Rejected: A love story-Chapter 125: I want to marry you, Nathan

After a while, she gently pulled back, just enough to look into his eyes. "Nathan, you’re exhausted," she said softly. "You’ve been through so much today. Let me take care of you, okay?"

Nathan nodded faintly.

Fiona reached for his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Come on," she said, her tone soothing. "Let’s sit down. Or lie down, if you want. You need to rest."

Nathan hesitated for a moment, then allowed her to lead him toward the couch.

Fiona sat down first, patting the space beside her. Nathan joined her. He leaned back, his head resting against the cushions, and let out a deep sigh.

Fiona tucked her legs beneath her and shifted closer to him, her hand lightly brushing his arm. "Come here," she said softly, opening her arms.

Nathan stared at her for a moment, his expression unsure, before finally letting himself lean into her. He rested his head against her shoulder, his body sinking into hers.

Fiona wrapped her arms around him, her fingers lightly tracing soothing circles on his back. "I’m here," she whispered.

Nathan closed his eyes, his breathing evening out as the tension in his body slowly began to ease.

"Nathan?" she called gently

His eyes fluttered open, and he turned his head slightly to look at her. "Yeah?"

She hesitated for a moment, her heart pounding. "I’ve been thinking... about what you asked me two months ago."

Nathan frowned, his tired mind struggling to catch up. "What I asked you?"

"Yes," she said softly, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You probably don’t even remember. You asked me if I’d ever thought about... you know... us. About a future together."

Nathan’s brows furrowed as pretended not to remember, and then his eyes widened slightly. "I—I asked you that?"

Fiona let out a soft laugh. "You did. That was one of the best nights of my life—aside the kidnapping part" she chuckled and continued. "You were so sweet, looking handsome as always and looking at me with those eyes."

A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Sounds like me." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

She shifted closer to him, her voice steady but filled with emotion. "I didn’t have an answer for you then. I wasn’t sure what I wanted, or if I was ready to even think about something like that. But now..."

Nathan’s gaze locked onto hers, his breath catching. "Cupcake "

She reached for his hand, holding it tightly. "Now I know. I want to marry you, Nathan. I want to be yours, completely. I want us to build a life together—have kids, be happy, grow old together, I’ll graduate in no time, and I don’t want to wait anymore. I want to be yours legally, in every way that matters."

Nathan’s eyes widened, the exhaustion in them replaced by something else entirely—joy, disbelief, hope. "You’re serious?" he whispered.

Fiona nodded, her smile widening. "I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life."

For a moment, Nathan just stared at her, as if trying to convince himself this was real. Then, without warning, he sat up and pulled her into his arms, holding her so tightly it was as if he was afraid she might disappear.

"You have no idea..." he said, his voice thick with emotion. "You have no idea how much I needed to hear that right now."

She laughed softly, her arms wrapping around him. "Well, now you know."

Nathan pulled back just enough to look at her, his hands cupping her face. "You’ve just made me the happiest man in the world, Fiona. I don’t deserve you, but I promise you—I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to."

Fiona’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she smiled at him. "You already do, Nathan."

She stared in his eyes and damn she was lucky to be the woman after his heart. Nathan was everything a woman wanted in a man, he was like a fairytale.

Nathan brows furrowed "Why are you staring at me like that?" He asked.

"Because you’re beautiful." She replied with a smile.

Nathan laughed. "What?"

She didn’t wait another second and crushed her lips with his, he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss.

########

The soft hum of machines filled the hospital room, their steady rhythm a quiet reminder of the fragility of life. Leo sat upright in the hospital bed, his small frame dwarfed by the blankets tucked around him. His cheeks were still pale, but his eyes were bright as he looked around the room.

Natasha sat beside him, spooning small bites of soup into his mouth. "Eat up, sweetheart," she said gently, her voice full of practiced warmth.

Leo swallowed the bite, his brow furrowing slightly. "Where’s Daddy?"

Natasha paused for a moment, the spoon hovering in the air. She quickly recovered, forcing a smile. "He had to step out for a bit, darling. But Mommy’s here, okay? I’ll take care of you."

Leo’s lips trembled slightly, his voice quiet. "I want Daddy."

Natasha’s grip on the spoon tightened, her smile faltering. "Sweetheart, Daddy’s... busy right now. He’s dealing with some things. But I’m here, and I promise everything’s going to be fine."

Leo shook his head, his little hands clutching the edge of the blanket. "I want Daddy," he repeated, his voice firmer this time.

Natasha’s jaw clenched, her frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. She leaned forward, brushing a hand through his hair. "Leo, listen to me. Daddy loves you very much, but sometimes grown-ups have to take care of important things. You understand that, don’t you?"

Leo blinked up at her, his eyes wide and innocent. "Did I do something wrong?"

Natasha’s heart skipped a beat, and she forced another smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. "Of course not, darling. You didn’t do anything wrong. Daddy just... needs some time."

Leo nodded slowly, his gaze drifting to the door. "Do you think he’ll come back soon?"

Natasha hesitated, her mind racing. She didn’t want Leo asking for Nathan. She needed to keep control, to make sure Nathan didn’t interfere with her plans.

"I don’t know, sweetheart," she said finally, her tone soft but evasive. "But I’ll be here, okay? You don’t have to worry about anything."

Leo didn’t respond, his eyes still fixed on the door as if he was hoping Nathan would walk through it at any moment.