Guilt

JAX'S POV

A persistent intrusion tugged me back from the realm of sleep.

Slowly, I blinked my eyes open, disoriented by the transition from unconsciousness to wakefulness.

As my senses adjusted to the soft ambient light of my room, the source of the disturbance became clear, a familiar and insistent ringing emanating from my bedside table.

I reached out, my fingers fumbling momentarily before I managed to grasp my phone.

The screen illuminated, without looking at the name of the caller, I swiped to answer, with a groggy sigh, I lifted the phone to my ear, my voice still thick with sleep as I mumbled a groggy, "Hello?"

The voice on the other end was urgent, tinged with a hint of exasperation. "Hey, are you awake?" The person inquired, their words crisp and hurried.

I finally looked at the name of the caller and it was Tate, a close business partner and also a friend of mine.

I sat up slightly, the drowsiness receding as I responded, "Yeah, now I am. What's up?"

There was a pause, du