My boyfriend of eight years ended things with me the day before our wedding.

“Nara, this is it.”

Nathan Hays’s eyes were icy as he said those words, signaling the end of our eight-year love story.

His usually bright and steadfast gaze was now dim and distant.

“I’m leaving with Nova.”

Nova Jolly was the obstacle between us. The only time we ever came close to breaking up in those eight years was because of her.

From the moment Nova entered our lives, I knew she’d cause trouble between Nathan and me.

And now, she’s about to take him away for good.

…

I first met Nathan one afternoon during my junior year.

Nathan was a firefighter who had saved many lives, including mine.

Like most college students, I was mainly focused on two things, eating and sleeping.

One day, I went next door to snag some slices of hotpot beef and lamb from my neighbors.

Full and satisfied, I took a nap.

In my dream, I felt like I was suffocating.

I reached out blindly and grabbed a warm, calloused hand.

“Hey, wake up!”

I managed to open my eyes and saw a handsome guy looking down at me.

I probably thought at that moment that he was meant for me. I asked, “What’s your name?”

“Nathan Hays.”

I wanted to ask for his contact info, but then everything just slipped away from my mind.

It felt like I’d been asleep for days.

When I woke up, my parents were standing beside my bed.

My mom was frantic, calling my name and asking if I felt any pain.

I was confused and even wondered if it was some sort of prank. Then I saw my dad pressing the nurse call button and wiping away a tear.

I later found out I hadn't just been napping. I had nearly died.

The dorm’s old wiring had shorted out because my neighbors were using a high-power hotpot, and it had burned down most of the building.

Luckily, the firefighters arrived just in time, so there were no injuries.

I had been through a life-or-death moment and miraculously survived.

I was thankful for the fire, despite losing most of my belongings, because it had brought Nathan into my life.

After the fire, the school rebuilt the dorms, and we were temporarily moved to another vacant building.

My mom called and insisted I bring some fruit to the fire station to thank the firefighters who saved me.

I was hesitant, grateful but nervous about going alone.

My mom gave me a stern talk, saying that with only two semesters left before graduation, I was practically an adult and needed to step up.

So, I finally gave in, bought some fruit and milk tea, and headed to the city fire station to show my appreciation.

I was on edge the entire way there.

As soon as I got off the bus and spotted the firefighters standing at the entrance, my legs felt like they might buckle.

I wasn’t sure what drove me to go inside, but one of the firefighters said that if I hadn’t seemed so innocent and brought gifts, he might have thought I was suspicious.

I was really grateful for that.

Soon, a tall, dark-skinned man approached with a friendly smile and took the gifts from my hands. I flexed my reddened fingers, hesitating as I asked, “Is there a firefighter named Nathan here?”

“Yes, I’ll get him for you.”

Nathan didn’t recognize me at first, probably because my face was still smeared with soot from the fire.

This encounter felt even more awkward than the last one.

I was so nervous that I spilled milk tea on my skirt, turning the cute dress I had carefully chosen into a mess.

Nathan looked momentarily stunned, probably not used to such an awkward situation.

He quickly composed himself and, with a gentle smile, said, “Let me help you get cleaned up.”

I followed him to the restroom, trying to ignore how his broad shoulders seemed to block out the world.

He handed me a dry towel and then stepped out.

I stared at the towel for a while before finally cleaning the stains from my skirt. It was still damp, but it was the best I could manage.

When I came out, Nathan was waiting by the door with a jacket. My anxiety surged again.

Seeing me, Nathan awkwardly cleared his throat and handed me the jacket. “Here, put this on.”

“Hmm?” I didn’t get it at first.

Nathan sighed softly, took a few steps toward me, and crouched down.

I was stunned, barely able to breathe.

Looking down, I saw his striking features up close. His tanned skin, a result of years of training, didn’t take away from his good looks.

His muscular forearm, with prominent veins, showed off his masculine charm.

He tied the jacket around my waist, and as he was doing it, he said, “Your waist is really small.”

It sounded a bit flirtatious, but he was so straightforward and genuine that I figured I was just overthinking it.

Compared to his broad build, I did seem pretty petite.

Maybe he was just making an observation.

I mumbled a quiet “thank you.”

He shrugged it off and then asked, “Why’s your face so red?”

I wasn’t sure if he was playing dumb or just genuinely clueless, but thankfully, he didn’t push the question. Instead, he asked if I wanted to take a tour of the station.

“Is that allowed?” I asked, unsure.

He chuckled, clearly amused, and said, “There are some parts you can see, just stick with me.”

I grinned, “Sure, let’s go meet your firefighter friends!”

As soon as I said that, a few of his colleagues walked by, comparing abs.

I definitely enjoyed the view.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t exactly reach out and touch, and they seemed to notice my stare, so they quickly toned it down.

“Nathan, is this your girlfriend? She looks pretty young.”

“Watch your mouth, or you’ll be running laps,” Nathan shot his friend a warning look.

The guy immediately backed off, “No way, I just showered!”

“She’s a University of Pittsburgh student, here to thank us. What’s going on in that head of yours?”

Nathan scolded his friend, then turned to me. “Don’t mind them. We’re used to being rough around the edges.”

I nodded, saying it was fine.

Nathan then showed me around the station, but I was distracted, replaying his friend’s comment over and over in my head.

As we were about to say goodbye, I blurted out before I could stop myself, “So… do you have a girlfriend?”

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.