Chereads / A Million Pieces of Winter / Chapter 2 - THE WAKEUP CALL

Chapter 2 - THE WAKEUP CALL

It's a sunny winter afternoon and Darren is sitting on his window sill looking out at the beautiful blue sky. His smile slowly fades as he feels a cool breeze and notices the snow falling from the sky. Darren is currently living in Florida but misses the snow and cold winters of his home state of Minnesota. This day was perfect, it reminded him of home.

It was a cold winter morning, and the only sound was the rhythmic tapping of my windowpane against the cold air outside. I was in my bed, lying on my back with my eyes closed and my hands folded across my chest. I could feel the warmth of the sun shining through the window, filling up the room with its comforting warmth. I imagined that I was somewhere else, somewhere warm and tropical. I imagined how much better it would feel to be on a beach somewhere, instead of lying in a freezing cold room.

Darren was excited to hear from Annabelle because they hadn't seen each other in a while. They agreed to meet at a coffee shop for coffee and catching up. When Darren arrived he saw that she had arrived before him. He got a coffee and sat down waiting for her to come sit with him. As he sat there drinking his coffee he saw her walk in, she looked really happy and excited. He smiled when she walked over to him and they sat down. The conversation was great and they made plans to do something together soon.

Darren and Annabelle, met at the coffee shop. They were both just there to grab a cup of coffee and then go to their respective offices. As they were chatting, Darren noticed that Annabelle was wearing a really cute skirt.

"Hey," Darren said to her. "You look really good in that skirt."

"Thanks," she replied. "I got it from Amazon."

Darren couldn't help but laugh. "You know what I like about Amazon?" he said.

"What?" she asked.

"I don't have to shop for my clothes."

"I think we should talk about the future of our relationship," Annabelle says. "I think we should see other people." Darren looks at her in disbelief. "Are you serious?" "I'm not saying that I want to break up," she says, "but I think it would be best for us if we did." "Really?" Darren says. "You're breaking up with me?" "No, I'm not," Annabelle says. "I'm just saying that we need to look at other options."

Annabelle was the first to break the silence. "I'm sorry, Darren. I really am. You're a really nice guy and I really like you. But I just don't think we're right for each other." Darren looked down at his feet, ashamed that he had let Annabelle down again. "It's not you, it's me," he said quietly.

"I'm sorry Annabelle," Darren said, "but I need to know what's going on."

"I need to break up with you," she said.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I'm not happy," she said.

"I know that's true," Darren replied, "but why do you want to break up?"

"I just don't," she said. "I really like you and I want to be with you but I just don't want to be in a relationship anymore."

"What about everything we've been through?" Darren asked. "You can't just break up with me because of that."

"I'm sorry," she replied. "It's not you, it's me."

Darren and Annabelle were in a relationship for two years, but recently Annabelle had begun to feel very uncomfortable with the relationship. She was growing tired of being an accessory for Darren, and wanted to break up with him. The only problem is that Darren was not ready to let her go. He wanted to continue the relationship, so he asked her to explain why she wanted to break up with him. She explained that she was tired of being his girlfriend because she felt like she was only getting used by him. He didn't care about her feelings and was more interested in getting sex from her than anything else.

Darren was sitting on the couch with so much pain in his eyes. They had been dating for a few months and he was ready to propose to her. He had planned to ask her on a date at a restaurant, get down on one knee, and propose to her. He was really excited about it and couldn't wait to share the news with her. He was just about to ask her when she said, "I want to break up."

Darren's face went from bright to dark in a matter of seconds. "Why?" Darren asked.

"I don't know," Annabelle replied. "I just want to be single for a while."

Darren was angry, but didn't say anything else.

Recently, Annabelle has been struggling with her relationship with Daren. Her mum is the person she can talk to about this.

Annabelle and her mum have been talking about Daren's girlfriend for a while now. Daren has been dating this girl for a few months and he has not mentioned anything about being in love with her or even if he is happy. Annabelle wants to know what she should do and how she should act around Daren. Her mum suggests that she ask him if he is happy and if he says no, she should end the relationship. But Annabelle feels like she can't just ask him straight up and that he might not be ready to talk about it yet. So the next time they see each other, Annabelle will ask him.

