Earlier, I felt nervous when Ryder suddenly called my phone. After several months, it was his first time reaching out, and I was anxious about hearing his voice again.

But I couldn’t bring myself to answer the call. Instead, I rejected it and turned off my phone, focusing on getting ready for a movie outing with Lucas.

True to his word, Lucas arrived at my unit an hour before lunch, ringing the doorbell. Before opening the door for him, I checked my appearance once more. I couldn’t shake off the discomfort with my chosen outfit. What if he didn’t like it?

Pausing before opening the door, I hesitated for a...