Rebirth Into My Second Chance novel Chapter 93

"Time for your pills," Max announced, cradling a glass of water as he perched at the edge of my bed.

Through my groggy haze, I could barely make out the white pills and the glass he held, but my head kept flopping back. With no other choice, he gently supported my neck to help me swallow the pills.

"Bitter..." I instinctively spat out the pills because they were so bitter.

Seemingly of their own accord, my arms wrapped around Max’s waist. "You're so warm. I'm cold..."

"Take your pills, and you'll warm up," Max assured me.

"So bitter. I don’t want to," I whined, turning my head away stubbornly.

But then, the next moment, he held my chin, and suddenly, something soft pressed against my lips, followed by the bitter taste mixed with the smooth texture of water sliding down my throat. I sucked in greedily.

However, he quickly pulled away. As he did, my body, unwilling to let go, bit down on his lip, but he still pushed me away, muttering, "Taking advantage."

Perhaps the medicine was starting to work. I no longer felt as cold or desperate for a warm embrace. I lay there obediently, on the verge of sleep yet still vaguely aware. I could sense Max waking and leaving my room, the actions slowly registering in my mind.

My consciousness was beginning to clear up a bit.

What had I just done to Max? Did he say I was taking advantage? Was he talking about me taking advantage of him or him of me? Oh God, I instinctively pulled the covers over my head.

"Is Ms. Floyd feeling any better?" I heard Ronald's voice coming from the living room.

Whatever they talked about next, I couldn't hear anymore. I drifted off into a heavy sleep, throughout which Max seemed to have given me water a few times.

At dawn, I finally woke up fully. When I opened my eyes, the sun was already casting slanted beams into my room. When I raised a hand to shield my eyes from the glaring light, I felt sore all over my body. The bumps from the taxi ride the day before had taken their toll, and my forehead throbbed.

Standing before the full-length mirror, I spotted a bruise on my forehead. My hair was a total mess, and my clothes were disheveled, making me look like a beggar.

‘No wonder Max was unfazed by my uncontrolled flirting the previous night. Who could like this mess? Oh, heavens, what had I done?’ I was too embarrassed, ‘With a whole year of internship ahead and facing Max every day, how could I ever lift my head high again?’

After cleaning up and applying some cream to the bruise, which still looked hideous, I covered it with a band-aid.

As I left my room, Max and Ronald were nowhere to be seen in my apartment. However, there was a plate on the table, still steaming. Lifting the lid, I found a pot of chicken soup. ‘Did Max make this for me?’ I wondered.