The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 527

The ocean breeze drifted in through the slightly open window, carrying the fresh scent of grass and blooming flowers.

The rhythmic crashing of the waves against the shore somehow made the night feel even more profoundly quiet.

Petty opened her eyes and stared at the grayish ceiling. Everything looked hazy and surreal, like a lingering dream or a hallucination.

A familiar scent hung in the air. Memories rushed into her mind like a flood—not just from earlier this year or right after she had Abacus, but from years ago.

She was really back on Crescent Isle.

Every day since Abacus's bone marrow transplant, her mind had swung between fleeting clarity and total confusion. Her reaction times were sluggish, and most of the time, she felt trapped under a thick blanket of fog.

She knew it was brain fog, a crippling symptom of her depression.

Before Franco had whisked her onto his private jet, he had told her in the hospital, "Tomorrow is your birthday. I want to celebrate it with you again."

Her mind had been so muddled that she had completely lost track of the month, let alone the date. It wasn't until he reminded her that she absently glanced at the digital clock on the hospital wall.

Celebrate her birthday again...

Petty got out of bed barefoot and walked to the window, pushing it wide open.

Silvery moonlight poured down, dancing across the sparkling surface of Crescent Lake in the center of the island. The vibrant flowers lining the banks looked breathtakingly ethereal under the night sky, too perfect to be real.

A sleek, imposing black helicopter was parked a short distance from the lake.

As she tilted her head back to look at the full moon, a warm body suddenly pressed against her back, and strong arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

"You're awake?" the man's deep voice rumbled right next to her ear, his warm breath tickling her skin.

The slight tremor in his sigh and the faint shaking of his hands made Petty freeze.

Before she could even say a word, Franco let her go.

His tone shifted to an easy calmness. "Good timing. Let's go downstairs and get you something to eat. You slept through most of the day and haven't had a bite."

Every time she finished a bite, he timed it perfectly to add something new to her plate.

Franco gently stirred a bowl of soup, testing to ensure it wasn't too hot before setting it within her reach. "Let's take the boat out after dinner. The weather is beautiful tonight."

A sleek white yacht was docked at the shore. The ocean breeze was crisp, neither too warm nor too cold. The island's perfect geographical location meant the climate was delightfully spring-like all year round.

Franco guided Petty straight into the yacht's cockpit. He settled her directly in front of him, boxing her in with his body before starting the engine.

They tore across the open water, the sea spray crashing violently against the hull. Franco steered the yacht with one hand while his other arm wrapped securely around Petty's waist, anchoring her against him.

With her back pressed flush against his chest, she could feel the steady, powerful thumping of his heartbeat.

A sharp pang hit her chest, as if something were seeping out from the cracks in her own shattered heart.

She lifted her gaze to a reflective glass panel off to the side, only to realize that Franco was staring back at her through the reflection.

They were looking in the exact same direction, yet only seeing each other.