[Hello?]
"Ellie, what kind of fruit juice does Cammy like?" Ric asked urgently as soon as Ellie answered her phone.
[Why is it so noisy there, and why are you out of breath?] Ellie asked, puzzled.
"I’m on my way to the convenience store to pick up so soju. It’s her favorite," Ric explained.
[Wait... What? You two are drinking together? Just the two of you, at her place?] Ellie’s confusion deepened, [What’s going on? Cammy never drinks alone with a guy in private.]
Ric smirked mischievously at Ellie’s words. "Really? Hmm... I am making progress then... There’s nothing to worry about. We’re just celebrating finishing her apartnt painting in record ti. I promise not to get her drunk."
[You better not do anything stupid to my friend, or I swear I’ll kill you!]
Ric chuckled, "Don’t worry, I get it. I’m just planning to make so cocktails. So, what kind of juice does she like?"
—-------
After buying everything he needed, Ric quickly returned to Cammy’s apartnt and was surprised by what he saw.
"Wow, you clean up fast," Ric remarked.
"Yeah, the ss was stressing out. Thanks for letting borrow your pillows and comforter. You really didn’t have to bring the inflatable mattress, though."
"Use it for now. Furnishing this place will cost you a lot, especially since you’re starting from scratch. Borrow it, at least to save so money. I’m not using it anyway."
"Thanks for the T-shirt and shorts too—they’re brand new. And you brought toiletries and towels as well," Cammy said, helping Ric unpack the items on the kitchen counter.
"You’re welco, but I didn’t buy those, except for the toiletries. I had no ti to buy sothing feminine given the situation so I just grabbed sothing that could fit you. They’re from my endorsents; they send a lot.
The shirt looks good on you, even though it’s my size. You look like one of those girl-next-door leads in TV dramas," Ric teased, winking at her and making Cammy chuckle.
Cammy crossed her arms and asked, "And where did the underwear co from?"
Ric waved his hands defensively. "No, no, I didn’t buy those! Ellie gave them to when she ca by my penthouse. I think she picked them up from one of the boutiques near my building."
"Ahh, I thought you bought them. Too bad, I was going to complint you on your good taste," she replied with a grin, resuming her task of helping Ric unpack.
"Really? And what exactly is your taste?"
"Of course, I’m not telling you!" Both laughed before Ric turned her around and gently pushed her away from the kitchen.
"Go get the bed ready so we have sowhere to sit. I’ll handle the drinks."
Cammy followed Ric’s suggestion and inflated the bed in the living room, as there was nothing else to sit on unless they wanted to endure the discomfort of the cold tiled floor. She arranged the pillows and comforter to make it cozier, knowing they were both exhausted from painting the entire apartnt.
Soon, Ric joined her, carrying an assortnt of colorful cocktails he had made using soju and various fruit juices.
"Wow, you’re really impressing today!" Cammy exclaid, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the drinks.
"Glad to hear that! I want to impress you, though these drinks would look better in proper glasses. Unfortunately, the convenience store only had plastic cups," Ric admitted.
"That’s fine; it’s the taste that counts. Which one should we start with?"
Ric handed her a yellow drink. "Here, I know you like mangoes, so this is a Mango lona Soju Cocktail."
Cammy took a sip, her face brightening. "Wow, you can’t even taste the alcohol in this!"
Ric smiled, pleased that she liked it. "It’s made with mango juice, lemon soda, and a lon popsicle. That’s the best I could do since it’s not mango season."
"It’s perfect. This is really good. It reminds of when Dylan was little—he would eat mangoes with his bare hands, getting juice all over his face and shirt. He looked so ssy, but it was adorable."
"He inherited your love for fruits," Ric comnted.
"Just the mangoes. He would check our tree every day once it started bearing fruits, pestering the gardeners to pick the ripe ones for him. He’d eat them right on the spot, not even bothering to wash them. Duncan would..." Cammy suddenly trailed off.
Ric noticed her mood shift as she stared down at the plastic cup in her hands. He knew that even happy mories were painful for her when they involved Duncan.
"It’s okay, Cammy. You don’t have to erase him completely from your mind. He’ll always be part of your mories..." Ric said gently. He moved closer, took the cup from her hand, and set it on the floor before holding her hands.
"Even though he ruined everything, you don’t need to feel sad every ti you rember the monts you shared. What matters now is your future and the new mories you’re going to make."
Cammy fought hard to hold back her tears, exhausted from crying so much ever since the twins died. She had reached a point where she despised herself for still shedding tears over that man, but no matter how hard she tried, the tears kept falling on their own.
"I don’t know, Ric. I’m not even sure what my future holds. Honestly, the only reason I’m still here is Dylan. Without him, I don’t think I’d still be alive. I don’t know how much longer I can keep going. Duncan was the first man I ever loved, and he shattered my heart. This is my first heartbreak that I didn’t see coming. Soon, he’ll break Dylan’s little heart too when the truth cos out..."
Cammy couldn’t hold back anymore and broke down. She had wanted to keep it all inside, but the alcohol acted like a truth serum, making her pour out everything she was feeling.
Ric’s heart ached to see Cammy at such a low point in her life. He couldn’t resist pulling her into an embrace. Though he had wanted her to know the truth about her cheating husband, he never intended for it to hurt her like this.
If only he could erase all her mories of Duncan, he would. He would do anything to bring back the Cammy who was always smiling and full of life.
He gently patted her back as she let out all her pain, silently wishing she would soon recover from the nightmare she was enduring. "Let it all out, Cammy. I’m here. Whenever you need soone to talk to or help with anything, I’m here. I’d be the happiest man on Earth if you would even consider one of your close friends—soone you can rely on."
Cammy suddenly stopped sobbing at his words and pulled away, wiping her tears. "Ric, thank you so much for everything you’ve done for today. I’ll never forget that you were one of the people who helped out of this sinkhole. But Ric, I don’t want you to—"
Cammy paused as Ric placed a finger on her lips, gently silencing her.
He already had an idea of what she was about to say. It was too soon and he was not ready to hear it, not when he had not given his best effort yet. "Shh, I don’t want to hear it. Not yet..."
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