Building Love

Chapter 20

Vanessa made her way through the scaffolding and pathways, clipboard in hand. The final stages of the project were in full swing, and today, several of the executives, including herself, were onsite to inspect progress and address last-minute details before the grand opening.

As she stopped to review some specifications with Collin, her attention was fully absorbed by their discussion. She didn’t notice the subtle warning calls from workers above. She was standing dangerously close to the designated drop zone—a part of the site where workers routinely discarded heavy debris from the top floors to the ground below.

Collin glanced up just as a shadow loomed over them. "Vanessa, move!" he yelled, but it was Alex—standing nearby—who reacted first.

Without hesitation, Alex sprinted toward her, pulling her away just as a large piece of scrap metal came crashing down. In the process, the corner of the debris grazed Alex's hand as he shielded Vanessa.

The loud thud echoed through the site, and Vanessa froze, processing what had just happened. Alex, breathing heavily but calm, asked, "Are you okay?"

She looked up at him, wide-eyed. "Am I okay? Alex, your hand!" Her voice was shaky, and she pointed to his left hand, which was already starting to swell and show signs of a bruise.

Alex glanced down, flexing his fingers as if to test the damage. "It’s nothing serious," he said with a shrug, his tone dismissive. "Just glad you’re safe."

But Vanessa wasn’t convinced. "Nothing serious? You just—" She trailed off, shaking her head, already pulling him toward a nearby workstation where a first aid kit was mounted. "Sit down. Let me check it."

Alex hesitated. "Vanessa, really, it’s—"

"Sit." Her firm tone left no room for argument.

Reluctantly, he complied, sitting on a stack of wooden beams. Vanessa grabbed the kit, her hands steady but her face still betraying her worry.

She knelt in front of him, carefully inspecting the injury. "You should’ve been more careful. What if it had hit your head or something worse?" she muttered, dabbing at the wound with antiseptic.

Alex’s lips quirked into a small smile, despite the stinging pain. "I’m not the one standing in the danger zone without looking up."

Vanessa huffed, trying to ignore how her heart raced at the teasing lilt in his voice. "That’s not the point. You didn’t have to get hurt because of me."

"You weren’t exactly going to dodge that on your own," he replied, his tone softening.

She bit her lip, focusing on wrapping his hand in gauze. "Thank you," she said quietly. "For stepping in like that."

His gaze softened as he watched her work. "It’s nothing. I just—"

"Don’t say it’s nothing again," Vanessa interrupted, her eyes locking with his for a moment. The intensity of her stare was enough to silence him.

After finishing the bandage, she stood and crossed her arms. "You’re going to get this properly checked later, right?"

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Are you always this bossy?"

"Yes. And don’t change the subject."

He chuckled, standing up and flexing his hand carefully. "Fine. I’ll get it checked."

Their brief exchange was interrupted by Collin, who approached with an apologetic expression. "I didn’t realize you were so close to that spot. That was a close call. Both of you okay?"

Vanessa nodded, though her gaze lingered on Alex. "We’re fine. But someone needs to put up better warnings around here."

As Collin walked off to address the issue, Alex turned to her, his usual composed demeanor slipping into something almost playful. "You’re quite the mother hen."

"And you’re reckless," Vanessa shot back, though her lips twitched in amusement.

For the rest of the inspection, Vanessa stayed closer to the safer parts of the site, her thoughts intermittently drifting to the man who had stepped in without a second thought to protect her.

The next day, Vanessa found herself standing outside Alex’s office door, a mix of apprehension and determination bubbling in her chest. She had a legitimate reason to consult him—he was, after all, the expert in structural optimization, and her team needed his input on a detail for an upcoming project. But a small part of her also wanted to check on his hand after yesterday’s incident.

Gathering her thoughts, she knocked lightly.

"Come in," Alex’s deep voice called out.

Vanessa opened the door to find him seated at his desk, papers spread out in front of him. He glanced up, his sharp eyes softening slightly when he saw her.

"Vanessa. What brings you here?"

She stepped inside, closing the door behind her. "I need your opinion on something," she began, holding up a set of blueprints. "Your expertise could save us from a lot of headaches later on."

Alex gestured to the chair across from him. "Sure, let’s see it."

Vanessa sat and spread out the blueprints on the desk. As they delved into the details, Alex’s focus was entirely on the work. He pointed out adjustments, made suggestions, and even sketched a quick solution for one of the trickier problems.

As they wrapped up, Vanessa hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "By the way, how’s your hand? Did you get it checked like you said you would?"

Alex leaned back in his chair, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "It’s fine. Just a minor sprain. Nothing to worry about."

Vanessa sat across from Alex, listening to his casual dismissal of his injury. The way he brushed it off like it was nothing irked her, especially after seeing how much the incident had affected his hand. She folded her arms, narrowing her eyes.

"You’re not serious, are you? A ‘minor sprain’? Alex, I saw that thing fall. You’re lucky it didn’t break your hand."

"It’s really nothing, Vanessa," Alex replied, leaning back slightly in his chair.

"Right. Well, we’re settling this at lunch," Vanessa said firmly, cutting him off before he could protest further.

Alex raised a brow. "Settling what, exactly?"

"You, me, hospital," she said. "We’re getting that hand checked out, and I’m driving."

A flicker of amusement crossed Alex’s face. "Vanessa, I appreciate the concern, but I can handle this myself. There’s no need to—"

"Handle it yourself?" she interrupted. "Oh, like you did yesterday? Running toward danger without a second thought and then acting like you’re indestructible?"

Alex chuckled softly, though there was a hint of resignation in his voice. "You’re really not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope," she replied with a stubborn tilt of her chin. "Lunch break. Be ready. And don’t even think about slipping out—I’ll find you."

He sighed, shaking his head in mock defeat. "Alright, fine. If it’ll give you peace of mind."

"It will," Vanessa said, standing up. "And don’t think of it as me dragging you there. Think of it as me giving you a ride."

Alex smirked. "Generous of you."

"It is. See you at lunch."

True to her word, Vanessa waited for Alex at the lobby entrance just as their break began. He strolled down, his hand still wrapped in the temporary bandage from the day before.

"You’re really serious about this," Alex said as they walked to her car.

"I don’t make empty promises," Vanessa replied, unlocking the car and sliding into the driver’s seat.

The ride to the hospital was relatively quiet, save for Vanessa occasionally teasing Alex about his stubbornness and Alex countering with lighthearted quips.

When they arrived at the clinic, Vanessa wasted no time checking him in and guiding him to the waiting area. She crossed her arms as they sat, glancing at him.

"I hope this teaches you to take care of yourself," she muttered.

Alex leaned back in his seat, giving her a sidelong glance. "Noted, boss."

When the doctor finally examined him, Vanessa stood nearby, listening intently as they confirmed it was indeed a sprain. They replaced the temporary bandage with a more secure one and gave instructions for rest and care.

"You hear that?" Vanessa said as they left the clinic. "Rest and care. No exceptions."

"Yes, ma’am," Alex replied, the faintest smirk on his face.

As she drove them back to the office, Vanessa couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. At least now she knew he wouldn’t be pushing through without proper treatment.

"Thanks," Alex said quietly as they parked.

"For what?"

"For caring," he said simply, giving her a meaningful glance before stepping out of the car.

"You saved me. This is nothing." She did say it was nothing, but only Vanessa knew that her heart was doing a small flip by his simple thanks. She quickly shook it off and followed him inside, already planning to keep an eye on him over the next few days.