RENT A HEART

CHRISTOPHER's POV

I stirred, my eyelids heavy, and finally managed to pry them open. As I slowly came to, I tried to adjust my eyes to the light filtering into the room, but a sharp, throbbing pain immediately pulsed through my head. Instinctively, I reached up with my left hand and felt a thick bandage wrapped around my head.

Just then, I felt a warm hand gently cover mine, and a slight weight settled on my thighs. I shifted my gaze to my right, and a soft smile involuntarily tugged at my lips. There sat Eve, her head resting on my leg as she slept soundly.

'She must have been so worried,' I thought, my heart swelling with affection.

I reached out, my fingers gently tracing the soft strands of her hair, a gesture I regretted a few seconds later when she stirred and her eyes fluttered open.

"Oh my God, Chris, you're awake," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Then, I watched as tears welled up in her eyes and silently streamed down her face.

I tried to sit up, wincing slightly at the movement, but thankfully, I managed. "Shhh, don't cry, I'm okay... Come here," I said softly, gathering her into my arms.

"Shhhh, I'm okay, I promise," I murmured, gently patting her back and burying my face in her beautiful hair, inhaling her familiar scent.

After what seemed like an eternity of comforting silence, I gently eased her back to see her face. I smiled, my heart overflowing with tenderness, as I used my thumb to wipe away a solitary tear that clung to her cheek.

"I love you, Eve Mickelson," I confessed, my voice a little rough around the edges.

"I think I've always loved you, to be honest..." I noticed a look of surprise wash over her face as she stared at me, her eyes wide and unblinking, but I continued, compelled to finally express the depth of my feelings.

"The very first day I saw you at the suite, I was completely smitten. And when I heard your voice for the first time, my heart skipped a beat. I wanted nothing more than to spend every single minute of every day with you, but I didn't want you to think I was weird or a stalker," I admitted, a hint of nervousness creeping into my voice as I realized she still hadn't reacted or said a word.

"--I made up my mind to tell you the night of your fashion show and ask you out for real, but I didn't get the chance. Anyway, you don't need to reply right now. I just wan—" My words were cut short as she leaned in and kissed me.

It was a slow, passionate kiss, and I could practically taste the love in it.

'Does she feel the same way, too?' I wondered, my heart soaring.

"I love you too, Chris," she said softly, pulling back slightly. "Probably more than you know, but I didn't have the courage to tell you. I didn't know you felt the same..."

Hearing her words made my heart swell, a wave of pure joy washing over me. I was speechless, completely overwhelmed.

"I thought you liked Lexi, so I just gave up the idea of confessing to you," she admitted meekly, lowering her head in embarrassment.

I chuckled softly at her words before gently pulling her back into my arms, holding her close.

"Lexi is like a sister to me. No romantic feelings whatsoever. Oh, and she was actively rooting for us when I told her I liked you," I said, grinning.

"Really?" Her eyes widened in surprise, and I nodded reassuringly.

"But I have a question, though," I said, my tone turning playful. "Why did you run away after the wonderful time we had at your family home?"

She blushed crimson, avoiding my gaze.

Gently, I used my index finger to tilt her chin up, forcing her to look at me.

"Because I... I panicked," she confessed, her voice barely audible. "I freaked out when it dawned on me just how much I was in love with you. I needed to clear my head, but funny enough, you were pretty much everything I thought about."

I couldn't help but grin at her cuteness. I pulled her close and kissed her again, slow and lingering at first, savoring the taste of her lips. As the kiss deepened, we heard the unmistakable sound of someone clearing their throat.

I looked behind her, and there stood my father, accompanied by a group of doctors.

"Father," I said plainly, trying to mask my surprise. He simply raised a knowing eyebrow at me, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Shit," I heard Eve mumble under her breath before she turned and began to gracefully climb down from the bed. I reached out and gently stopped her.

"Stay," I said, my voice firm.

"No, Chris, your father is here," she protested, glancing nervously towards the door. Nevertheless, she stopped and came down from the bed gracefully while I followed after her.

"Where are you going?" she asked, squinting her eyes at me, a mixture of concern and playful exasperation in her gaze.

"Getting up," I said simply, stating the obvious.

"No, sit back down. You need to be examined," she said firmly, her tone brooking no argument. Against my better judgment, I obeyed, sinking back into the pillows.

The doctors and nurses bustled around, checking my vitals and the bandage around my head. From the corner of my eye, I watched Eve as she spoke quietly with my dad. I couldn't decipher what they were saying, but their expressions seemed serious.

"Everything seems to be stable, but we should get a CT and MRI scan to be sure there aren't any internal injuries," the doctor suggested, his voice professional and reassuring.

"Sure," I said, nodding. I gestured to Eve, silently asking her to come sit with me, but she seemed hesitant.

"Didn't you hear what the doctor said?" she asked, her arms crossed over her chest, a disapproving frown on her face.

"I did," I answered, my voice laced with amusement.

"Then get up and follow them," she said, her eyes twinkling.

"Now?" I asked, directing the question to no one in particular. "Yes, now, please," the doctor chimed in, his tone patient.

I groaned inwardly, reluctantly acknowledging the validity of their concerns, even though all I really wanted was to spend time with Eve.