Annabelle had a really tough day at school, where she was asked to stay after class to talk about her relationship with Daren. Annabelle's parents are getting divorced and her mum was worried about her daughter's mental health as a result. Daren is the one who Annabelle has been dating for a while now. After talking with her mum, Annabelle felt a lot better and more confident in herself. She decided to break up with Daren, which made her feel amazing. Her mum was so happy for her that she called Daren and told him the news herself.

Annabelle had never really liked Daren. In fact, she was quite mad at him for not being a better friend to her. However, she was determined to make it work. She had seen the way he looked at her and she knew that he loved her. She tried to stay positive but it wasn't always easy.

Daren and Annabelle have been dating for two years now and they are still as in love with each other as they were on their first date. They have only been broken up twice, once when Daren went to visit his parents in Canada and another time when he was away at a work conference. The first time they broke up was difficult for Annabelle but she realised that it was best for them to be apart and grow individually. The second time they broke up was just as hard but they both had a lot of fun on their own.

"Annabelle, I don't know how to say this without making you feel like I'm telling you what to do or that I'm judging you." "I know," Annabelle responded, "but I think we both need to talk about it. It's been a while since you've seen him and it sounds like he's really changed." "He's not that guy anymore," I said. "And if he's not, then he doesn't deserve you."

Annabelle had a long conversation with her mum about her relationship with Daren, she felt like she was not being heard and it was time to speak up. She explained that she wanted to have a serious relationship with Daren and have children, but he had no interest in that, she felt like it was more important for him to stay the way he was. She told her mum how much of a struggle it was for her to be with Daren and how much it hurt when he ignored her or didn't want to be around her. Her mum listened and reassured her that Daren would change, but Annabelle was not convinced.

I was having a really hard time with my relationship with Daren. We had been together for about three years, but we had been fighting a lot lately. I decided to have a talk with my mum about it, and she was the one who helped me figure out the problem.

"I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling with your relationship with Daren. I know he's been really busy lately, but I think it would be good if he could spend more time with you." Annabelle had never heard her mum say anything like that before, and it made her feel a bit better.

Annabelle and her mum were sitting on the couch in the living room, drinking a cup of tea. Annabelle was happy to finally have some time to talk to her mum about Daren. She told her everything that happened, from the first night she met Daren to the day he left. Her mum listened carefully and gave advice when needed.

When Annabelle's mum was pregnant with her, she was told that she would have a lot of complications because she had a congenital heart defect. When Annabelle was born, she was given a heart transplant and her mum has been taking care of her ever since. Now, Annabelle is finally ready to take care of herself and start living a normal life.

Annabelle was really happy with herself for telling her mum that Darren was such a fool. She had tried to tell him off a few times before, but he never listened. But this time he had listened, and Annabelle was so proud of herself. She had told her mum that Darren was such a fool and she got a great big laugh out of it. But when Annabelle came back from school, she realised that she had made a huge mistake. Her mum was furious with her and told her off in front of the whole family. Now Annabelle is regretting telling her mum that Darren is such a fool.

Annabelle had a bit of a rough day at school, but she was happy to be home with her mum. The day went by quickly as they talked and had tea. Suddenly, Annabelle's mum stopped talking and asked her what had happened at school. Annabelle hesitated before she began telling her mum about Darren. "He's such a fool." Annabelle said, laughing to herself. "He's so stupid."

Annabelle had never been a good liar and decided to tell her mum that Darren was such a fool. She then regretted telling her mum that Darren was such a fool. She even regretted telling her mum that Darren was such a fool when she caught him with his mistress.

Annabelle had told her mum about Darren's comments on Facebook. She found it hilarious that he thought that she was going to be upset. However, her mum was not laughing at all. She was really angry and told Annabelle that she should have never told her mum what Darren had said.

