Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

She hurried after him and caught sight of Ryan standing by the car, slipping on his gloves like he was ready to take off.

"Ryan!" she called out.

Ryan, not even twenty yet, was already tall and striking, especially in the snowy night by the car. He had that effortlessly handsome look of someone who never had to worry about money.

"What's going on?" he asked, turning to her after putting on his gloves.

Sarah playfully grabbed his wrist, "Can I borrow your phone for a sec? I just want to change my contact name, you know, to feel special."

Without a fuss, he handed over his phone. She was the woman he was supposed to marry, and he felt a sense of responsibility towards her.

With the phone in hand, Sarah discreetly added Clara to the blocked list and changed her contact name from Sarah to "Wifey." Ryan felt a twinge of annoyance at the new name, but he said nothing, taking back his phone and getting into the

car.

Standing outside, Sarah was all smiles, "Don't forget to pick up my calls. The baby and I will be waiting for you."

He nodded slowly, pressing the gas. Honestly, being alone with Sarah wasn't his favorite-she could be a bit dull. Plus, he never thought he'd be a dad this young; it was a huge surprise.

He drove through the night and by morning, he was back in his hometown. The address from the stranger wasn't far from the old herbalist's place, where he'd been for remedies before.

He picked up a few gifts on his way, planning to visit the herbalist first for more remedies. Clara was having severe cramps again, meaning the last remedy didn't work, and he needed a new one.

The herbalist was surprised to see him so early, realizing Ryan must've driven all night from the city.

"Ryan, you're here early. Is everything alright?"

"Grandpa Herbalist, remember the remedies you gave me for menstrual pain? They didn't work for Clara. She was in so much pain, she almost passed out. Do you have anything else?"

The herbalist stroked his beard thoughtfully, "I do, but I'll need to gather some herbs from the mountains. It'll take about two hours. Are you in a rush?”

Since it was for Clara, Ryan was earnest, "I'm not in a rush. I'll be here for a few days. I'll go with you; it's not safe for you to go alone."

The herbalist chuckled, grabbing his basket, "Alright. If Johnny knew, he'd be proud of how you've grown."

Ryan felt a bit sheepish, knowing he was nearly led astray if not for Clara. He couldn't imagine what kind of mess he'd be in now.

Taking the herbalist's basket, he said lightly, "Let's go. I'll carry this."noveldrama

"Good, Ryan, you're a good kid."

The herbalist opened the back door, leading the way forward. The mountains were colder than NYC, and the snow was deep. The backyard was filled with the scent of yellow winter jasmine flowers.

Ryan sniffed the air, "Grandpa Herbalist, do you like winter jasmine? I always thought yellow flowers were kind of gloomy, like they're for funerals."

Just as he said that, he noticed a small mound under the jasmine tree, curiosity sparking in his eyes.

"What's that? Looks like a gravestone. Is it for a relative?"

Next to the gravestone was a freshly picked jasmine, likely placed by the herbalist as an offering.

The herbalist paused, about to explain, when Ryan started walking toward the mound. Curious as ever, he wanted to mimic the herbalist, picking some jasmine

to place by the mound. But as he got closer, he stopped, noticing small writing on a wooden plaque nearby-writing he knew all too well.