"Fine," I said, surrendering. I gently tried to swing my legs off the bed, but Eve immediately came to my side, her expression softening with worry.

"Are you okay?" she asked. She wrapped her arm protectively around my waist, supporting me from the side.

"I'm fine, I promise," I said, smiling reassuringly. I brought her closer to my side, looping my arm around her shoulders as we left the room, walking in step with each other.

A few hours later, after what seemed like an eternity of tests and pokes, the results came back, and thankfully, I had no other injuries, and my head injury wasn't as severe as they initially feared.

It was almost nightfall, and I wondered if she had even had a chance to eat anything since the accident.

"Have you had dinner yet?" I asked Eve as soon as my father left after a brief conversation with the doctors, his expression still etched with concern.

"Not really, but I'm not hungry," she said, trying to downplay it, but her stomach betrayed her with a loud rumble seconds later. She facepalmed herself, mortified, while I couldn't help but laugh at her.

I quickly placed a call to my personal chef, asking him to bring our dinner over to the hospital as soon as possible. While we waited for the food to arrive, I took her to the vending machine inside the hospital to grab some chocolate bars to tide us over.

Thankfully, the hospital had restricted the press from entering the premises, so we had a bit of privacy, even though some patients and their relatives stole glances at us and snapped secret photos as we walked by, their eyes wide with curiosity.

We came and sat under a beautiful, sprawling mahogany tree on the hospital grounds, the scent of damp earth and leaves filling the air. We leaned against the rough back, unwrapping our chocolate bars and munching contentedly in silence.

"Food is on its way, just manage with this for now, okay?" I said, offering her a reassuring smile.

"I can eat when I get home, Chris. You didn't need to order anything," she said, her voice soft as she munched on her chocolate bar. A wave of disappointment washed over me at her words.

"Are you really not going to stay with me tonight?" I asked, letting the vulnerability show in my voice. She looked at me, her expression unreadable.

"You want me to sleep over?" she asked, her gaze steady and unwavering.

I nodded, suddenly self-conscious.

"You don't need to shake your head, Chris. You have a head injury," she scolded gently, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes.

"Fine, I'll stay with you... just tonight, alright?" she conceded, a hint of reluctance still lingering in her tone.

"Thank you," I said, a genuine smile spreading across my face, relieved and happy to have her to myself.

A few minutes later, I received a message that the chef had arrived at the hospital. I signaled to my men, who were discreetly blending into the background, to go fetch him. Within seconds, a small table was set up nearby, laden with the most exquisite delicacies, a stark contrast to the sterile hospital environment.

"I hope the news of my accident didn't pull you away from any important work at the office?" I asked her as we began to eat, suddenly mindful of her commitments.

She hesitated for a moment, her eyes flickering with uncertainty before she shook her head, a small, forced smile playing on her lips.

"No, not at all," she said, her voice a little too light.

"Alright then," I said, relieved but still slightly apprehensive.

I was about to say something else when her phone rang, cutting me off.

"Hello, Mum," she said to the person on the other end of the call, her tone softening. "Thankfully, the surgery went well. He's awake and with me at the moment," she continued, her gaze meeting mine for a fleeting moment. A few seconds later, she held out the phone to me, gesturing for me to speak.

"Hello, Mrs. Mickelson," I said calmly, trying to project an air of normalcy as I waited for her to respond.

"I saw the news. I'm so sorry, my dear," she said softly, her voice filled with genuine concern and sadness.

"It went well, Ma'am. Thankfully, it wasn't a serious accident," I said, trying to reassure her, although the image of my mangled car flashed unbidden in my mind.

"Don't be silly, Christopher. Your car was literally smashed in. Thankfully, everyone came out alive. I'll be coming to see you tomorrow, alright? Take care, and goodnight," she said before I handed the phone back to Eve, who spoke for a few more minutes before hanging up.

"She said she'll be coming tomorrow," I told Eve, who looked anything but shocked.

"Your mum has been nothing but nice to me since we met. How am I supposed to face her after having lied to her about us?" I said to Eve, worry creeping into my voice.

"You don't need to worry. My mum likes you, and that's all that matters," she reassured me, her hand gently squeezing mine.

We spent some time under the sprawling mahogany tree, enjoying the relative quiet and each other's company before heading back to the hospital building. As we stepped into the elevator, my phone rang. It was Frank.

"Yes," I said as I answered the call, my senses immediately on alert.

"We found the driver that drove the truck. You wouldn't believe who was behind it," he said, his voice grim.

"Who?" I asked, my stomach clenching.

"Nexus," he said, confirming my worst fears. Truthfully, I was surprised. I had wanted to believe the accident was just that: an accident, and not a deliberate attempt on my life.

I glanced at Eve as she walked ahead, her back to me, unaware of the danger lurking in the shadows. For the first time, I felt a chilling wave of fear wash over me. I was fearful of getting hurt and leaving her behind, or worse, her being used as leverage to hurt me.

"Keep me posted on the next move," I said, my voice low and urgent, and hung up.

'Frederick... what are you really?' I thought inwardly, a knot of suspicion tightening in my chest as we entered the elevator, the doors sliding shut behind us, sealing us inside.