The rain fell in heavy sheets, drenching the small town in a somber gray. Ethan stood outside Sarah's house, shivering not just from the cold but from a swirling mix of dread and longing. He felt like a ghost, faded and almost invisible under the sound of raindrops, but today he knew he couldn't remain a phantom in her life any longer.

After six long months of silence, of wrestling with his feelings, he was finally at her doorstep. He had been too afraid to voice his heart, paralyzed by regret and doubt, but now, facing the darkened house, he realized that he could no longer hide. She opened the door, and the light spilled out like warm honey, illuminating her surprised face.

"Are you insane?" she asked, concern lacing her voice more than anger. He searched her eyes for the warmth he once knew, the kindness that made his heart race.

Taking a deep breath, he spoke the unspoken words that had haunted him for far too long. "It's been a long six months, and I've missed you. I want you, Sarah. For worse or for better, I would wait forever and ever, even if it means putting back together the pieces I broke." His voice trembled, a mixture of hope and fear.

She studied him for a moment, the rain blurring the outside world behind her. Memories cascaded between them, flickers of laughter captured in pictures framed on the wall, moments of joy shared in a gaze or a kiss on the cheek. He could almost hear the echoes of their past, reminding him how beautiful it used to be.

"I... you left, Ethan. You never told me why," she whispered, the hurt spilling into her words.

He hung his head, guilt weighing on him heavily. "I must have lost my mind. I thought I was protecting you by stepping away, but instead, I pushed you into loneliness. I should have been there, I should have explained. I didn't understand then what I lost."

Silence thickened the air, interrupted only by the soft sound of rain. But Ethan could see the flicker of something in her eyes—vulnerability mingled with hope.

In that moment, he stepped closer, closing the space between them, desperately wanting to bridge the gap his mistakes had carved. "Please, remind me how it used to be," he implored, clutching her hands gently. “I don't want you to go. I still want you for worse or for better. I’ll be here, I’ll wait forever and ever if you need me to."

And in the warmth of her doorway, with the world around them blurred by rain and fear, she stepped back into his life, tentatively smiling as she saw the sincerity in his eyes.

“Okay,” she breathed, hope sparkling amid her sadness. “Let’s see if we can put it all back together.”

As Ethan pulled her into a warm embrace, he felt the walls that had separated them begin to crumble. It struck him then, how fragile and powerful love could be, and how sometimes it took being drenched in the rain to wash away the ghosts of the past. That was how you got the girl. And perhaps, just perhaps, that was how you kept her, too.