Chapter Nine: Heartbeats and a Confession

“Are you okay?” Nate’s voice broke through the haze as Rosa slowly sat up, her head pounding like a drum.

Her surroundings were unfamiliar, and the sight of Nate’s concerned face hovering over her made her heart skip a beat. He looked at her like she might break any second.

“Where am I?” Rosa asked, her voice barely a whisper.

“You're in the hospital,” Nate replied, his tone gentle but laced with worry. “You passed out.”

“What?” Rosa’s mind scrambled to piece together what had happened. The last thing she remembered was taking a step and then… falling? But she didn’t hit the floor.

“Oh my God!” She quickly checked under the covers, her eyes darting back to Nate.

“What are you looking for?” Nate asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rosa stared at him, her mind racing. Had she done something embarrassing? Like… kissing him? Yes, she’d fantasized about kissing those gorgeous lips of his, but not in reality.

Except…

“Did anything embarrassing happen? Did I do…” Rosa trailed off, too nervous to finish her sentence.

“What kind of embarrassing things?” Nate leaned back, folding his arms, his eyes twinkling with mischief. He was enjoying this far too much.

“Well, maybe I… uhmm, poured the drinks all over myself or something?” Rosa ventured, her nerves getting the best of her.

“How’s your feet?” Nate’s voice softened, turning into that low, calming tone that always kept her on edge. The same tone that could serenade her into doing anything.

“They’re okay.” She wiggled her toes under the covers, trying to deflect the conversation.

“You shouldn’t have worn something that uncomfortable. Imagine what would have happened if I hadn’t been with you.” His scolding was firm, but there was an undercurrent of concern that made her heart flutter.

Rosa played with her fingers, feeling both guilty and oddly thrilled by his attention. His sternness was… sexy. Why was that happening now?

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, still fidgeting with her hands.

She didn’t bother arguing with him this time. He was right. Those heels had been a poor choice — she hadn’t worn them in over a year, and they were no longer her size. But really, it was his fault for springing the party on her at the last minute. How was she supposed to find new shoes or a dress with no time to shop?

“You can take the week off,” Nate said, his tone leaving no room for debate.

“But it’s only sore feet,” Rosa protested, though her voice lacked conviction.

“I don’t want you sluggish at work,” he replied, his eyes shifting toward the window, avoiding her gaze.

Rosa couldn’t help but smile, her cheeks flushing as she teased, “You can’t do without me, huh?”

Nate’s eyes snapped back to hers, a flicker of something unreadable passing through them. “I don’t want someone fainting on me again. Why didn’t you eat well before coming?” His voice was stern, but underneath it was something softer. “You should have told me.”

“I was trying to fit into the gown,” Rosa said, folding her arms defensively. “And besides, you only told me late at night. What was I supposed to do?”

“Tell me you hadn’t eaten properly for two days,” Nate said, rubbing his face with his palms, clearly exasperated. “Why do you have to be so stubborn, Rosa?”

He began pacing around the room, which she now realized was a private hospital ward. It was just the two of them, and the intimacy of the situation made her pulse quicken.

“It’s not my fault you overwork yourself all the time,” Rosa shot back, though she could feel her resolve weakening under his worried gaze.

“Rosa, this isn’t about me; it’s about you,” Nate said, moving closer to her bed. “The doctor said you fainted from exhaustion and dehydration.”

“You make me overwork too, so it’s not entirely my fault,” Rosa defended herself, her heart thumping faster as he came closer. Why did he have to be so damn attractive when he was pissed? It was the first time she’d seen him so expressive, his usual calm demeanor cracking just enough to let some emotion slip through.

“You—” Nate started, his voice tight with frustration, but then he stopped, taking a deep breath.

“Why do you keep making me worry about you, Rosa?” His voice softened, and he sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her breath catch.

Rosa blinked, taken aback. Did he just say that? Her heart did a little flip, and she could feel her face heating up. Was this… was this a confession?

“Nate, I…” She struggled to find the right words, her usual quick wit failing her.

“I care about you, Rosa,” Nate admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “More than I probably should.”

Rosa’s mouth went dry. This was not what she had expected when she woke up in a hospital bed. She had imagined embarrassment, maybe a scolding, but not this. Not him, looking at her like she was the most important thing in the world.

“I… I care about you too, Nate,” she finally managed to say, her voice trembling just a little. “But why didn’t you say anything before?”

Nate chuckled softly, his hand reaching out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. “Because you’re stubborn. And I didn’t know how you felt.”

“Of course, I’m stubborn,” Rosa said, smiling despite herself. “But maybe that’s why you like me, huh?”

“Maybe,” Nate agreed, his smile softening the lines of worry on his face. “But from now on, stubborn or not, you’re going to take care of yourself. Got it?”

“Got it,” Rosa replied, her heart feeling lighter than it had in days. And as she looked at Nate, she realized that maybe fainting at the party wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened. Not if it led to this.

"I'll go get us lunch. I'll be right back,” Nate said, standing up to leave.

Rosa couldn’t help the giddy smile that spread across her face as she watched him walk out the door. Her boss — her incredibly hot, breathtaking handsome boss — had just confessed to her! This was the stuff of her wildest daydreams, and it was actually happening.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, Rosa sprang up from the bed, her excitement too much to contain. She bounced on the mattress like a kid on a sugar rush, her heart practically singing with joy.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" she squealed, her voice a delighted whisper. Her mind raced with thoughts of what this meant. Nate liked her — no, more than liked her. And the way he had looked at her? Like she was the only woman in the world.

She tried to do another happy jump, but as she landed, her back let out a loud crack and she winced, pulling a muscle.

“Ow, ow, ow!” Rosa groaned, immediately sitting back down, but the pain didn’t dull her excitement. She collapsed against the pillows, giggling like a lovesick teenager. This was too good to be true!

She had to tell someone, her best friend — Kat! Kat had to hear every single detail, from Nate’s scolding to his confession, to how sexy he looked while he was worrying about her. Her fingers itched to grab her phone and call her best friend, to spill the tea before it even cooled.

But just as she was about to reach for her phone, the door creaked open slightly, and Rosa froze. She quickly smoothed out the covers and tried to compose herself, though her heart was still racing. What if Nate came back and caught her acting like a crazy person?

She looked toward the door, half-expecting him to walk in with that smirk of his, ready to tease her. But there was no one there. Only the faint sound of footsteps retreating down the hall.

Rosa’s heart pounded as her mind began to whirl with questions. Was he going to come back and say more? Or had he suddenly realized that confessing his feelings was a huge mistake? What if he changed his mind? What if he decided he didn’t want to cross that line between boss and employee?

What if he went outside to… rethink?

And what if he did come back, ready to take things further?

The suspense was killing her, but one thing was certain—whatever happened next, her life was about to change in ways she couldn’t even imagine.

Rosa’s thoughts raced, each one more thrilling and terrifying than the last. She was excitedly in love, but with that excitement came the unknown. And the unknown, she realized, was both exhilarating and terrifying.

As she lay there, caught between the pain in her back and the fluttering in her heart, she heard the distant hum of voices outside the room. Was Nate coming back already? Would he bring up what had just happened, or pretend like it didn’t?

Rosa’s heart pounded in anticipation, not knowing what to expect but knowing she was ready for whatever came next.

The door handle turned, and she held her breath, every nerve in her body tingling with anticipation.

But before the door could fully open, the lights flickered, and a loud crash echoed from somewhere down the hall.

And then everything went dark.