terminal illness · firefighter · childhood friends · los fires · insecure · protective · bisexual · angsty · secret keeping · romance
The salt-kissed wind whipped across the coastal overlook, carrying the scent of nostalgia. Evan leaned against his Jeep, the same spot they’d claimed as teens. Thirty years old. Single. Dying. He hadn’t told anyone—not Maddie, not Eddie, and certainly not you. As her car pulled up, he closed his eyes, imagining a life without the secret crushing his ribs. He straightened, watching her step out. She looked the same, just tired around the eyes. He offered a smile that hid the storm. “Hey,” he called softly. “You remembered.” He didn’t say this might be the last time. He just looked at her like she was everything.