35. Julian
CHAPTER 35
JULIAN
L ater that night, Natalie wakes up.
I’m almost asleep when I hear it: a sharp intake of breath that catches my attention, a change from the same rhythm I've been listening to all day. I lift my head to gaze at Natalie, still lying motionless in the hospital bed. Then she moves, just barely. Her finger first, twitching against my palm, then her head, turning ever so slightly toward me.
I'm suddenly very awake. Pulling my chair closer, I watch Nat's face intently, searching for any other sign she might be regaining consciousness.
A soft furrow of her brow, her lips parting slightly. My heart slams against my ribs with every movement. “Natalie?” I call, shaking her hand gently. “Nat? Are you awake?”
“Mmm,” she murmurs, my heart soaring at the sound.
“It's okay, angel, I'm here. I'm here,” I soothe, trying to steady my trembling fingers as I brush the hair from her forehead.
“Julian?” My name on her lips is the most beautiful sound I've ever heard, nothing short of miraculous. Her eyelashes begin to flutter, slowly revealing her stunning blue eyes. It's not until I see them that I realize how afraid I was I would never see them again.
Then suddenly, she's alert, eyes opening wide as she takes in my face, her surroundings. “Julian!” she breathes, her voice hoarse. “What happened? Are you hurt? Where's Gabriel?”
I shush her quietly and gently stroke her cheek. “Everything's fine, Nat. I’m fine.”
“But the gun,” she continues frantically. “I heard it—I thought you were?—”
“Natalie.” I say her name tenderly, relishing each syllable on my tongue. She quiets, her eyes searching mine for answers. “Gabriel didn't hurt me. He didn't hurt anyone.”
She lifts her hand carefully, covering mine that still rests on her cheek. “Then why are we in the hospital?”
I can't help but smile. How just like Nat, to be so worried for everyone else that she doesn't even notice she's the one lying in a hospital bed.
“When I ran at Gabriel, you were knocked over, and you hit your head pretty hard on the cement,” I explain, watching her carefully to be sure she understands my words. “You have a concussion, but other than that, you're perfectly fine.”
Natalie lurches forward then, gripping my hand tightly. “But the baby, what about the baby?” Her voice is strained and laced with emotion.
“Our baby is fine,” I assure her. Cupping her chin, I bring her face to mine and plant a soft kiss on her forehead. “Everything is okay, angel. We're going to be okay.”
Natalie relaxes at my touch, leaning back to rest against the pillows. Her eyes shine with a swirl of emotion as she processes everything, catching up to the present. She glances around the room, and her eyes land on Jack, slumped over and sleeping in the chair opposite me.
“Jack,” she breathes. “He's okay?”
“Yes, he's okay. Everyone is okay. Aria, the crew—they're all fine.
With a nervous glance back at me, Natalie asks, “Does he know? About…?”
I smile lightly. “Sorry to say the doctor let the cat out of the bag on that one.”
Natalie blinks, processing. “And he let you live?” she finally answers.
I laugh, another wave of relief washing over me. Natalie must be okay if she's well enough to make jokes. “I'm not totally sure I'm out of the woods yet,” I answer playfully.
Natalie and I share a quiet moment, relief and peace wrapping around us in a blanket of security. This isn't where I would have preferred to reunite, but the quiet solidarity of the hospital room acts as a kind of cocoon, a private sanctuary shielded from the chaos that raged around us these past few months.
Taking both of her hands in mine, I kiss each of Natalie's fingertips, one at a time. “You know, I didn't get the chance to tell you how excited I am. For the baby,” I confess.
Natalie gasps quietly, her fingers wrapping tightly around mine. “Really? I mean, I know it's not great timing, but I hoped…” Her voice trails off, swallowed by uncertainty.
“I love you, Natalie,” I assure her, my voice firm with my conviction. “Sure, the timing is a little crazy, but this is amazing, Nat. You are amazing. And we're going to be a real family now.”
She smiles, genuine and free for the first time in too long. “I love you too, Julian.”
Her declaration fills me with pure joy, and I lean down, capturing her lips with mine. The kiss is soft, careful. I don't want to push her too far while she's recovering, but I can't contain my elation.
Resting my forehead against hers, I whisper, "I know it’s a lot, and it’s okay to feel scared. Buy hey, we've faced challenges before, and we'll face this one too. We’re strong, Nat. You and me, we can do anything."
Natalie's body relaxes beneath me as a single tear glides down her cheek. “It'll be a new chapter for us,” she whispers back. “A happy one.”
I catch her tear with my thumb, wiping it away. “Exactly. Imagine how excited Aria will be when we tell her.”
Natalie laughs, the sound a mix of joy and relief, her voice cracking amidst her tears. “She's going to be a big sister. You're going to be a dad again. I'm going to be a mom.”
“You're going to be the most amazing mother in the world, Nat. I don't know what the future will bring, but I am sure about that.” My heart swells as Natalie cries, and I can practically see the weight she's been carrying lift from her shoulders. “And we're going to do everything in our power to make this next chapter happy and peaceful. For you, for Aria, and for our little one on the way.”
Never in my wildest dreams did I dare to imagine such a happy ending to my story. For a long time, I believed I had missed my chance, and I would never see Natalie again. I struggled forward for the sake of my daughter, determined to make our own happiness despite feeling broken beyond repair. But then Natalie reappeared, and I slowly began to remember who I was, who I want to be.
In the quiet of the hospital room, Natalie and I hold each other close, both of us healing from the wounds of our tumultuous summer. Nothing happened the way I expected it would, but I'm indescribably happy to have found myself here; reunited with my first love, father to the child growing inside her.
“Natalie,” I begin, pulling back slightly, my heart full beyond capacity. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” Natalie answers instantly, sealing her vow with a kiss. “Yes, Julian, of course I’ll marry you.”
The End.
Want another steamy single daddy from Bella Brandon? Check out Faking It with the Boss , an enemies to lovers, boss/nanny romance.
I just slept with my boss.
My grumpy, blue-eyed DILF of a boss.
Twice.
Let me backpedal…
When Nathaniel Nichols hired me as his live-in nanny, I was all too thrilled to escape the trailer park and pack up to NYC.
I didn’t expect to meet a stone faced Adonis looming over me.
Seriously, a single dad in his late 30s should not be built like a linebacker.
As if nannying, homeschooling, and working as his personal assistant don’t keep me busy enough, Nate makes an additional request of me.
Meet his stuffy grandmother and pretend to be his fiancée.
Simple. Until we’re snowed in, alone at his winter cabin with nothing but body heat to keep us warm…
You can guess the rest.
Now I don’t know where we stand.
I’m struggling to protect my heart when Nate and his little boy are slowly melting the ice around it.
Things get even more complicated when I realize I’m late .
Start reading Faking It with the Boss now!