All day long, for some reason, his face wouldn't leave my mind. It felt as if I had known him for years. By evening, I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even realize I had poured boiling water onto my hand instead of into the mug.
What was happening to me?
I needed sleep, but I couldn't escape my thoughts.
My eyes closed… but when they opened again, my first love was sitting beside me. We were in the place we always used to meet, talking like old times.
But something was strange.
He wasn't hearing me.
Why couldn't he hear me?
Then I heard a siren.
A siren?
And why was it so hot?
"Valeria! Valeria, get up!"
"What happened?"
Smoke was everywhere—I could barely breathe. I grabbed my phone and headed for the door. Somehow, I managed to get outside, but everything I owned had burned.
What was I supposed to do now?
I sank onto the sidewalk, helpless.
I was freezing, and I had no one. I stared at the building, now reduced to ashes. Just then, I felt warmth behind me—someone had draped their jacket over my shoulders. I looked up.
"Thank God you're okay. I've been looking for you everywhere."
It was him… The guy who had helped me the other day.
"You already saved me once," I whispered, exhausted.
"I can't leave you alone right now. You don't have anyone, do you?"
"And why does that concern you?" I muttered.
"Because people who have no one should look out for each other."
"I'm sorry… I don't know what I'm saying right now. Everything burned… everything. I don't even know what to do."
"What floor were you on?" he asked.
"Sixth… but what does that have to do with anything?"
"The fire started on the first floor. Your room might not be completely burned."
"They'll never let us go back in."
"Trust me. Come on, get up. We're going."
"Where? Wait, hold on—hey!"
After walking for a while, we finally reached his car. I'd seen it before, but it still looked ridiculously cool. Probably a Subaru; I couldn't figure out the exact model, but it didn't really matter. It definitely stood out.
He opened the door for me.
"After you, miss."
I hesitated for a moment.
Was it really smart to get into the car of a guy I barely knew?
You won't know unless you try.
Besides, you're literally wearing his jacket right now.
The voice inside me wouldn't shut up.
Alright… I'll give it a chance. I trust my instincts.
"Thank you… miss," he said with a faint grin, mocking his own earlier politeness.
I got into the car. The inside was just as sleek as the outside. The smell of the seats, the cleanliness, the neatness… all of it made me feel oddly safe.
"I turned on the heaters. It'll warm up soon," he said.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Somewhere to clear your head… and so I can get to know you better."
"Why do you want to know me that much?"
"I don't know," he said. "You just don't feel unfamiliar."
The truth was, he didn't feel unfamiliar to me either.
On the contrary—he felt strangely familiar.
"You can take your hood off if you want. It's warm in here."
"No, I'm fine like this."
Come to think of it, I had never seen him without his hood. What was he hiding? Big ears? A weird haircut? A tiny spark of curiosity flickered inside me.
"Why though? Why won't you take it off?" I asked, leaning toward him just a little.
He grabbed my wrist.
"No, thank you, miss," he said. His face was way too close to mine.
"I-I just wondered what you look like without the hood. I've never seen you without it. You always wear it."
"So you're that curious about me, is that it?"
"I mean… I was just thinking maybe you have huge ears or something… or maybe you're bald?"