"What are you guys waiting for? Take that jerk to the basement!" Derek's abrupt command sliced through the tension in the room like a blade. He seized my hand and led me away, up the stairs, as if to distance himself from the turmoil that had just unfolded.
Derek's grip was firm, his fingers intertwined with mine, and I could feel the turmoil that churned within him. His actions spoke of a man who couldn't bear to dwell on Paul's unsettling declaration, and I couldn't blame him. The emotions that had been stirred by Paul's words were overwhelming, and the weight of the situation pressed heavily on us both.
As we ascended the stairs, I couldn't help but feel a sense of numbness wash over me. The reality of the events that had transpired was settling in, and I knew that the choices I had made had irreversibly altered the course of our lives.