Annabelle had been planning to tell her mum about the whole fiasco with Darren and his friends, but then she thought better of it. It wasn't that she was embarrassed by what had happened, but she felt like it would only make things worse. Her mum would probably be really mad and send Darren a message telling him how he had made Annabelle feel. She didn't want to cause any more trouble, so she decided to keep it to herself. A few days later she regretted her decision when her mum asked her about Darren and his friends. She realized that she had made a big mistake and decided to just come clean with her mum.

Annabelle has a lot of things on her mind today, like the fact that she is turning eighteen in a few months, she has a boyfriend who is a fool and she really needs to get her driver's license. When she gets home from school, Annabelle goes straight to her room and calls her mum. Annabelle tells her mum that Darren is such a fool because he doesn't know how to be there for her when she needs him. The next day when Annabelle is at school, she feels so embarrassed when her friends tell her that they have been going out for six months now.

Annabelle walks into the kitchen and notices her mum standing over the sink washing dishes. She walks up to her and says, "Hey mum, did you hear Darren's latest rant?" Her mum looks at her with a stern look on her face and says, "I'm not interested in what Darren has to say." Annabelle was expecting an enthusiastic response from her mum and she is upset that she received nothing. She then turns around and walks back to her room.

Annabelle was lying in bed, trying to sleep. She heard her mum come home and she held her breath as she heard the familiar creak of the front door. She listened as her mum's voice floated through the house and then she sighed with relief as she heard the front door close.

She had just been telling her mum about Darren, who was always so happy and joking around, when she saw her mum's face change. Her mum looked really sad and Annabelle regretted saying anything.

The next day, Annabelle had to endure Darren's jokes in school, which were even worse than usual, and when she got home, her mum asked her what had happened.

She told her mum everything and felt so relieved that she had finally told someone.

Darren reached out to James to give him relationship advice concerning Annabelle. Darren was having a difficult time trying to figure out how to approach Annabelle and he was feeling quite lost. Darren wanted to help James figure out the best way to get her to open up. Darren suggested that he take some time to sit down and write down what he wanted in a relationship and what he didn't want. After taking some time to think about his desires, James came up with a list of things that would make him happy in a relationship. He then sent this list to Annabelle, and she responded positively, so the two have been seeing each other ever since.

Darren is a twenty-five year old guy who is in a relationship with Annabelle. They have been dating for about six months, and Darren is feeling a little unsure about their relationship. He does not want to lose her, but he does not know what to do. He reaches out to James, who is an expert in relationships, to see if he can give him some advice. James tells Darren that it sounds like he is feeling insecure and that he needs to get back on track with his actions and not just his words.

Darren was feeling frustrated with his relationship with Annabelle. It had been a while since they had seen each other and they were both just not connecting anymore. Annabelle wanted to talk about it and Darren agreed. He felt like if they could have a healthy conversation and figure out what was going on, then they could get back to being the couple that they once were. The date went well and they both came away with a better understanding of what the other was thinking. They decided to take some time apart to get some clarity on the situation.

Darren and Annabelle have been dating for a few months now and are still not sure if they are compatible. They don't want to break up but they also don't want to continue dating if they aren't going to be happy. So Darren decided to take Annabelle on a date so they can talk about their relationship and see if they are compatible. Darren knows that this is a risk because it could lead to them breaking up, but he is willing to take the chance.

As Darren broke up with Annabelle in the coffee shop, she cried and pleaded for him not to leave her. When he told her that he doesn't love her anymore, she started to cry even harder. She couldn't believe that he would say such a thing. He told her that he was sorry for hurting her but that it was for the best. It was clear that he wasn't going to change his mind and wanted to end things between them. He told her to stay strong and not cry in front of him because it would make him feel bad.

Annabelle was very upset when Darren suggested that they should break up. She cried for hours on end and had a hard time thinking about anything else. She felt like she was going to die, because she was so sad. Now, Annabelle is trying to make sense of what happened.

"I'm sorry, mum," Annabelle said to her mother. "I really am, but I couldn't do it anymore. I tried and tried but I just couldn't be with Darren." Her mum hugged her tightly and said, "It's okay, darling. We can fix this. I know we can."

