chapter three.

“Willow” Sarah yelled, patting her cheek but her skin was burning.

“The ride to the hospital was agonizing as she kept rubbing wilos hands and telling the ambulance driver to hurry, she wasn't waking up and sarah could swear willows body temperature was going up with every second.  

Sarah was pacing the small space beside willows bed while on the other side the doctor checked up on her, he noted things down and turned towards sarah. 

“I can't say what exactly has happened to her before running some tests, here the list. A nurse will be here soon.”

After hours of keeping willow under observation the doctor finally gave his verdict. 

“There's no such sign that might help us diagnose what's wrong with her, has everything been okay in your life?” the old man asked as they settled down in his office. 

“We moved houses” Sarah informed him and he nodded. 

“Maybe the change is a bit drastic for her, stress maybe. We'll keep her here till she's good to go home” he said, making Sarah nod her head and leave his office. 

She went into the ward willow was shifted from the er and sat beside her, Sarah held her sisters hand and leaned her head on their clasped fist. She didn't know how long she had been staring at Willow's pale face and closed eyes and when she fell asleep but she was woken up by the sound of her phone ringing. It was the cleaning service she had booked for noonas bookstore and they were coming today. 

“My sister is in the hospital so i'll be running a little, i'll come over for a while to tell you guys everything i want” she said while looking at her sister's unresponsive state. Her anxiety took a flight and she didn't want to leave but she had to grab a few things from the house as well. 

Seeing that the staff was doing the job just right, Sarah kissed Willow's forehead and turned around to leave, she went home with a burden on her chest and a dull ache in her head. Her curiosity peaked when she saw the door to the house across from hers opened again and maybe the same man who she had seen earlier walked out, her steps slowed down as she watched him close the door and turn around. 

The man stopped in his tracks when their eyes met as if lightning had struck him. His arms hung loose by his side and his mouth fell open a little, Sarah had an urge to chuckle at his expression but she opted for a polite smile and that brought the man out of his thoughts. Sarah frowned when he walked away but then she went by her work, she changed out of her clothes and took all the things she could possibly need at the store and at the hospital. Packing a change of clothes willow she hurried to the shop where the staff was already present, not knowing anyone around here she sat down near the window and let the cleaners do their job, the place wasn't as messed up as she had thought of it to be hence it didn't take long for them to start pulling it all together. The constant pattering of rain on the window brought her out of her world and she nearly jumped seeing her neighbor standing before her drenched, his large frame hid the scene behind him and Sarah stared at him for a good minute. 

“Do you mind if I sit here?” 

“S.. sure” she spoke with an uncertain edge to her voice. Her handsome, drenched from top to bottom, mysterious neighbor wanted to sit with her right after he had ignored her existence, wanted to sit with her. 

With a silent nod of his head the broddy man took a seat before her and Sarah told her eyes to not embarrass her here, but when had they ever listened when a man this good looking was sitting right in front of her. His black hair was pushed back still wet from the rain, the navy shirt that had been wearing was sticking to his body and the unholy sight of everything that he had to offer was turning  her into a teenager. Sarah rolled her eyes at how long she had been looking at him for, she had sharp eyes when it came to checking someone and she was proud of it. For context she had never seen a man this beautiful in her whole life, not that she had seen any, every single one she tried dating ran away after a little while.

You're too clingy. 

You're not emotionally available. 

You're full of yourself, compromise. 

 The way his face was evenly proportioned sarah wondered if he was really this perfect or was it just his side profile, the way his lashes curled up perfectly and his lips pulled up in a smile just enough gave his dominating presence a softer touch and only then did sarah realize he had been passing that smile to her while shaking his hand before her face. 

She wondered if she should offer him a towel not like she had any to begin with, she could see the black ink peeking from under his collar and she felt her mouth getting dry the moment her eyes caught the sight of his light brown eyes.

“You seem to have zoned out” he spoke and Sarah felt butterflies in her stomach at the deep undertone it carried with it, she licked her dry lips before speaking. 

“Sorry. What were you saying?” she asked and when she tried to remember what she had been thinking about she had no idea. It was as if she just hadn't counted the number of freckles she found on his face. 

“Do you have any towels laying around, it's getting a little irritating” he said pulling the drenched shirt away from his chest, the shape of his muscles disappearing under the pulled away fabric.

“Sorry-” Sarah cleared her throat feeling as though something had turned her better judgment off. “I don't have any otherwise I would have offered you one. I've just opened in a hurry for these guys” she said and her face lit up on fire seeing the pull at the end of lips and sarah looked away feeling irritated. 

Why is he acting so smug?

He just nodded his head in response to your answer. 

“I guess we're neighbors?” he asked, pulling the shirt away from his body again and Sarah nearly groaned at the sight of his wet clothes, they were starting to give her ick now. 

“Here” she said, passing him the scarf she had worn on her way here, with the unease evident in her voice. 

The man before her raised his eyebrows and Sarah sighed. 

“Just dry yourself the best that you can with this, i hate wet clothes” she said shaking her head. 

“You were staring at them with qute the interest a while back” he commented and Sarah scoffed, eyeing him up and down. 

“I zoned out. Besides you're sitting right in front of me how am i supposed to avoid you” sarah cringed her how irritated she sounded but it was as if something had taken over her ever since he came here. 

“Calm down lady i was just joking” the scoff at the end didnt go unnoticed by her and sarah pursed her lips together to stop her mouth from uttering anything stupid. 

“Youre saying I don't know how to take a joke?” she questioned and his eyes widened a fraction. 

“I.. i didnt…. 'sWhat's the problem here?” he asked, baffled at the random woman picking fights with him. He stood up from his place and Sarah soon followed with a scowl on her face. 

“We have a problem?” she asked raising her eyebrows and the man before her left out a breathy laugh. 

she asked, raising her eyebrows and the man let out a breathy laugh, just a single cackle as he looked her up and down in pure disbelief.

“Are you seriously picking a fight with me right now?” he asked, putting the scarf back down after he was done wiping his front so it wasn't as wet as it was. 

“I'm not picking a fight” she gritted and her neighbor rolled his beautiful eyes. Sarah was having trouble understanding why she was arguing with him over something useless, she had been ogling at him for too long now and it was obvious he was gonna notice but why was she annoyed. 

She had one explanation. Her coming period. 

“You-” 

“Listen, let's just call it a day, I don't know why I'm acting like this and I have a sister to return to at the hospital. So goodbye ``Sarah concluded the argument and the man she left standing at the table only stared at her retreating back.