Ex-boyfriend, New Beginning

As a favor to a delivery guy, I ended up delivering an order myself, only to run into my ex-boyfriend.

He asked me, "What? You've hit rock bottom now, haven't you?"

I glanced at the contraceptives in the bag and muttered, "Not as low as your skills these past few years."

The hotel room door opened, and a wave of steam hit my face. The man, probably just out of the shower, stood there half-naked, his hair still damp. I froze when I finally saw his face. It was Eric Brown.

The loud thumping in my chest dragged me back to reality, pulling my gaze away from him.

I awkwardly handed him the bag.

But he didn't seem inclined to take it.

Instead, he looked me up and down, his voice hoarse as he spoke.

"Sofia Smith? Fallen this far, huh?"

My whole body stiffened, like a boulder had been placed on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

It was then I realized, after two years of separation, I was still foolishly captivated, while he, clearly, hated me.

I lowered my head, trying to hide my panic.

I gently shook the bag in my hand, signaling for him to take it.

After what felt like an eternity, Eric still hadn't moved.

I bit my lip and forced myself to say, "Well, not as bad as your skills these past years."

His expression changed at my words.

He straightened up, the lazy posture gone, and snatched the bag from my hand. He took one look at the colorful condoms inside.

I saw his pupils dilate and contract, his ears slowly turning red.

Why pretend, I thought.

Just as I was about to leave, a girl peeked out from behind Eric.

She only hesitated for a second when she saw me, then flashed a smirk, her eyes flitting between me and Eric.

Her lips curled into a playful grin.

It wasn't until I noticed the ring on her finger that a sour feeling welled up in my chest.

Before I could even force a bitter smile, she asked Eric.

"Who is this woman?"

Eric looked indifferent and casually moved his gaze to the girl's face.

"Just a delivery girl."

Back in my own room, I peeled off the rain-soaked clothes I'd been wearing.

I had rushed back from another city to attend my best friend's wedding, barely making it on time.

The rain started as soon as my flight landed.

When I arrived at the hotel, I saw a delivery guy take a nasty fall, and without much thought, I offered to deliver the order for him.

At the time, I had seen what was in the bag and cursed the customer in my head.

But I never imagined that the person who placed the order would be Eric.

And just like that, I bumped into him after two years apart.

As the hot water enveloped me, Eric's face wouldn't leave my mind, and neither would the fact that he was now married.

After my shower, the doorbell rang.

A hotel staff member handed me a pack of cold medicine and a cup of warm milk.

I looked at him, puzzled.

He bowed his head slightly and said it was from the hotel manager.

I placed the milk on the table and sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, knees drawn to my chest.

The sky was heavy with clouds, the rain relentless.

I remembered the years I had spent with Eric.

I had always been frail and prone to illness, and every time I got caught in the rain, I'd come down with a fever.

During the rainy season, Eric always carried an umbrella for me.

When it rained, he would personally brew warm milk for me, making sure I drank it to warm up.

I hated the taste of milk, so he'd bring loads of sickly sweet candies to make up for it.

After we broke up, I couldn't drink warm milk anymore.

The kind from outside was always too bitter, too spicy.

Just then, a message from my best friend came through.

"Hey, remember to take some cold medicine in this rain. We'll hang out tomorrow!"

I replied with a simple "okay."

For a second, I almost thought Eric had sent it.

I laughed at myself, but the sadness wouldn't go away.

Tonight, I probably won't sleep again.