gaze on his mug of lukewarm latte. This wasn't the reaction he had anticipated when he had invited his best friends to their favourite café.

"I know I made a mistake..."

"What the hell of a mistake? You behaved like a complete scoundrel!" Patrick's voice escalated. "Do you realise I'm the one who introduced you to her? I see her at work every day! What am I supposed to do now?!"

"Patrick, do you really want to bring work into this? That's not what this is about! Holden, I understand that three years of a relationship is a big deal, and there are so many opportunities in the world; it's hard not to want to limit yourself, but..."

"Sofia is wonderful," Stefan chimed in.

"She's the best," Patrick seconded.

"She pieced you back together, helped you out of depression, stood by your side, found you a job," Jean-Jacques pondered. "To be completely honest..."

"To be completely honest, I thought my friends would support me in this situation," Holden abruptly looked up, but he quickly realised his anger only fuelled the fire. "You know how hard it's been for me since that incident."

"Have you completely lost your mind?!" Patrick shot up from his seat. "You decided to play that card again? Listen, everyone goes through rough patches, but that doesn't give you the right to be a jerk for the rest of your life."

"Whoa, let's calm down."

"Jean, take Patrick outside before they kill each other in this state."

Patrick and Jean left, carelessly tossing a couple of fives onto the table. Holden picked them up, and when Stefan gave him a puzzled look, he explained that he would pay for everyone with his card. The friends sat in silence for a while. Through the large glass windows, they could see Patrick and Jean-Jacques passionately discussing something as they watched the rain splattering against passing cars.

"You need to confess. You need to confess, repent, and part on good terms. She deserves at least that much."

***

"Hold on," Patrick caught Holden as the friends dispersed to their homes. "Sorry for losing my temper. You know I love you and worry about you, right?"

"I know."

"We've known each other since childhood. Most of our lives. Your family is like mine, and I hurt from what happened too. It really hurts," Patrick seemed to recall something. "I still remember the person you used to be. How classmates, teachers, looked up to you. Everyone in the university, everyone. 'People like him are born once in a hundred years,' they used to say. And I know you're still that person. That ambitious, energetic guy who wants to achieve something remarkable is still there somewhere inside. You need to pull yourself together. I reacted the way I did because I thought Sofia would help you get back on track. Okay, sorry for unloading all of this on you. Are you off to work now?"

"Yeah, night shift. See you," Holden walked away, then looked back and said:

"I'll talk to her, I promise. I'll end things properly."

"That girl. I mean, the girl. What's she like?"

"She's... different."