At that very moment, a phone ringtone shattered the suffocating silence of the restroom.
Charles flinched.
His hands trembling violently, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
Through a blur of hot tears, he looked down at the screen.
It was Mark calling.
Panic surged through him, flooding his body with adrenaline.
Charles immediately scrambled to his feet, bracing himself against the marble sink for support.
He desperately wiped his eyes with the backs of his hands, taking several deep, shaky breaths as he fought to steady his racing heart and calm the tremor in his voice.
Once he felt even slightly composed, he swiped across the screen and lifted the phone to his ear.
"Hello, honey," Charles said, forcing his voice to sound as normal as possible.
"Where are you?" Mark's voice came through the line.
"I'm… I'm still in the restroom," Charles replied, staring at his pale reflection in the mirror.
"I'm right outside," Mark said.
