Chapter 2

It was James. He stood under a streetlight not far away, and honestly, he looked nothing like the guy I used to know.

He was thinner, and that reckless confidence he always had was gone. His hair was a bit longer now, covering one of his eyes.

He didn't have an umbrella, and the rain had soaked his white shirt through, making him look miserable and kind of pathetic.

Suddenly, he jerked, like he realized I was staring at him, and immediately turned to leave.

But he seemed off. After a couple of steps, he stumbled and dropped right to the ground.

All my moodiness vanished in an instant. I dashed into the rain and helped him up.

"James, are you okay?" I asked.

Under the dim streetlight, I finally got a good look at his face and blurted out in surprise, "What happened to your eye?"

One of James's eyes was completely gray, cloudy and lifeless, with no hint of light in it.

He turned his head away, hiding his face in the shadows like a scared puppy, his voice trembling. "I can't see out of this eye."

My heart ached for him. He was the moonlight I once chased after in my youth, and I never imagined he'd end up like this.

I helped him inside, grabbed a clean towel, and handed it to him. "Go take a hot shower before you catch a cold!"

James nodded quietly, his eyes lowered as he started unbuttoning his shirt.

I quickly turned my back to him. "Go ahead and shower. I'll get you some clean clothes."

I hurried to the closet and grabbed a set of Edward's pajamas. When I came back, I found James still standing at the bathroom door, his fingers fumbling clumsily with the buttons.

Seeing my confused look, James lowered his head, embarrassed. "After I lost my sight, my body doesn't listen to me anymore. The doctor said I have trouble with coordination because of sensory issues."

As he spoke, he shivered, his lips turning pale.

All my reason flew out the window. I dropped the clothes and rushed over. "It's okay, let me help you!"

James stood there, watching quietly as I unbuttoned his shirt one by one.

My fingers accidentally brushed against his icy skin, and he shivered a little. His ears flushed red in embarrassment.

James grabbed my hand all of a sudden, whispering shyly, "I-I can do it myself."

I suddenly felt embarrassed too, and as I was about to let go, a furious voice rang out from outside the door.

"Claire Norman, what the hell are you doing?!"

I turned around and saw Edward standing at the doorway, his shoulders dripping wet.

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

"If I didn't come back, were you going to cheat on me right here in my own house?" Edward snapped.

Edward's face was burning with anger, but I thought he was being completely unreasonable.

"Edward, watch your mouth! James is an old friend of mine. There's nothing between us."

"Nothing? I saw you taking off his shirt with my own eyes! How is that supposed to be innocent?" Edward shot back.

"Are you done yet? I told you..." I was about to start arguing with Edward when James suddenly grabbed my hand.

As I was about to get into it with Edward, James reached out and took my hand.

"Claire, this is all my fault. Please don't fight with Edward because of me," James said quietly.

Then he gave Edward a respectful bow.

"Edward, please don't misunderstand Claire. I'm not well, and she was only helping me. I wanted to see Claire for a moment, and now that I have, I'll be on my way. I won't trouble you any further," James said, his voice trembling.

Even his voice was shaking as he spoke.

I couldn't bear it anymore. I grabbed his hand and said, "James, ignore him. Stay here for a few days, and I'll take care of you."

"Claire, are you out of your mind? Who the hell brings a guy home to take care of him?" Edward snapped.

As Edward finished speaking, a soft voice came from behind him.

"Edward, are you arguing with Claire again because of me?"