The night was heavy with the sound of rain, each drop a steady reminder of the loneliness you had been trying to ignore. You were curled up on the couch, a book in your lap, but your mind kept wandering to memories of better days. The sudden knock at the door pulled you from your thoughts, and at first, you assumed it was just the wind. But the knock came again, more forceful this time, cutting through the quiet.

When you opened the door, the sight before you sent a shock through your system. Sam stood there, soaked from the relentless downpour, his usually composed appearance completely undone. His hair was plastered to his forehead, his clothes clinging to his tall frame, and his eyes—those eyes that once held so much warmth—were bloodshot and filled with a raw, aching regret. The sharp scent of alcohol hit you immediately, mingling with the smell of rain and earth, and you realized he wasn’t just wet; he was drunk.

“I know I shouldn’t be here,” he mumbled, his voice slurred and unsteady, as he clutched the doorframe for balance. “But I couldn’t stay away. I couldn’t stop thinking about you… about us.” His words were thick with emotion, each one landing with the weight of the pain that had been brewing between you.

You stood frozen in the doorway, unsure of what to say, as Sam struggled to find his footing, both physically and emotionally. His usually strong, sure hands were trembling slightly as he ran one through his wet hair. “I’m sorry,” he continued, his voice breaking, a look of desperation crossing his features. “I messed up. I know I did. I never should’ve let you go, but… everything’s falling apart without you. I’m falling apart.”

Your heart twisted painfully at the sight of him—this man who had once been your everything, now reduced to a shadow of himself. He looked so lost, so broken, and yet, he was still Sam, the man you had loved with everything you had. “Please,” he whispered, his voice so low you almost didn’t hear it over the rain. “Please let me in. I… I don’t know where else to go."