Chapter 27
CHAPTER 27
NATALIE
It’s been five days since Uncle Beau’s heart attack. Three days since I moved my things out of Rhett’s apartment. I’ve done nothing but cry and try not to read the awful things people were saying about me on social media.
His fans were filled with hate and resentment, and they were blaming me for everything. Levi had painted himself as the victim, and the fans were eating it up.
Rhett’s PR team put out a statement, saying that this was a personal matter, and they had no comment at this time.
I hated this, but at the same time, I knew it would happen.
I’ve been running on four hours of sleep everyday and doing whatever I could to distract myself. My brain was a mess, my stomach hurt, and I’ve done nothing but settle in my feelings and feel sorry for myself.
I had no one to call. No friends and no family other than my uncle, who was lying next to me in his hospital bed. The only person I wanted to call, I couldn’t. My heart hurt.
There was a tap on the door. A woman walked in, holding another flower delivery. As soon as the news spread about my uncle’s heart attack, there was overwhelming support from the NFL community. The room was filled with gift baskets, cards, and so many flowers that we were running out of places to put them.
“I’ll take that.” I stood up to grab the vase from her hands.
Uncle Beau’s eyes popped open. He rolled them when he saw what I was holding. “This is all too much. I don’t like people fussing over me.”
“Stop being so grumpy,” I said, rearranging the roses in the vase. “You have people who care about you. You should be grateful. They just want you to feel better.”
“If they wanted to make me feel better, they would send me a bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich with a side of hash browns, instead of all this,” he muttered under his breath. “Prisoners get better food than this crap.”
I sighed while running a hand through my hair. “Don’t be ungrateful, old man. And the food isn’t that bad. You have to remember, you’re on the cardiac floor, and bacon isn’t the ideal choice for someone who just had a heart attack.”
He grumbled another response while I rearranged his pillows.
“You’ve been spending too much time here.”
I smiled while adjusting his blanket. “Are you sick of me already?”
He studied my face. “I’m trying to figure out what’s going on with you. We haven’t talked about well, you know.” He looked away, and I couldn’t tell if he really wanted to talk about it or if he was just curious about the status of my relationship.
I’ve been here every day. Not once has Rhett’s name come up.
Beau’s mood hasn’t been that great, so I’ve been avoiding this conversation. He wasn’t a fan of being cooped up in a hospital bed without his laptop. Aunt Suzie finally gave in yesterday and allowed him to use his cell phone, but she took it away when he ordered a pepperoni pizza and had it delivered to his room. I haven’t wanted to say or do anything to rile him up any more than he already was.
I patted his arm. “Don’t worry about any of that. We can discuss all that when you’re feeling better.”
He turned his head when Dr. Powers came in with a nurse and a rolling cart.
“Mr. Landers. It’s great to see you’re awake. How are you feeling?”
He scooted forward. “Feeling better already, Doc.”
She put her hands under the hand sanitizer dispenser and grabbed her tablet. “That’s great to hear,” she said with a reassuring smile as she approached the side of the hospital bed. “I’ve looked over your recent scans. The cardiac MRI showed minimal scarring, your ejection fraction numbers look great, and your blood pressure seems to be responding well to your new medication.”
I folded my hands together. “That all sounds promising.”
She slid her glasses down. “It is very promising. It helped that he got here as early as he did. Some people ignore their symptoms, and by then, it’s too late. This is the best outcome possible.”
She put her stethoscope up to his chest and proceeded to do a physical exam. I pulled my phone out and gave my aunt an update. We put a schedule in place to ensure that someone was here at all times. She’d been spending the night, and I’d been taking the morning shift.
“Your vitals look great, your oxygen is slightly low, but nothing too concerning. You’re showing great signs of improvement.”
He sat up. “Fantastic. When can I get out of here?”
“Hopefully, tomorrow. You will need to continue taking your medications and follow up with your cardiologist. I cannot stress enough how important it is to follow a healthy diet, exercise every day, and avoid stress.”
He laughed. “Have you ever tried running a football team with fifty-three active players? All they do is create stress.”
She folded her arms and stared down at him. “This heart attack was a wake-up call, Mr. Landers. I understand that you have a very demanding job, but in order to prevent another heart attack, you need to make some lifestyle changes.”
