Seeing my agreement, Jerome swept the bottled mango juices off the table and ordered fresh mangoes instead, instructing the server to blend them into juice on the spot, an extravagance that cost thousands.
My chest tightened. Fresh mango juice? Jerome seemed bent on shortening my lifespan.
One glass after another, I swallowed the juice. My throat began to constrict, my skin flared with painful, itchy hives, but I pressed on, unfazed. Before everything went dark, I caught a glimpse of Jerome running towards me.
The next thing I knew, I was in the hospital. My allergic reaction, compounded by the anemia from my last blood transfusion, had brought me to the brink. I needed type KEN blood urgently.
As I clung to life, Jessica conveniently fell ill too, arriving at the same hospital, pale as a sheet, tears streaking down her face. Yet she still had the strength to think of me, "Jerome, go save Tania. I'm in so much pain, but I can hold on. Give all your blood to her."
Her selflessness only made Jerome more concerned for her. To prevent further refusals, he kissed her right there, a kiss that lasted for twenty full minutes.