Chapter 3
"You didn't bring an umbrella?" Maisy asked.
Maisy stood on her tiptoes on the steps, holding the umbrella up as high as she could.
She tilted the umbrella so it covered Andrew completely, raindrops sliding to one corner and hanging there, not quite falling.
Andrew reached up and softly nudged the umbrella back in her direction.
The raindrops fell, scattering across the muddy footprints, and all those feelings inside me just melted into something I couldn't even name.
Maisy furrowed her brows, her expression soft with concern.
She said, "With rain this heavy, if you get soaked and catch a cold, who's going to take care of you?"
He stayed silent, letting her keep the umbrella over him.
Andrew had his back to me, so I couldn't see his face.
My gaze fell, and I saw the suitcase in Maisy's hand.
It was the same model as the one he was carrying, only in a different color.
They were the official couple edition from the flagship store.
"Let's head out," Andrew said with a restrained, almost indifferent tone.
Maisy looked past him, saw me, and raised her eyebrow slightly, but didn't say a word.
He lowered his head, clutching the suitcase handle. Just as he was about to step forward, I called out to him. "Andrew."
He paused, turned around, and looked at the umbrella I was holding.
But Maisy's fingers were still tugging at his sleeve.
If she took just one more step, their fingers would touch，ten entwined as one.
"Do you need something?" Andrew asked, sounding distant.
Maybe it was because I hadn't bothered with a jacket, but the wind outside carried the rain in, and the cold started to seep into me.
I pulled my jacket tighter, but the chill felt like it was coming from deep inside me.
I looked at him and then at Maisy.
He frowned, turned his head a bit, and you could see the frustration building in his eyes. "It's not what you think."
He probably thought I was overthinking, as usual.
He was afraid I'd use this to start another argument.
But since we'd already broken up, none of this really mattered anymore.
I held onto the extra umbrella, not offering it to him.
"That suitcase," I said. "That one's mine，I bought it, and I need it back."
Andrew squinted, like he hadn't quite caught what I said, trying to make sense of it.
"What?" he asked.
"The suitcase," I repeated.
He looked down at the suitcase and then just dropped the handle.
"I don't need it," he said.
He strode off into the rain without a second glance.
Maisy glanced at me, then quickly went after him.
I stayed rooted to the spot, watching the chaotic footprints as the rain whispered all around me.
He said it wasn't what I thought, but honestly, I couldn't even figure out what I was supposed to think anymore.
How was I supposed to imagine anything at this point?
How did he and Maisy end up running into each other here so late at night?
Were they walking close together under that umbrella, their fingers intertwined?
I walked over and retrieved the suitcase he'd left behind.
The handle was still warm, as if his warmth lingered in my palm, like I was still holding his hand.
The first time I held Andrew's hand, it was all just a mix-up.
I was taking my nephew, Sean Taylor, to the movies, and the show was about to start, but we still hadn't made it inside.
I was digging through my bag for the tickets, and without thinking, I grabbed someone's hand and started running.
As I ran, I realized something was off. I turned around and saw Sean still standing there, looking totally miserable.
But the hand I was holding belonged to a guy.
He was handsome, with sharp brows, clear eyes, and lips that looked soft and pale.
He laughed and said, "Honestly, I thought you were a kidnapper for a second."
But he totally forgot about it later.
He always thought our first meeting was during that round of truth or dare.
It was at college boot camp, when a bunch of classes teamed up for a mixer.
His dare was to kiss whoever was number three.
I looked down at the number in my hand: number three.
"Who's number three? Where are you?" someone hollered, stirring up the crowd. "You gotta kiss Andrew. If nobody's brave enough, I'll volunteer."
"Keep dreaming. You better get in line behind me," another person teased.
"Is number three here or not? I'm number five. If nobody else wants to do it, I'll jump in." someone else chimed in.
Everyone else was waving their number cards around, but I just stood there, frozen, too nervous to even move.
Andrew's eyes landed on me.
"Number three?" he asked.
He pinched the card between his fingers and flipped it over.
Sure enough, it was a three.
He noticed how nervous I looked and gave me a gentle smile.
"It's okay if you're not comfortable," Andrew said softly. "They're just joking around, don't let it bother you."
I shook my head, my ears burning red.
He caught sight of my blushing ears and turned to the group. "Hey, can I take a different dare? Don't put her on the spot."
Everyone was staring at me.