Page 44 of The Boss's Hideaway Baby

“Maria?” A soft knock on the door interrupts my thoughts, and I glance at the clock. Kelsey’s early, but her arrival couldn’t be more welcome.

“Coming!” I call out, quickly stashing my phone and opening the door to greet my sister.

As we embrace, her warmth wraps around me like a protective shield, and for the first time in a long while, I allow myself to breathe. My sister has always been my rock, the one person who knows how to navigate the maze that is my heart.

“God, I’ve missed you.” I have to blink back tears.

“Missed you too, sis. Now, let’s get inside. That drive kicked my butt.” She gives me a playful shove towards the living room, and I can’t help but smile at her enthusiasm.

Kelsey sets her suitcase down by the door as we settle on my sofa, our ramen to-go boxes spread out on the coffee table. The steam wafts up from the containers, filling the room with warmth and the savory aroma of our dinner.

“All right, spill it.” Kelsey digs into her noodles. “Something’s been eating at you, and I want to know what it is.”

I hesitate for a moment, unsure where to begin. But my sister’s patient expression prompts me to open up, and the words come tumbling out like a flood. “It’s Nathan. When we were in the cabin together… I might not have told you the whole story.”

Kelsey’s eyes go wide. “What did you not tell me?!”

My cheeks heat up as I think back to our time in Montauk. “We hid away in the cabin, and things just… happened.”

“Things?” She raises an eyebrow. “Like, you broke out the board games and destroyed him in Monopoly?”

“Okay, fine. We slept together.” I stare down at my bowl of ramen, suddenly finding it incredibly interesting. “And it was amazing, but then the next morning, he was distant, like nothing had ever happened. And we got the call that it was safe to return to New York, so we did… And he threw himself back into work, and… well…”

“Wow, that’s… a lot.” Kelsey looks genuinely concerned as she rests her hand on mine. “What are you going to do?”

I sigh, running my fingers through my hair. “That’s the problem. I don’t know. It’s been so tense at work, and I can’t stand being around him, knowing what we shared but acting like it never happened.”

“Have you tried talking to him about it?” Kelsey asks gently.

“Of course not. I mean, what would I even say? ‘Hey, Nathan, remember when we slept together and then you went all cold on me? Let’s chat about our feelings.’ He’s made it pretty clear he doesn’t want me.”

Kelsey laughs, shaking her head at my sarcasm. “You have a point, but maybe you should try being honest with him. You never know, he might be feeling just as confused and hurt as you are.”

“I don’t know, Kels,” I say, doubt creeping into my voice. “I’m not sure if I can handle putting myself out there again, only to be rejected.”

“Listen to yourself.” She puts down her chopsticks and leans in closer. “You sound like Mom — closed off after one bad experience. Do you really want to have a frozen heart like hers?”

My chest tightens at the comparison. I glance down at my lap, fiddling with the hem of my blouse, remembering all the years of watching Mom shut herself off from love and intimacy. No, that’s not who I want to become.

“Of course not,” I admit quietly, meeting Kelsey’s gaze. “But it’s just… it’s hard, you know? I don’t know if I have the courage to face Nathan and tell him how I feel.”

“Sometimes, the hardest things are the most worth doing.” She offers a knowing smile. “Just think about it, okay? You never know. He might be feeling the same way.”

I let out a deep breath, trying to push away the doubts swirling in my mind.

“Hey, look at it this way.” Kelsey grins mischievously. “If it all goes south, we can drown our sorrows together in wine and ice cream.”

I can’t help but chuckle at the mental image, feeling a little of the weight lift from my shoulders. “Deal.”

“Good.” Kelsey clinks her chopsticks against mine. “Now, let’s eat before this gets cold.”

As we continue eating, I quietly consider her words. Could I really find it in me to be honest with Nathan and tell him that I’ve fallen for him? The thought terrifies me, yet also fills me with a strange sense of hope.

And if it doesn’t work out as I wish, at least I’ll have Kelsey by my side — and a tub of ice cream waiting for us to share.

CHAPTER 17

NATHAN

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