The Day Before The Wedding, He Broke Up With Me

He froze, clearly not expecting that question.

Realizing I might’ve overstepped, I quickly backpedaled, “You didn’t have to answer if you didn’t want to. It was just a random question.”

“No, I didn’t,” he replied.

I wasn’t sure if he meant he didn’t care about the question or if he actually didn’t have a girlfriend.

Almost like he read my mind, he repeated, “I didn’t have a girlfriend.”

“Okay, got it,” I said, trying to play it cool.

After that, I honestly didn’t remember how I got out of the fire station. My mind was completely wrapped up in thoughts of Nathan and his ruggedly handsome face.

A week later, I returned to the station to give back his jacket. I’d been in such a rush the last time that I completely forgot it was still tied around my waist until my roommate asked about it.

But when I got there, the friendly firefighter at the entrance told me Nathan was out on a call.

Disappointed, I left the jacket with him and headed home, thinking that might be the end of it, that our brief connection had run its course.

But then, a month later, I saw him again.

After the school lost an entire dorm building, they launched a two-month fire safety campaign. The city’s fire department sent in some officers to give lectures and hands-on training.

In a group of firefighters, Nathan was impossible to miss, tall, handsome, and naturally the most eye-catching one there.

A few girls near me were whispering, betting on how many abs that hot firefighter had.

I couldn’t help feeling a little possessive, like my prized cabbage was being eyed by a bunch of pigs.

Nathan asked if anyone knew how to use a fire extinguisher and needed a volunteer for a demonstration.

The second when his eyes landed on me, my heart skipped a beat.

His deep voice cut through the chatter, “How about the student in the bucket hat?”

Before I could react, my roommate gave me a little shove, and I found myself awkwardly walking toward Nathan.

He asked if I knew how to use a fire extinguisher.

I nodded.

Ever since my last visit to the fire station, I’d gotten really interested in this stuff—watched tons of videos, read up on it, and somehow picked it up.

He handed me a small fire extinguisher, but just as I was about to pull the safety pin, he suddenly stepped closer, his arm loosely around me.

I froze, my breath catching, every muscle tensing up. But all he did was guide me through the process while explaining the extinguisher to the rest of the group.

His voice was low and smooth, right by my ear.

Despite the air conditioning, I broke into a sweat.

In the end, I managed to help with the demonstration and even earned myself a little red flower.

After the training ended and everyone else had left, I stayed behind, not ready to go just yet.

I watched Nathan chat with his fellow firefighters, and suddenly, his deep, dark eyes found mine.

My heart jumped as he started walking toward me.

I froze, unsure if I should stand up or stay seated.

“Thanks for helping out earlier,” he said with a smile that made his eyes light up.

“Uh, no problem,” I stammered, feeling a little flustered. Then, before I could overthink it, I asked, “Do you have time? I could show you around the campus.”

It seemed like the polite thing to do.

Nathan nodded. “Sure, I could use a tour guide.”

His friends overheard and immediately volunteered to join us.

I didn’t mind, but when they came back from changing out of their gear, only Nathan returned. I asked where the others went.

“They had to head back to the station,” he explained casually.

I didn’t question it and started showing him around, hitting all the school’s famous spots.

We ended up at the library, where we accidentally stumbled upon a couple getting a little too cozy.

My face flushed, and without thinking, I grabbed Nathan’s hand and pulled him into a nearby hallway to avoid the awkward scene.

There was this unspoken rule: When you saw a couple in a PDA moment, it was always the third party who felt the most awkward.

I glanced at Nathan, curious about his reaction, but he seemed completely unfazed like he hadn’t even noticed.

Then I realized I was still holding his wrist. I quickly let go, fumbling for an explanation. “Sorry, I just… they…”

Nathan looked down at me, his gaze steady. “Why did we need to hide?”

The question caught me off guard. “To avoid the awkwardness…?”

He suddenly took a step closer, towering over me.

Feeling a bit self-conscious under his intense stare, I tried to lighten the mood with a nervous laugh. “I don’t get those two. Isn’t that something you’d usually do, like, late at night when no one’s around…?”

“I know why,” he said out of nowhere.

“Huh?” I was confused.

And then he kissed me.

The warmth of his lips against mine caught me completely off guard. This was a kiss, the kind of thing couples did, just like the pair we had seen in the hallway.