Annabelle was really happy when she found out that Darren and she were no longer together. They had been together for a year, but it just wasn't working out. When Annabelle told her mum that they were done, she was so relieved. She had been feeling so guilty about it for the past month, and now that it was over she felt so much better. Her mum was really understanding and supportive, which helped make the whole process easier.

Annabelle had a chat with her mum about the break up, and she told her that they had been together for three years. Her mum was a little bit sad, but Annabelle reassured her that it wasn't the end of the world. She then told her mum that she would always be there for her and that she loved her.

"Mum, I'm sorry," Annabelle said as she walked into her room. "I broke up with Darren."

"Why?" her mum asked.

"I just don't want to be with him anymore," Annabelle replied.

"But you love him," her mum said.

"I don't want to marry him, that's all," Annabelle said.

"Well, what did he do?" her mum asked.

"He just didn't understand how much I wanted to be a doctor," Annabelle explained.

"So what did you do?" her mum asked.

"I told him I wanted to be a doctor and he didn't take it well," Annabelle replied.

"Oh, well maybe you should have told him sooner then," her mum said.

"I know," Annabelle sighed.

Annabelle called her friend Mary and asked her to come over for some chocolate and ice cream. They both love each other's company and it's always a great time when they get together. Mary came over around 6pm. Annabelle invited her in and showed her the way to the kitchen where she had already put the chocolate and ice cream out on the counter. They had a great time catching up with each other and talking about all their lives. Mary enjoyed the chocolate and ice cream and left around 8pm.

When her friend Mary came over, Annabelle was ready to have some fun. She made a bowl of chocolate ice cream and handed it to Mary with a spoon. They ate their ice cream, talked about what they had been doing, and then decided it was time for a game of tag. They ran outside and started playing tag, but after a few minutes, they both got tired. They sat on the front porch steps to catch their breath before going back in for more ice cream.

Annabelle was trying to make sense of her life. After breaking up with Darren, she was feeling lost and empty. She had never felt this way before and didn't know what to do. She had always been a happy person and that was one of the reasons she had fallen for Darren. But now, she was struggling to find that happiness again. The thing that helped her the most was talking to her best friend, Mary. They talked for hours about what Annabelle was feeling and how it made sense that she had fallen out of love with Darren. Eventually, they decided that they would try to find the happiness they used to have with each other again.

"He was so nice and sweet, but I just couldn't see myself with him. I wasn't ready for a relationship yet. He was too needy and clingy," Annabelle tells her friend. "I just couldn't take it anymore."

Mary could tell that her friend was sad and tells her, "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize you were ready for a relationship. When do you think you'll be ready?"

Annabelle responds, "I don't know, maybe never. It's just really hard to find someone who will treat me like I deserve to be treated."

"I'm sorry, Mary. I had to break up with him."

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," I said, feeling terrible for my friend.

"It's ok," she said. "I'm not mad at you."

"I know," I said, "but it's just been so hard."

"Yeah," she said. "I've been there."

"You have?"

"Yeah," she said. "I broke up with my boyfriend after he cheated on me."

"That sucks," I said. "I'm sorry for what happened to you."

"It does suck," she said. "But it's not the end of the world."

When I saw Darren yesterday, I knew that it was time to end things. It was a total relief to have finally gotten up the courage to do so. My heart was broken and I couldn't see a future with him. He had been lying to me for months and I wasn't sure that I could trust him anymore.

Mary was sitting on a bench in the park when Annabelle approached her with a smile. "Hey Mary! How are you?" Annabelle asked.

"I'm good, and how are you?" Mary replied.

"I'm good too!" Annabelle responded happily. "I've been really busy lately and I don't know what I'm doing."

"Oh, that sounds hard!" Mary said sympathetically.

Annabelle nodded her head and sat down next to Mary on the bench. "I broke up with Darren."

"Oh! That must be hard," Mary said.

Annabelle nodded her head again and said, "Yeah."

"Well, I hope things work out for you," Mary said before walking away.