He didn’t look very thrilled with that advice. “What are you suggesting?”
“Number one, lay off the saltshaker. Number two, you need to make positive changes in your life. Perhaps you can delegate some of your job duties, at least for now, so you can focus on your health.”
Her words were clear, but we both knew that wouldn’t happen.
I moved closer to the bed. “Uncle Beau, just promise to take it easy, at least for the time being,” I said gently, trying to reason with him.
He waved off my concern. “I can’t just drop everything. You know how busy I am, but I will do my best.”
I sighed, feeling frustrated because I wasn’t convinced he was taking her advice seriously. “Your health is important right now. Please know your limits and not push yourself.”
Dr Powers shook her head. “Your niece is right. You need to eliminate stress.”
He folded his hands in his lap. “I’ll do my best.”
Uncle Beau was a proud and stubborn man. Trying to get him to change his ways would be like redirecting the Mississippi River.
“Okay,” she said, not looking convinced. “I’ll just remind you one last time that you need to prioritize your health. I’ll check back in with you before I leave.”
She squeezed my arm and walked out the door. I picked up the pamphlet and started looking over the menu, trying to find a food option for lunch that he would be happy with.
“They have chicken noodle soup. It doesn’t sound that bad. They also have a create your own sandwich option.”
“I don’t want to talk about food.”
“Okay.” I set the menu down. “What do you want to talk about?”
“I’d like to address the elephant in the room,” he said, causing me to look up into his eyes. “You’ve been by my side every day, and I know you are hesitant to broach the subject due to my health, but we need to address it. It’s more stressful watching you pretend that you’re okay. I can tell you’re upset, so don’t lie. Talk to me.”
I avoided his eyes, knowing if I met his gaze, I might break down. “I don’t want to upset you. Please don’t make me do this. You heard the doctor. Plus, I’ve already caused you enough stress. You might not even be here if it weren’t for me.”
He squeezed my hand. His grip was gentle but firm. “ Natalie, you are not to blame for my health. I was upset because I was concerned. You can’t control that.”
Tears stung my eyes as I internally berated myself. “I know you only wanted what was best for me. I’m sorry for letting you down. If I could go back and do things differently, I would.”
“Sweetheart, we all make mistakes. What’s important is that we learn from them. I’ll do whatever I can to get you out of this mess.”
I was trying to apologize for hurting him, but he assumed I was referring to my marriage. I wanted to correct him, but there was a nagging voice in the back of my mind, reminding me that his health was too fragile.
“Right.” I swallowed. I needed to choose my words carefully. He wasn’t stupid, and I had already lied to him enough.
I avoided his eyes and started organizing the table near his bed. I picked up a few stray napkins and started straightening a few get well cards. I had too much nervous energy flowing through me, so I needed to keep busy. Maybe, if I kept moving, we could avoid this uncomfortable conversation.
He moved the water jug out of my reach when I went to grab it. “Marrying Rhett was a mistake, right?”
He could never be a mistake. The only mistake I made was making him feel second-best.
I started fussing with the blanket on his bed. “You’re not ready to hear the answer to that question.”
Uncle Beau studied me. “Natalie, are you in love with him?”
I closed my eyes, wishing we could postpone this conversation, but he wasn’t going to let it go. “I love him with all my heart.”
He sighed. “Does he make you happy? ”
“He does.” I licked my dry lips and focused on the potted plant in the window. “I know you don’t approve of our relationship, but I can’t give him up. We both deserve a chance at happiness, and I would like your support. I know you’re not ready to give it to us now, but I hope someday you will.”
The room went silent other than the beeping of the monitors and the chatter in the hallway.
“Why did you keep your relationship a secret from me? If you both respected me as much as you claimed, I never would have found out like that,” he said firmly.
He was right, and whatever excuses I’ve been using, none of them mattered anymore. All I could do was express my regret and apologize.
My heart raced, but I forced myself to sit. “At first, neither of us were sure about our feelings. We didn’t say anything because we were trying to figure out what to do. The more time we spent together, the clearer it became that we had real feelings for each other. We wanted to make sure that our relationship was solid before we said anything.”
“So, are you planning on staying together?”
