Chapter 2

It was Costa. He stood under a streetlight not far away, looking very different.

He'd gotten thinner, no longer had that reckless arrogance, and his slightly long hair covered one eye.

He wasn't holding an umbrella. Rain had soaked through his white shirt, making him look miserable and pitiful.

Suddenly, he trembled, as if realizing I was watching him, and immediately turned to leave.

But something seemed wrong with his body. After just two steps, he lost his balance and fell to the ground.

I instantly forgot my sadness and rushed into the rain to help him up.

"Costa, are you okay?"

By the dim light of the streetlamp, I finally got a clear look at Costa's face and asked in surprise, "What happened to your eye?"

One of Costa's eyes had turned completely gray, cloudy and dull, with no light in it at all.

He turned his head away, hiding his entire face in shadow, and said in a trembling voice, "This eye... can't see..."

My heart ached terribly. He was my first love from my youth—I never imagined he'd end up like this.

I helped him into the house and handed him a clean towel. "Go take a hot shower quick, don't catch a cold!"

Costa nodded silently, head down, unbuttoning his shirt.

I quickly turned around. "You wash up first, I'll get you some clean clothes."

I hurried to the walk-in closet and grabbed one of Louis's pajama sets, only to find Costa still standing at the bathroom door, his fingers clumsily struggling with the buttons.

Seeing my confused look, Costa lowered his head awkwardly. "After I went blind in this eye, my coordination got messed up. The doctor said I have sensory integration disorder..."

As he spoke, he shivered, his lips losing their color and turning pale.

I immediately lost all rational thought, put down the clothes and rushed over. "It's okay, I'll help you!"

Costa stood still obediently, watching me undo his buttons one by one.

My fingers accidentally brushed against his ice-cold skin. He trembled slightly, then his ears turned bright red.

He suddenly grabbed my hand and said quietly, "I... I can do it myself..."

I also belatedly felt embarrassed and was about to let go when I heard an angry shout from the doorway.

"Miranda, what are you doing?!"

I turned around to find Louis standing in the doorway, his shoulders more than half soaked.

I couldn't help frowning. "Why did you come back?"

"If I didn't come back, should I wait for you to sleep with another man?"

Louis's face was full of anger, but I just found it absurd.

"Louis, watch your mouth. Costa is an old friend of mine. There's nothing going on between us!"

"Nothing? I saw you undressing him with my own eyes. Where's the nothing?"

"Are you done? I already told you..."

Just as I was about to start arguing with Louis, Costa grabbed my hand.

"Miranda, it's all my fault. Please don't fight with Louis because of me."

After saying this, he bowed to Louis.

"Louis, don't misunderstand Miranda. I'm not well, she was just helping me. Today I only wanted to see Miranda one time. Now that I have, I'll leave. I won't disturb you two."

His voice was trembling as he spoke.

I immediately softened, grabbing his hand. "Costa, ignore him. You stay here for the next few days. I'll take good care of you."

"Miranda, are you crazy? Who brings a member of the opposite sex into their home to take care of?"

Just as Louis finished speaking, a soft voice came from behind him.

"Louis, are you fighting with Miranda because of me again?"