Appointed by a Billionaire to be his Heir's Girlfriend

Chapter 19

Athena Vanderbilt POV

“Chloe?!” I gasped, making Nate stand up. He immediately rushed to my side.

Chloe blinked at me. She seemed very lethargic, like she’s out of her mind yet. After a few seconds, she weakly squeezed my hand.

“Chloe…” I murmured, tears forming in my eyes. She’s awake! She’s going to be fine! Thank God!

She smiled weakly, still holding my hand which I squeezed back.

It felt like nothing ever happened. Like we never even fought. Like nothing has changed between us.

“It’s going to be okay, Chloe. I’m here, okay?” I assured her, smiling at her like there’s no tomorrow. She nodded. She can’t talk since there is a tube in her mouth. Then her eyes fell to the person behind me. I froze.

Then that horrible memory in the Bethesda terrace came back. When we fought because of him. I carefully scrutinized her reaction. It remained neutral, very unreadable.

“Hey there, Chloe. Get well, okay? Athena will be here for you.” Nate said.

Chloe blinked once more and nodded.

“I’m going to call the doctor. Wait for me.” Nate said.

“Your parents are overseas but they know already, so no worries, okay. I’m sure they’ll be going home to see you now.” I said.

Then her eyes started to water. Oh no. Have I said something wrong? What happened exactly?

“Oh, Chloe… What happened?” I asked her, rubbing her arm.

She just shook her head and looked away from me.

It was a few moments of silence until Nate and the doctor and two nurses arrived. They all assessed Chloe and talked to her a bit.

Then they all assured me she’s stable for now and everything and that she need to undergo a few days of monitoring and tests to be sure there’s no internal bleeding, concussion and fractures that happened. They were all looking for an adult who can sign as Chloe’s guardian but I told them her parents were away. I know that Chloe has no relatives in New York. Her Grandparents and her closest aunts and uncles and cousins were all now in Europe or somewhere. I told the doctor this and he told me to ask the headmistress of our school is she can fill in. I agreed. And then she left. Dan finally arrived, plastic bags at hand. He was frozen as he stood on the doorway.

He was looking at Chloe and Chloe looked at him back. Chloe looked at me inquiringly.

I swallowed and looked at Nate. Nate, in turn, nodded encouragingly to his cousin. Dan stepped forward and went towards Chloe. Nate pulled me back and he led me to sit on the couch.

“Hello. I’m Daniel Van Warner.” He said quietly. He laid the plastic bags on the bedside table.

“She can’t talk, Dan.” Nate told him. Dan nodded.

“I was the one… who… uh… hit you… with my car. We were both drunk. And I want to let you know that… I am really sorry… for what happened to you.” Dan said.

He was really close to tears. How amazing for me to see a man like that…

She just smiled at him in reply.

I knew it. She would never hold it against him. That’s the Chloe I know. The sweet and ever-generous and understanding Chloe Dupont.

“Thank you!” Dan said and his tears fell and knelt by the bed and sobbed there. Chloe looked at me awkwardly and I nodded encouragingly. She gave him a tap on the head.

It was two hours before midnight and I’m tired. Dead tired. Nate tapped my shoulder.

“Warden, I should get you home. You’re tired and we have school tomorrow and Chloe’s asleep anyway.” He said.

He’s using that term of endearment again… It’s been a long while.

“What about Dan? He’s the one supposed to be going home, you know.” I told him. We both looked at the poor guy sleeping on the couch. He hasn’t even changed his clothes.

“You two go home. I’ll stay.” Nate said.

“What? No, you two go home. I’ll stay.” I said.

“Your mom is already worried.” Nate said quietly.

“Right.” I sighed, completely forgetting about my mom. Speaking of, my phone started ringing. I took it.

“Mom?” I said.

“Oh honey, I know you’re worried and all but please, just go home for now. You have to school tomorrow. Since tomorrow is my day off, I’ll watch over her, okay?” mom said.

In the end, Nate took me home. Mom went to the hospital. I went to school in the morning. Yes, I was a very obedient child.

All throughout the week, I visited Chloe every after school. The doctor said she was getting better. Her parents called the school to ask for her condition but they never came to actually check if she’s okay. Dan was there the whole time; well not all the time though since he goes home to change clothes. He was supposed to be a freshman college right now but he took a year off studying so he doesn’t have anything to do but watch over Chloe. The tube in Chloe’s mouth was taken on Thursday and so she can speak again. And Thursday night went like this:

Dan and I were standing beside Chloe’s bed. The doctor just removed the tube and all day, I can’t help but imagine all the things she’s going to say to me.