“I’d like to build a life with him, and I know it’s asking a lot, but I would like to have you in that life too.”
I moved the tray closer to his bed when he reached for the water. He brought the straw up to his mouth to take a sip. He set it down and rubbed at his clean-shaven face. “Then who am I to judge and tell you who you’re allowed to be with?”
My pulse thundered in my ears. “Uncle Beau, what are you saying?”
I was so confused and an emotional mess. I wanted to make sure I understood him correctly.
He chuckled. “Never in all the years I’ve known the boy have I seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you. It would take some serious balls to jeopardize his entire sports career if he weren’t completely in love with you. I’m not happy that the two of you kept this from me. I was blindsided and not proud of how I threw my weight around. But now that I’ve had time to process it, I let my own anger cloud my judgment. I said some things I regret. I was quick to judge and quick to dismiss your feelings,” he confessed. “I’ve always respected Rhett as a player, and I might not agree with everything he does, but I can see how much he means to you.”
I blinked. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Uncle Beau, are you giving me your blessing?”
He nodded his head, a small smile on his lips. “It’s not up to me to decide who is good enough for you. That’s for you to decide.”
His words settled in my chest and filled me with relief. “That means the world to me. Thank you.”
“And I want to be perfectly clear on this,” his expression turned serious, “I consider him a step up from the hockey puck you were dating.”
I laughed. “I’m really sorry about the scandal. We didn’t mean for any of this to come out that way. As much as I want to blame Levi, I take full responsibility.”
“Why don’t you meet with the media team and draft up a press release? Tell the story from your heart. I can see how genuine your feelings are. No one will question if the marriage is real or not.” His eyes softened. “I feel, as your godfather, I need to warn you. There will be challenges. You are married to someone in the public eye, so it won’t be easy.”
I wiped my eyes. “There is only one problem. I asked Rhett for some space, and he didn’t take the news very well. I’m not sure where we stand. ”
“Oh, sweetheart,” he said, covering his hand in mine. “Let me make this right.”
My throat felt tight. “It’s not your mistake to fix. I did this. He tried to fight for me, for us, and now I have to do the same for him. I need to show him that I choose us, and I will be there for him no matter what.” Tears welled up in my eyes and my heart was beating fast. This next part was going to be hard, but there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that this was the right decision. “I just want you to know that I appreciate the opportunity you’ve given me, but I need to resign. It’s not fair that I get to keep my job when he doesn’t. This isn’t a punishment. I need you to know that. I’m not doing this to get back at you. Regardless of what happens, I will always be your niece. But I need to see if there is a future between us and if there is, then I will go where he goes.”
I planned on telling him once he was fully recovered, but once he started initiating this conversation, the words just started spilling out of my mouth.
He sighed, his gaze dropping to the floor before meeting mine again. “I’d be willing to change my mind about the trade, but unfortunately, I know he is already in talks with a few teams. I don’t know what the status is.”
My jaw went slack. “You would consider keeping him?”
He nodded his head. “He is an asset to the team and a damn good player. I can’t afford to lose him. I’ll see if there is anything I can do once I get in touch with a few people.”
Relief flooded through me. I had to blink a few times to make sure I wasn’t imagining this. It was almost too good to be true. “Thank you, but please take care of your health first, okay? You heard what the doctor said.”
He rolled his eyes. “I would be making a couple of phone calls, not running in a marathon. I think I can handle it.”
I adjusted the blanket again, covering his legs. “Just promise me you will put your health first.”
“I promise, as long as you do the same. I can see the exhaustion in your eyes, and I’ve noticed you haven’t been eating.”
“It’s been a rough few days, but I promise to do better.”
“Good.” He turned his head to the side and closed his eyes. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a nap. These drugs that they’re pumping into me are making me tired. Why don’t you go and regroup? Come up with a plan on how you’re going to get your guy back.”
I walked over to the window and adjusted the blinds to help him sleep. “Nice try, but you’re not getting rid of me that easily. I can do that from here. Go ahead and take your nap; I’ll be here when you get up.”
He settled into his pillow. “Whatever.”
Once he drifted off to sleep, I pulled out my phone and started formulating a plan. Somehow, someway, I would make this right.