Chapter 170 A Reflection That Never Was

• "How have you been?" Ethan’s voice was a melody Brandon hadn’t realized how much he missed until now. It flowed through him, stirring emotions he thought he had buried.
• A sob escaped Brandon, slow at first, then overwhelming. "My world’s been dark, Ethan. Empty without you. I’ve been lost—without purpose, without direction," he admitted.
• Ethan’s sigh resounded through the phone, regret hanging in the space between them. "I’m sorry things ended the way they did," he said softly. "I was... overwhelmed. Everything became too much, and it hurt me when you lost faith in us. In me."