I was walking through the park, when a familiar voice called out to me. I turned around to see who it was, but when I saw it wasn't Darren, my heart dropped. "Hey Annabelle," the voice said. I knew that voice. It was Mary. "Hi," I said quickly, trying to avoid eye contact with her. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," she said. "I saw you and Darren break up."

"It's fine," I said, trying to keep my voice even. "We broke up a while ago."

"Oh," she said. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's fine," I repeated, walking away from her.

"Wait," she said, catching up to me and grabbing my arm. "Don't be like that."

"Like what?" I snapped.

"Angry," she said softly.

I let out a long sigh and looked at her for a moment before nodding my head.

"I'm sorry," I said, turning away from her again and starting to walk again.

"No, don't be sorry," she said quickly, pulling me

Darren had been feeling a little out of place in his old job and decided to take a break from the routine. He packed his bags and set off to New York City. He knew he would be there for a few weeks, so he wanted to make the most of his time there. Darren didn't want to waste any time, so he took a job that would keep him busy. He got a job at an art gallery as a security guard for the night shift. This would give him plenty of time to explore the city and meet new people.

Darren was excited for his trip to New York, he had always wanted to visit the bustling city. He packed his suitcase and was ready to go. He took the bus and subway to get to his destination. The first night, he found a cheap hotel close to the city. The next day, he walked around the city, checking out the sights and sounds. He went to Times Square to see all the people and watched a Broadway show. After that, he took a boat ride on the Hudson River, seeing all the different areas of New York City.

Darren is having a hard time moving on from his ex-girlfriend, Annabelle. He feels like he has nothing to do and that he can't live without her. He decides to take a trip to New York to get his mind off of her. As he walks through the city, he notices the different people and buildings. He ends up at a bar where he meets a man who tells him about the different types of drinks they have. This helps Darren to forget about Annabelle for a little while and feel like he is in a new place.

Darren traveled to New York in order to start a new life. He had always been the type of person that would always be with Annabelle. They were perfect for each other. But after being with her for so long, he was ready for something new. He was done with the same old routine and wanted to try something new. Darren took a trip to New York and stayed in a hotel near Central Park. He was able to get a lot of work done and meet new people. He even made some friends that he is still in contact with today.

When Darren walked into the night club he felt like he was home. The music was loud and the lighting was bright, but it all made sense. He had been looking for a place to go out with his friends that had good music and a great atmosphere. He saw Stacey sitting at a table by herself and decided to go talk to her. As he approached her he noticed she had long, dark hair and a beautiful face. He asked her if she wanted to dance and she agreed. They danced all night, talking about their lives and laughing until Darren left her at the door.

Darren and Stacey decided to go out for a drink. They had a good time, danced, and laughed, but as the night progressed Darren noticed that Stacey was getting tipsy and not as talkative. As they walked out of the club Darren saw Stacey stumble and almost fall. Darren caught her before she fell and asked if she was okay. She replied with a drunk smile on her face that she was fine. Darren offered to walk her home, which she accepted.

After a few hours of dancing and hanging out at the bar, Darren and Stacey decided to call it a night. Darren walked Stacey to her car and asked her to drive herself home. However, after getting in her car, she was too drunk to drive, so she asked Darren to take her home. After many failed attempts at convincing Stacey to drive herself home, Darren took her home.

Darren was Stacey's date for the night and had to take her home. They were walking in the street when she stumbled, then fell to the ground. Darren panicked and called for help, but it was too late. As soon as he got her back up on her feet, she fell again and he caught her before she hit the ground. He carried her to his car, trying not to drop her again. When they got to his car, he asked her if she wanted him to take her home and she said no. Darren drove her home, but she kept falling asleep. When they got there, Darren had to carry her in because she couldn't walk. He put her in bed and left.

As Daren was about to close the door to go out, Stacey begged him to keep her company at home. She was feeling lonely and wanted to talk. She had always been there for Daren, but this time he was too busy with work. It's hard for her to be by herself. Daren finally agreed to stay with her for a little while before heading back out. They both sat on the couch and talked about everything that happened that day, from their families to work to their love lives. After a while, Daren said he had to leave because he had a lot of work left to do. Stacey didn't want him to go, but she understood.

