The Cool-Off That Became Forever

Noah's POV People often say your first love never leaves you. I used to laugh whenever I heard that. Not because I didn't believe it... But because I was certain Ethan Carter would be my first and my last. If someone had asked me a week ago what love looked like, I would've answered without hesitation. Love is Ethan. Funny, isn't it? How life can turn your greatest certainty into your biggest mistake. ... I first met Ethan during my freshman year at Riverside University. It wasn't some dramatic movie-like encounter where our eyes met across a crowded room. It was much more embarrassing. I had been rushing to my first lecture of the semester, clutching a cup of iced coffee in one hand while trying to read my timetable with the other. I wasn't looking where I was going. Neither was he. Crash! The next thing I knew, cold coffee had splashed across a white shirt. "Oh my God!" I looked up in horror. Standing in front of me was the most handsome man I had ever seen. He had messy dark hair that looked effortlessly perfect, warm hazel eyes, and a face that belonged on the cover of a magazine. His once spotless white shirt now had a huge brown stain across the front. "I-I'm so sorry!" I panicked. "I didn't see where I was going." Instead of getting angry... He laughed. Actually laughed. "It's okay," he said with a smile so beautiful it made my heart skip a beat. "I wasn't paying attention either." "I ruined your shirt." "It's just a shirt." "I'll pay for it." "You don't have to." "I insist." He chuckled. "Then... how about you buy me coffee instead?" I blinked. "...Coffee?" "The one that didn't end up on my shirt." I couldn't help laughing. That was the first time I ever smiled because of Ethan Carter. Neither of us knew that one spilled cup of coffee would change both our lives forever. ... Coffee turned into lunch. Lunch turned into daily conversations. Daily conversations turned into late-night phone calls. Late-night phone calls became hours of video calls where neither of us wanted to hang up. Before I knew it... Ethan had become my favorite part of every single day. Three months later... He confessed. It happened under the giant cherry blossom tree near the university lake. The petals danced in the spring breeze as he stood in front of me, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "I've rehearsed this speech about a hundred times," he admitted with an awkward laugh. I couldn't stop smiling. "So... why aren't you saying it?" "Because now that you're looking at me, I forgot everything." I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. He laughed too. Then he suddenly became serious. "Noah." "Hm?" "I like you." The world became strangely quiet. "I've liked you for a long time." He stepped closer. "I don't know if you feel the same..." "But I'd like to find out." "So..." "Will you go out with me?" I remember crying before I even answered. Not because I was sad. Because I had liked him just as long. "Yes." That single word changed my life. ... Today... We've been together for exactly two years. Two beautiful years. Two unforgettable years. We celebrated birthdays together. Stayed up all night studying before exams. Went on spontaneous midnight walks just because neither of us wanted to go home. He learned how to cook because I once jokingly said I wanted a boyfriend who could make breakfast. The first meal he made was burnt toast and scrambled eggs that somehow tasted like salt and sugar at the same time. I still ate every bite. He looked so proud. Every winter he would steal my hands and tuck them into his hoodie pocket because they were always freezing. Every summer we'd buy one ice cream and argue over who got the bigger bite. Whenever I got sick... He skipped classes just to stay with me. When he got stressed... I'd drag him out to watch sunsets by the lake. Every anniversary we visited that same cherry blossom tree where he confessed. He always bought me flowers. Not because I liked flowers. But because he once heard me say they made ordinary days feel special. He remembered everything. Or... At least I thought he did. ... Yesterday marked our second anniversary. We spent the entire day together. He took me to my favorite café. We watched a movie afterward. Then we walked around the city until sunset. He even kissed my forehead before taking me home. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you more," I teased. He smiled. "I don't think that's possible." Looking back now... Was he forcing that smile? ... My phone vibrated, pulling me out of my thoughts. Ethan ❤️ "Can we meet after classes? There's something I want to talk to you about." I smiled. He was probably planning another surprise. He always acted mysterious before giving me gifts. I quickly replied. "Of course. Same café?" "Yeah." "See you then ❤️" There was no heart in his reply. "See you." I stared at the screen for a moment. Strange. He always sent one back. I brushed the thought aside. I was overthinking. Right? ... That evening... I pushed open the café door. Ethan was already there. Sitting in our usual corner. The same table where we'd shared countless meals, laughed until our stomachs hurt, and planned our future together. He wasn't smiling. My footsteps slowed. Something felt... Wrong. "Hey." He looked up. "...Hey." I sat across from him. "What's with the serious face?" I joked. "Don't tell me you forgot my anniversary present." He forced a small smile. "I didn't forget." "Then what is it?" Silence. He kept staring at the untouched coffee in front of him. "Ethan?" He took a slow breath. "I've been thinking..." I leaned forward. "Hm?" "I think..." He couldn't even look me in the eyes. "...we should take a break." I blinked. "...What?" "A cool-off." I stared at him for a few seconds. Then... I laughed. A loud laugh. "Oh, you scared me." I shook my head. "For a second I thought you were serious." He didn't laugh with me. Instead... His expression remained painfully calm. The smile slowly disappeared from my face. "...Ethan?" "I'm serious." The words hit harder than I expected. "...You're joking." "I'm not." "No." I shook my head. "No, stop it." "This isn't funny." "I'm not trying to be funny." The air between us suddenly became unbearably heavy. I searched his face for even the slightest hint that this was another one of his terrible jokes. There was nothing. Only exhaustion. Only certainty. Only a decision he had already made. "...Since when?" He stayed silent. I swallowed hard. "...Since when have you been thinking about this?" His fingers tightened around the coffee cup. "...About two weeks." I froze. Two weeks. My mind immediately counted backwards. Two weeks ago... Our anniversary. The day he held my hand. The day he kissed my forehead. The day he told me he loved me. The day we laughed under the cherry blossom tree. The day I thought we were happier than ever. My lips parted, but no sound came out. He had already been thinking about leaving me... While celebrating two years with me. The realization made my heart sink. I looked at the man I loved more than anyone else. For the first time in two years... He felt like a complete stranger.