Yes, she has remained neutral for the past few days. She never made me leave. She never flinched or looked away when I look at her. She let me take care of her, in the absence of her parents. Tallulah came on Wednesday afternoon, telling her she’s “oh so so so so sorry” that she was just visiting late, that she has a lot of matters to take care of, blah blah. I stayed outside during her visit. It was an hour. Tallulah didn’t come out looking happy.

“Miss Dupont, how are you feeling?” the doctor asked.

“Fine, thanks.” Chloe said, her voice was raspy, as if from disuse.

“Good. You’ll be ready for discharge by tomorrow. I’ll take my leave now. Just push the button if you need anything.” The doctor said, and then he left.

Chloe massaged her throat, “Dan, can you please leave us alone for a second?”

Dan smiled at her and muttered, “Sure. I’ll get some food downstairs.”

Then she looked at me. I felt nervous. She has all the capability to yell at me to leave now.

Then she broke into a teary wide smile and pulled me into a very tight hug.

“Whoaaaaa, Chloe, careful.” I muttered, getting teary too at our reconciliation. I can’t believe this…

Without letting go, she said “I’ve wanted to do this since Monday. I’m so so sorry, Athena. I knew I was a b***h. It’s just that, I kept it a secret from you. Ever since middle school, I’d liked him. And I never let anyone knew. And I didn’t have the guts to tell you either because I’m afraid you’ll think of me as shallow like those other girls falling at his feet. I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean all the things I’ve said to you then. I’m really…”

I let go and cut her off “It’s okay, Chloe. It’s okay, okay?”

“But, I was being a big time jerk to you,” she sobbed, “I’ve watched you. You were alone. I don’t know what happened to you and Nate but you looked so sad the past few weeks. Guilt was eating me away. But you know what my fatal flaw is, right? Pride. I’m too proud to say I’m sorry.”

“Let it go, Chloe. What matters is that you’ve said your apology. I’m sorry too. I felt like I betrayed you for dating Nate.” I said.

“It doesn’t matter you’re dating him, Athena. What I felt for him was just some stupid middle-school kind of crush. If you love him, who am I to meddle? Besides, you need to fill me in with details about your relationship.” Chloe said.

“Right.” I said, wondering how I can possibly explain everything to Chloe. Or if ever I’m going to explain it.

“Can we be bestfriends again? I’ve really missed you. I miss hanging out with you by the Met, eating yogurt. I miss our Friday ritual in Times Square. I miss having Sunday brunch with you at home. I miss having our Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings movie marathons. I miss getting you to sneak out in the middle of the night just so we can go pig out in the rooftop. I miss you, Athena. I’m really sorry I’ve let Tallulah brainwashed me.”

I gave her a wide smile and hugged her again, “Of course, we never stopped being bestfriends.”

She sighed heavily, “Thank God…”

We let go.

“What about Tallulah?” I asked her.

She snorted, “Seriously? She wasn’t much of a friend, Athena. She’s… different. Her definition of friendship just lies in shopping together or eating lunch together. Well, she got mad at you during the mixer, because you arrived with Nate Van Warner. She told me she used to date him. For 4 days.”

My eyes widened at this new information, “Seriously?”

Chloe chuckled, “Yeah. You don’t know how much I endured, listening to her narrate her moments with Nate during those 4 days over and over again, like those were the best days of her life. And to think that before, she knows I used to like him. It’s like she’s telling to my face that, at the very least, she got Nate once and I haven’t.”

“That’s… awful. So… can you… um… tell me those memories?” I asked.

Yes, I admit, I am curious. The idea of Nate dating another girl blew my mind. I was curious now on how he led his life before I knew him personally. Yes, I knew his lifestyle was trash. His father said so.

She laughed, “I know you’ll get curious, A.”

“Well?” I asked.

She took a sip from the bottle of water from her bedside and started to narrate, “She met him at school, obviously. She’s one of the girls we used to talk about. The one who were obsessed with Nate, desperate for a chance to hook up with him. At some VIP nightclub in the Lower East Side, they met. This was only a year ago. She told me she was very excited when Nate approached her and asked her to dance. And so they danced. I don’t know if I can explain exactly how she described it. All I remember is a lot of touching. I don’t need to elaborate how, okay.”

I was imagining the scene Chloe was painting in my mind and my stomach was clenching in discomfort. Nate… Tallulah… Dancing… Dating…

She probably noticed my expression, “Athena—“

“Continue, please.” I said,

“Um, well. You know where that leads. Making out in side alley, etcetera. And they went into Tallulah’s apartment. Parents rarely home and…” she hesitated.

I swallowed. I think this is just the moment I am absorbing the fact that, indeed, Nate Van Warner, the guy I’m hired to date, was a player.

