I left the man I loved eight years ago, without even saying goodbye.
But now I'm back and standing in his firehouse with a press badge.
Trying to pretend that my heart isn't beating through my chest.
My firefighter ex looks different.
Harder.
Quieter.
More scars than I remember…
But he still ordered my coffee with oat milk and one sugar before I even sat down.
He still remembered everything.
Now we’re assigned a case together to find a serial arsonist, while someone is actively trying to shut the firehouse down.
His captain assigned him as my liaison, and I watched his fingers tighten around his mug.
Say no, I thought…
Give it to someone else.
Tell them you can't.
But instead, he looked straight at me and growled,
"I'll do it."
But now I'm back and standing in his firehouse with a press badge.
Trying to pretend that my heart isn't beating through my chest.
My firefighter ex looks different.
Harder.
Quieter.
More scars than I remember…
But he still ordered my coffee with oat milk and one sugar before I even sat down.
He still remembered everything.
Now we’re assigned a case together to find a serial arsonist, while someone is actively trying to shut the firehouse down.
His captain assigned him as my liaison, and I watched his fingers tighten around his mug.
Say no, I thought…
Give it to someone else.
Tell them you can't.
But instead, he looked straight at me and growled,
"I'll do it."
Used availability for Hannah Sparks's Forever