Novels by The Flores World

Mariah's POVThe sound of light footsteps in the hallway reached me just before the door to my room creaked open. My parents were the first to step in, their faces breaking into expressions of pure relief when they saw I was awake."Oh, sweetheart," my mom whispered, her voice thick with emotion as she hurried to my side. "You're awake." She leaned down, kissing my forehead before taking my hand in hers, her fingers warm and gentle.My dad stood behind her, his usual stoic demeanor giving way to a rare softness. He gave me a small smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes, but it was enough. He didn't need to say anything—his presence alone was comforting."Thank God, Mariah," he muttered, his voice hoarse with unshed tears. He squeezed my hand before turning to Nick, who still sat by my side, never straying too far. "You've been through hell."Nick, who had been holding my hand ever since I woke up, gave a small nod but didn't speak. His eyes remained glued to me, like he was afrai

Josh’s POVI don’t remember walking to Julia’s guest room. One moment, I was standing outside of Mariah’s hospital room, my mind a mess, my body restless with emotions I couldn’t untangle. The next, I was here, standing at her door, my heart hammering against my ribs like a war drum.The bond is suffocating. It pulls at me, demanding I be near her, touch her, claim her. But Julia—Julia is hesitant.I swallow hard and lift my hand, knocking twice before I can second-guess myself.Silence.For a moment, I think she won’t answer. That maybe she’s ignoring me, or worse—maybe she’s inside, regretting everything.Then, the door creaks open.Julia stands there, bathed in the dim glow of her porch light, her dark eyes meeting mine with something unreadable. She’s barefoot, her hair loose and messy, and the sight of her like this—soft, unguarded—hits me like a punch to the gut.She’s beautiful.And she’s mine.The thought shakes me to my core.“What are you doing here, Josh?” Her voice is quie

Mariah's POVA breath shudders from my lips, my body aching as if I’ve been torn apart and stitched back together again. My eyelids feel impossibly heavy, my limbs sluggish, my throat raw. Every part of me protests as I force my eyes open, the dim light above me sending a dull throb through my skull.“Nick?” My voice is barely above a whisper, but it’s enough.A choked sound breaks the silence, raw and filled with so much emotion it makes my chest tighten. I blink slowly, my vision still blurred, but I don’t need to see clearly to recognize the warmth surrounding me, the familiar scent of pine and earth that grounds me even as my body trembles.Nick.The bed shifts slightly, and then his face comes into focus. His usually sharp, confident eyes are red-rimmed, his jaw clenched so tightly I can see the strain in his expression. He looks wrecked. Like he’s been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders for far too long.“You’re awake,” he breathes, his voice breaking as he grips

Nick’s POVThe moment I step into the hospital room her parents give me a sad smile, my heart clenches like a fist inside my chest.“We will go home and get some of her things.” Jennifer says and I nod. Her and her husband leave the room leaving Josh and me staring silently at Mariah. The steady beep of the heart monitor is the only sound breaking the silence, but even that doesn’t ease the fear curling in my gut.Mariah lies still, too still. Her dark lashes rest against her pale cheeks, her body fragile beneath the thin white blanket. Wires snake from her arms, monitors tracking her every breath, yet she seems so… lifeless.I stop at the foot of the bed, frozen, unable to take another step. My body screams at me to move, to touch her, to make sure she’s real, but my mind is stuck in the memories of the past few hours—the fear, the chase, the moment I thought I’d never see her again.I should have been there.The guilt crashes into me like a tidal wave, drowning out everything else

Nick’s POVThe tension in the air is thick as we make our way down the hall toward the interrogation room. My mind is still reeling from what the two women did for Mariah. They risked everything to save her, and I need to know exactly what happened—and who’s responsible.But something feels… off.Josh has been quiet. Too quiet. His footsteps are heavy beside me, but his energy is all over the place. His usual steady presence feels… unhinged. His breathing is sharp, his fists clenching and unclenching like he’s barely keeping himself from losing control.“Josh, you good?” I ask, glancing at him as we approach the door.“Yeah…” His voice is strained, but his jaw is locked so tight I’m surprised he hasn’t cracked a tooth.But the second I open the door, everything changes.The moment the scent of the two women hits the air, Josh freezes beside me like he’s been hit by a freight train.“Josh?” I say again, but he’s not listening.His entire body goes rigid, his eyes locking onto the small

Mariah’s POV (In Her Mind)Darkness. Thick and suffocating.It wraps around me like a heavy blanket, pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe. I don’t know how long I’ve been here. Days? Weeks? Time doesn’t exist in this place. It’s just me and the emptiness, stretching endlessly in every direction.“Is this what death feels like?”The thought whispers through my mind, chilling me to the core. But no… no, I can’t be dead. I refuse to believe that. There’s too much left unfinished. Too many people who need me.“Nick…”His name echoes through my mind, a lifeline in the sea of nothingness. I hold onto it tightly, letting the memory of his touch, his voice, his love, ground me. I picture his face—those intense, stormy eyes filled with worry, his jaw clenched in determination. I know he’s out there, searching for me, refusing to give up.“I’m still here,” I whisper to him, even though I know he can’t hear me. “I’m fighting. Please don’t give up on me.”But the bond between us feels…