Page 71 of Unlocking my Boss's Heart

When I walked through the automatic glass doors and entered the bright waiting room, I found Maddison slumped in a chair, biting her nails. She jumped up immediately and led me to Celia’s room.

I paused beside the bed and watched Celia. She seemed asleep, her skin pallid with a slight gray tone. Her hair lay in damp clumps around her forehead. She was hooked up to vital signs monitoring machines.

I glanced at Maddison, who stood at the foot of the bed. She looked pale, her eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep and crying. She was dressed in a black shirt with a cartoon pony on it and faded sweatpants—likely what she’d worn to bed, with no time to change before coming to the hospital.

“So what did the doctors say she has?” I asked.

Maddison wrapped her arms around herself. “They said food poisoning and food allergy. Celia was out, so she couldn’t tell us what she ate, that could’ve caused it.”

I thought of the meal we had at my parents’, then the tofu from the food truck. As much as I wanted to blame the food truck, there was no proof that it was the cause of Celia’s illness.

“Did she eat anything after she returned home?”

Maddison shook her head, eyes locked on Celia’s sleeping body. “I don’t think so. We went to bed at about the same time, then, I woke up to her retching. She couldn’t stand, she was so weak.” Madisson’s voice caught, she swallowed few times, likely pushing back tears before adding, “They said she was severely dehydrated. If I hadn’t brought her here, I don’t know what would’ve happened.” She let out a shaky sigh.

“Hey, it’s okay,” I told her, though the words felt like a lie. I was going out of my mind with worry, but there was nothing either of us could do except wait. “You should go home and rest, Maddison. I’ll stay here.”

She narrowed her eyes, more out of concern than suspicion. “Are you sure? I don’t mind staying, too.”

I nodded. “I promise I won’t leave her side. Go get some rest.”

She hesitated, looking exhausted. Then said, “Okay, I’ll be back in a few hours, then.” She kissed Celia’s cheek before leaving.

I brought the chair from the corner of the room next to Celia’s bed and sat down. Careful not to wake her, I took her hand in mine, gently caressing it.

That arm had an IV with fluid dripping from a bag hanging on a pole. I was tempted to call a nurse and ask all the questions that swirled in my mind, but I held my peace. Someone would come by to check on Celia.

A strand of hair had caught on her eyelashes. I brushed it back and tucked the end behind her ear. “Come on, Celia,” I muttered. “You have to pull through.”

Her hand was already getting warmer from the heat of my skin. As I watched her sleep and talked to her, I wished she would shift or sigh—just give me any sign to reassure me that this was simple food poisoning and nothing more serious.

“I can’t lose you,” I murmured, kissing her hand.

The nurse came in a few times, asking prying questions about whether we were related. I flat out told her I wasn’t leaving. Nothing could move me from Celia’s side until I was certain she would be okay.

Now, I understood why my mother remained at my father’s bedside during all his hospitalizations. We’d urged her to get some rest, assuring her, we would call her immediately if there were any changes. But she wouldn’t leave his side.

What a change from the beginning of their marriage! After the rocky first few years, their commitment to each other had grown strong. No matter what, they were always there for each other. Despite their flaws and shortcomings, they would drop everything for the other person. That was the true definition of love.

And now, I knew that I would do the same with Celia. It didn’t matter if she had to stay here for days or weeks. I would be here with her.

Before now, work had always come first in my life. That was no longer the case. Nothing else mattered more to me than Celia.

This event had put me over the edge, I felt like Celia’s life was on the edge as well. I knew what I wanted. I just regretted that it had taken something like this to make up my mind.

For the first time in my life, I felt a genuine commitment to someone outside my family. After so many years of avoidingserious relationships, I was ready to do whatever it took to make Celia a permanent part of my life.

Chapter twenty-seven

Celia

Iwoke up with a dry throat and a headache that could kill a bear. The fluorescent light overhead was too bright, hurting my eyes. I didn’t need to look around to know I was in a hospital. The air smelled of antiseptic, and the constant beeping of machines that monitored my vitals surrounded me. A dull ache throbbed in my elbow where an IV needle was inserted.

I sighed, grasping the bed rails to pull myself up.

Immediately, a hand covered mine. “Celia?”

My head snapped to the side, a move I instantly regretted as it made my head spin. I squinted and fell back on the pillows. “Anton? Could you turn off the lights?”

---