Flora’s Guide to a Second Chance at Love and Life

In a sleepy daze, Fiona thought she felt someone nearby, but no matter how hard she tried, her eyes just wouldn't open.

Beside her, the man jolted awake. The soft, warm glow from the nightlight bathed Fiona's face, and it was as if every ounce of blood in his veins turned to ice. He was too stunned to move, frozen in place.

"Fiona, you've stumbled into the wrong room," Jackson managed to say, trying to keep his voice steady, though the concern in his eyes was undeniable.

He attempted to gently push Fiona away, but the more he did, the more tightly she clung to him.

"Fiona, wake up," he urged, giving her cheeks a light pat, but she didn't stir.

Does she always sleep this deeply? Jackson wondered, frowning to himself. He gave up trying to distance her, and they both lay there, fully dressed, sharing a peaceful sleep on the same bed.

The next morning, after a whole night of pounding rain, the sky had finally cleared.

Jackson gave Fiona's sleeping face a playful pinch, but she still wouldn't wake up. Instead, he noticed her skin felt feverishly hot.

"Fiona, what's going on?" he asked, gently shaking her and feeling her forehead. Realizing she had caught a bad chill, he quickly patted her face, "Don't scare me, sis. Wake up."

When Fiona didn't respond, Jackson hurriedly got out of bed, threw on some clothes, and prepared to rush her to the hospital.

Just then, a knock came at the door. Already feeling annoyed, he opened it to find Nash's mother standing there, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

"What's all this?" she teased, covering her mouth with a chuckle. "Looks like I walked in at the wrong time. You two have gotten so close, maybe I overstepped."

She stepped in, giving Jackson's shoulder a friendly pat. "Fiona's still out cold? She must've been really worn out last night. You need to take better care of her; she's just a high schooler. But hey, maybe it's a good thing. You can speed up that engagement now. What's done is done, nothing to worry about anymore."

“Enough!” Jackson snapped, glaring at her with frustration. “Fiona's sick. I'm taking her to the hospital."

Nash's mother looked puzzled, "How did she get sick? Is it bad?"

As she moved to check on Fiona, Jackson grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. "Please, don't make things harder."

"How am I making it worse?"

"If you hadn't turned off the power last night, Fiona wouldn't have been alone in the dark during the storm and gotten sick."

Jackson's voice carried a hint of resentment, his eyes icy as he shot her a look, then turned back, scooped Fiona into his arms, and left the room.

"I didn't mean to..." she started to say, but Jackson was already gone.

She quickly got into her car to follow, but all the cars outside had flat tires and couldn't be driven. Luckily, Nash's father returned just in time, giving Jackson the chance to get Fiona to the hospital.noveldrama

The car was fixed within half an hour, and the Nash family rushed to the hospital.

At the hospital, Fiona was out of it with a raging fever of 104 degrees and was whisked into the emergency room. Jackson sat in the hallway, chain-smoking, one cigarette after another.

He radiated tension, like he was a ticking time bomb ready to blow at any second.