Flowers & Flames

Ophelia Byrne has spent years perfecting the art of not caring-red-lipped, sharp-tongued, and always one vape hit away from ignoring the world entirely. Most people hate her. She prefers it that way.
Then Alistair Hayes walks in-older, annoyingly kind, golden-retriever warmth wrapped in business-casual and quiet confidence. The type of man who notices everything, plans everything, and somehow sees straight through her carefully built armour.

They meet by accident, collide by attitude, and fall into a rhythm neither of them planned.
A grumpy girl with a soft heart. A sunshine boy with a steady soul.
And a connection that shouldn't work-yet somehow does.

Trigger Warning:
This novel contains mature themes that may be distressing for some readers, including substance use (smoking, vaping, alcohol), references to recreational drug use, emotionally heavy moments, sharp and confrontational dialogue, and portrayals of self-destructive or unhealthy coping behaviours. It also features an age-gap romance between two consenting adults, complex emotional dynamics, and light dark-romance elements involving flawed characters and morally gray decisions. Reader discretion is advised, and this story is intended for a New Adult (18+) audience.