Chapter 14: I think I'm in trouble

Emily stood just outside her apartment, the key turning slowly in the lock. It was well past dark, and though the evening air was still and cool, she felt like her entire body was vibrating with emotion—relief, anxiety, exhaustion… and something else she couldn't quite name.

Her grandmother had insisted she go home.

"I'm fine, sweetheart," Irene had said as the nurse helped adjust her blankets. "Go shower, eat something that isn't from a vending machine, and please, for the love of all things holy, stop hovering like a worried bird."

Emily had argued, of course. But Irene had that look—the one that meant she wasn't just asking, she was laying down the law.

So, after one last kiss on the cheek and a promise to come back early in the morning, Emily made her way home.

Now, freshly showered and bundled in a soft hoodie and leggings, she wasn't ready to be alone with her thoughts. Not tonight. She didn't want to sit in the quiet and overthink everything Damian Walker had done for her.

So she grabbed her phone and texted the one person who never needed an excuse to hang out.

Emily: You up?

Chloe: I'm always up when the queen summons. Get your butt over here.

Ten minutes later, Emily was curled up on Chloe's couch with a blanket over her knees and a mug of hot tea in her hands. Chloe, in full best-friend mode, had already ordered takeout and lit a couple of cinnamon candles.

"So," Chloe said, narrowing her eyes in that all-knowing way, "spill."

Emily took a long sip of tea.

"Damian came to the hospital."

Chloe nearly dropped her phone. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah. Just walked in like he belonged there. Said he came to check on my grandma."

"Did you die? Like, literally die?"

Emily gave her a dry look. "Not quite."

"And your grandma?"

"Oh, she loved him. Called him handsome. Told him to bring flowers next time. Asked if he was taking me to dinner."

Chloe howled with laughter, falling sideways onto the couch. "I love her. Your grandma is the hero of this story."

Emily laughed, too, but there was a heaviness in her chest. "It was just… weird. Not bad. He was actually kind. Really formal, but respectful. Not cold like he is at the office."

"Emily." Chloe sat up, her expression shifting to something softer. "You realize what this means, right?"

"That I'll never be able to look Grandma in the eye again?"

"That he cares."

Emily looked down into her tea, fingers tightening around the mug. "I don't want to assume anything."

Chloe sighed. "You are literally the only woman I know who could get twenty grand, a hospital visit, and a worried billionaire stare and still be like, 'Hmm, I'm not sure he likes me.'"

Emily felt her cheeks flush. "It's complicated."

"Do you like him?"

She opened her mouth. Closed it.

Then whispered, "I don't know."

Chloe raised a skeptical brow.

"I mean, yes, he's gorgeous," Emily said quickly. "And smart. And when he's not barking orders, he's actually... considerate. But he's also my boss. And intense. And terrifying. And completely out of my league."

"Correction," Chloe said, pointing a finger. "You're not in anyone's league because you're too good for the damn game."

Emily smiled faintly. "I just don't want to confuse gratitude with feelings."

"That's fair. But let me ask you something," Chloe said, sitting forward. "When he walked into that hospital room, what did your heart do?"

Emily blinked. "What?"

"Your heart. Did it skip? Stutter? Race?"

Emily looked away, biting her lip.

Chloe grinned. "Exactly."

There was a long silence, broken only by the buzz of Emily's phone.

A text from Damian.

Mr. Walker: Hope your grandmother is resting well. Let me know if you need anything.

Just reading his words made her stomach flip in a way that was equal parts thrilling and terrifying.

She didn't respond right away.

Instead, she set the phone down and looked at Chloe.

"I think I'm in trouble."

Chloe laughed and leaned back. "Oh, honey. You're already gone."