A Love Restored

Chapter 48

As I mulled over his invitation, I couldn’t ignore the creativity and thoughtfulness behind it. However, the prospect of going to prom with someone I barely knew seemed like navigating uncharted waters. Our interactions had been brief, more akin to passing acquaintances than friends, and the grandeur of this proposal added an unexpected layer of complexity.

If I said no, he’d become laughing stock. Such a public proposal. God, why hadn’t he asked me in private, so I could let him down slowly?

And if Felix found out. Rather, when Felix found out. I shuddered to think of it. Not for me, but for Jason Felix would kill him. He already hated the boy since he had seen us at that party together.

I turned to Jason, who waited with a mix of hope and apprehension. “Jason, this is a lot to take in. I appreciate the effort, but prom… I didn’t see this coming, and I need some time to think about it. Can we talk about it later?”

Yeah, I guess delaying it could work

Jason nodded, his smile faltering for a moment before he composed himself. “Sure, Flora. Take your time. I’ll be around. Then he winked, “Hope no one else steals you from me.”

“Fucker.” There was an unmistakable angry voice from the direction of the door. Felix was here.

I turned in his direction, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was looking at Jason. I wondered why Jason wasn’t afraid of Felix. Everyone was. But he was always so calm and composed and collected around him. Cocky, even.

The room remained steeped in an awkward atmosphere

“Felix,” Jason said calmly. He raised his hands in surrender. “She hasn’t said yes, yet.”

Felix took a few long strides to Jason, and grabbed him by his collar. All this time, I was thinking, this is the girls common room. These men can’t be

here.

“Didn’t you get it inside your fucking head the first time I told you to stay away from her? Are you fucking stupid, Jason? Is that what this is? You’re a fucking idiot? Felix seethed. His voice was low and scary. His grip on Jason’s collar tightened.

Jason tried to shake him off, but Felix was much stronger.

“She’s not your fucking property, bro. I’m friends with her, like you are. Flora can decide for herself what she wants to do.” lason said matter–of–factly It only pissed Felix off more.

Jason stood defiantly, a smirk playing on his lips as he seemingly reveled in riling up Felix.

“Don’t piss me off more, asshole. You know what’s coming for you. I warned you the last time.”

“Why are you so mad, bro? 1 just asked her to prom.”

Felix clenched his fists, his jaw tensed with restrained fury. “You have no fucking right, Jason. No fucking right to even speak to her. Or look in her direction. I thought we talked about this Felix smiled humorlessly. “I guess you need to be reminded, Don’t worry, my friends and I will enjoy it.”

That made Jason go pale. What was he talking about? Had Felix and Nick done something to Jason after that party?

Jason laughed, a taunting edge to his voice. “Well, she didn’t exactly shut me down, did she? Maybe she’s just waiting for someone with a bit more charm and initiative. You’ve just been keeping her around for years. Feeling threatened, Corsino?

Felix’s eyes narrowed, the simmering anger in his gaze reaching a boiling point. I felt a knot tighten in my stomach, a mix of fear and frustration. This was not how I wanted things to play out. Everyone in the room was watching them, half scared but as always, people loved drama. And this wasn’t even scripted.

“Enough, Jason!” Felix’s voice, low and threatening, sliced through the air. Before I could comprehend the action, Felix’s fist connected with Jason’s jaw. The impact echoed through the room, and gasps rippled through the onlookers, Jason stumbled backward, surprise registering on his face, but the smirk remained.

“You think a punch will make you more appealing, Felix? Seems like you’re just proving

roving my point,” Jason spat out, wiping a trickle of blood from his

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Chammer 45

split lip.

Felix seethed, his face contorted with rage. He lunged at Jason, and chaos erupted in the common room. The scuffle intensified, drawing the attention of more students. I left a mix of horror and helplessness as the two clashed, emotions escalating to a point of no retum.

“Stop it! Both of you, stop! Felix, please!” I finally found my voice, desperately trying to diffuse the volatile situation. My ples went unheard as punches were thrown and grapples intensified. The common room had turned into a spectacle of aggression, a stark contrast to its usual ambiance.

just as the situation reached a perilous climax, a stern voice cut through the chaos. “What on earth is going on here?”

Ms. Anderson, our no–nonsense math teacher, stood at the doorway, her gaze piercing through the unnly crowd. The scuffle immediately ceased, both Fein and Jason freezing in their tracks. The room fell silent, the weight of her disapproving stare setting on them.

Teln, son, my office, now! Ms. Anderson’s authoritative command echoed through the common room. The two men exchanged one last heated glance before reluctantly breaking apart. Felix shot a final scowl at Jason, who, despite his bleeding lip, still wore that infuriating smirk.

As they left the room under the watchful eye of our stem teacher, the reality of what had just transpired sunk in. Felix looked back at me as he was Traving, his gaze piercing. It sent a chill down my spine. The other students dispersed, murturing about the unexpected brawd, leaving me standing Then, prappling with a mix of emotions

the dace swung shut behind Ms. Anderson, I sat down with a thud. Tilly was still standing, gaping at the blood on the floor in front of us.

knew that this was anly going to get worse.

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