Daren walks into the room, looking like he is about to cry. As he sits down and begins to tell his story, Stacey listens intently. Daren was dating Annabelle for about six months, but things started to get difficult. "The last straw was when she said she didn't want to be in a relationship anymore," Daren says. "We were just friends now." Daren is relieved that he has finally been able to move on from Annabelle, but at the same time, he is sad because she was one of the best friends he had ever had.

"Daren told me that he and Annabelle had broken up," Stacey replied. "I'm sorry to hear that," I said as I reached out and patted his back. "It's just been so hard to be around her after everything that happened." Daren nodded in agreement and we sat in silence for a few moments before he spoke again. "It's not just that," he said. "I don't know if you noticed, but she's changed since she came back from her trip. She's not the same person she was before."

I'm not sure if it's the salty air, or the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, but I feel a sense of calm that I haven't felt in a long time. It's been a few weeks since my breakup with Annabelle, and I still haven't quite gotten over it. I thought that after a few months we would be back to normal, but she's been acting like she doesn't even know me. I don't know what to do anymore.

I got a text from Annabelle the night before saying she was sorry and that she just couldn't do this anymore. I was so lost, so confused. I knew I loved her and I knew she loved me too, but I didn't know how to fix it. She said she felt like we were just going around in circles and that it wasn't worth it.

Stacey was exhausted from the cold and snow outside, but she couldn't help but smile as she nuzzled into Daren's chest. The snow had been falling all day and it was still coming down hard. It made her feel as if she was living in a fairy tale and being protected by her prince. "You're such a good pillow," she murmured sleepily.

Stacey dozes off on Daren's lap as the snow outside began to fall silently. Daren just couldn't take it anymore and decided to carry her to the bedroom. As he walked up the stairs, he felt the snow slowly accumulating on his shirt and jacket, creating a light dusting over the wood floor. He gently sets her down on the bed and slowly pulls off her boots and socks before turning her on her side to get a better look at her face. His eyes are fixated on her beautiful face, but before he can really appreciate it, she stirs and opens her eyes. She looks at him with confusion, "What's going on?" she asks.

Stacey and Darren began to kiss passionately as their body heat rubbed on each other. Their lips were so soft and they tasted so good, Stacey knew she was going to love Darren forever. She pulled away just enough to look into his eyes before they began to make out again. The room was filled with the sounds of their lovemaking, but the only thing that mattered was that they were in love.

Stacey and Darren were in the middle of a very intense make-out session when they heard a knock on the door. They had no idea who it could be but decided to take the chance and continue their make-out session. Soon enough, the knock came again. This time, it sounded like more than one person. Stacey and Darren quickly stopped kissing and tried to push themselves apart as quietly as possible. The knocking continued for a few more seconds before Stacey opened the door to find her mother standing there, her eyes wide with shock.

Darren said goodbye to Stacey and her mum and left the house. The sun was just about to set and Darren couldn't wait to get home. He was thinking about what he would do when he got there. He would make himself a nice dinner, maybe watch a movie later, and then maybe play some video games before bed.

My phone rang and I saw that it was James on the other end of the line. I had only spoken to him a few days before but it seemed like it had been a lifetime. It was the first time I had spoken to him in months because he was in a different country. He was getting married soon so I wanted to congratulate him on his marriage and wish him good luck.

"Hey, did you meet any girls tonight?" James asked Darren as they talked over the phone.

"I met a really cute girl who was really into me."

"Oh yeah? Who was she?"

"Her name was Stacey. She was really pretty. We danced for a little bit and then talked for a while."

"What did you talk about?"

"We just talked about our lives and what we like to do."

"Was she cute?"

"She was pretty cute."

"Did you kiss her?"

"Yes, we did kiss."

"What happened then?"

"Her mum came into the room."

"That's too bad. Do you want to go back and talk to her again?"

"No, I don't think so. I'm happy with my life."