It had been a quiet evening at the firehouse. Most of the crew had gone home after a long day battling wildfires, leaving you alone to tidy up. As you were straightening a stack of paperwork on Rob’s desk—he’d left it messy, as usual—you noticed a small, folded bundle of envelopes tucked in the corner. Curious, you picked them up.

They were addressed to you.

Your hands trembled slightly as you unfolded the first letter. The handwriting was unmistakable—Rob’s neat, careful script, each word infused with emotion.

“I can’t stop thinking about you. Every time we’re together, my heart betrays me. I know I shouldn’t feel this way. I have responsibilities, a life that doesn’t include you… and yet, I can’t ignore it. I’m in love with you, and it’s tearing me apart.”

Your chest tightened as you read, the words echoing the feelings you had kept bottled inside yourself for months. Your fingers shook as you continued reading letter after letter, each one more vulnerable than the last.

“I hate myself for wanting you when I shouldn’t. Every glance, every laugh, every touch… it’s like fire in my veins. I know I can’t act on it, and I probably never should. But I can’t help loving you.”

Tears pricked at your eyes. You had always suspected he felt the same way, but seeing it written out so raw, so honest, was different. It made his struggle, his guilt, painfully real.

You heard the soft creak of the firehouse door and froze. Rob stepped in, hands in his pockets, eyes immediately locking on you.

“You… you found them,” he said quietly, voice tight with fear and shame.