“They… did it?” I whispered.

Chloe nodded.

I took a deep breath, “Tell me Chloe, how I can be surprised. That is his reputation. I’m not supposed to be surprised, right? I knew that…oh hell I knew that very well… but why do I feel… bothered?”

“Don’t worry. Maybe Tallulah was lying.”Chloe said, hugging me for a few seconds.

I sighed, “Maybe not. We know he’s the famous player. He bags women like trophies. Why haven’t I thought of that?”

This was when the reality of Nate’s identity hit me. Hard. He was a player. An effing player! He had been with so many women… how many are they again? 127?

And I’ve started to think he’s changed just because he’s being nice to me. Hell, maybe he was much nicer to those 127 other girls. When did I become so stupid to believe him?!

Damn, I’m so stupid! Was I really that naïve to believe that a player will change his ways because of an ordinary girl like me?

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

And I can’t believe how much I’ve liked this guy. Even though my brain was using all its will power not to. Like all those other girls who have fallen at his feet, I fell for him…

And just on cue, Dan opened the door and in he came, together with the person I’m dreading to see right now.

Nathaniel Van Warner.

He walked towards me and gave me a one-arm hug. He probably noticed my stiffness at his intimacy because he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Just… stay away, Nate.” I said, looking at the mini fridge at the corner, determined to avoid his gaze.

Dan looked inquiringly at Chloe but Chloe just shook her head and they both went out.

Nate reached out for my hand but I swatted it away.

“Never touch me again.” I said coldly. Now that I think about it, he used those hands to touch other girls.

“What is this again, Athena? I thought we’re okay. You gave us a second chance to start over.” Nate said.

I swallowed, hoping my voice won’t break when I’ll speak, “Tell me then, what will we start over? What did we have?”

He hesitated before answering, “We’re dating, Athena.”

I knew what his hesitations meant. We’re dating yeah, because of his father. Great.

“Just do me a favor, Nate and get out of my life forever. Please, I just haven’t had sense back then to say this to you and mean it. I’ll talk to your father and we can end this, once for all.” I said. Beads of sweat are forming. I can’t handle this…

“Jesus! Athena, why are you so effing moody?! One second, you’re all nice and forgiving and then the next you want to wipe me out of your life forever! What’s wrong with you? I just want us to start over! I made mistakes, okay? I know that and I’m truly sorry. You’ve accepted me again only to throw me out for the second time? That hurts like s**t! You don’t know how empty I felt when you first left me!”

“You think I’ll believe that?” I muttered.

“Yes! You have no idea, seriously! I haven’t been eating. I haven’t been partying. I just felt empty! I can’t stop thinking about you! I know that if I’m with you, everything will get better! But why do you hate me? Why do you keep getting away from me? I’m trying my best to show I care”

I dared to look at him in the eye, “Don’t put on a good show like you really cared about me! I know that you don’t really like me, that I’m just another reminder of your father’s control over you! I know I’m just one of your hundreds of girls who made the mistake to fall for you and believe that, once and for all, I can be the girl who will change you!”

His angry expression softened a bit, “Fall for me?”

I looked away, cursing myself inside. HOW CAN I JUST ADMIT IT TO HIM SO CASUALLY?! “You’re happy now? That you finally made me fall, after all?”

He reached for me again and before I could even protest, he pulled me to a tight embrace.

“Let me go! Dammit!” I shouted, trying to wiggle my way out of his strong arms.

“Don’t leave me again, Athena. Please… don’t.” He murmured.

I haven’t realized I stopped squirming in his gasp. Did he seriously mean it?

I closed my eyes. I haven’t been this close, physically, to him. I can almost feel his heart beating… His masculine smell, refreshing, like he’s just out of the shower… His hard strong arms wrapped protectively around me…

“I have to. I have to save myself. We’re impossible, you know.” I whispered.

He sighed… then he suddenly scooped me into his arms and ran out of the room. He began to run through the hallways, to the stairs, to the carpark.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, NATHANIEL?! PUT ME DOWN!” I yelled. The nurses we passed by looked at us weirdly.

“Don’t worry. Dad owns this hospital. We should be fine.” Nate muttered.

Yeah, should have known they own this…

He put me down on his car’s passenger seat, put the seatbelt on and came around to go to the driving seat.

He went out of the hospital carpark, into New York’s busy avenues.

“Are you k********g me?” I asked him, gritting my teeth.

“We’re gonna fix this, warden. We’ll fix this… whatever issues you have with me.

I won’t let you get away again. Never.” He said, grinning at me.

And of course, I was left speechless. Those piercing blue eyes pierced my heart. With my traitor heart beating for him. Only for him.