Fell In Love With My Roomy Chapter 44

"Hello, Julianna," she greeted in a soft voice, and I responded with a smile.

"Hi there! You look so much better!" I muttered, and a grin lit up her face as she and her mom entered the office.

"Can I give you a hug?" she asked, to which I gladly agreed.

"Just a heads-up, I might be a little wet from swimming," I cautioned, and she simply shrugged. Nevertheless, she embraced me tightly, and it was surreal to have her standing right in front of me.

"Thank you," she whispered, and I nodded. "I'm so grateful for your help."

"Of course, I was happy to help," I assured her, and she chuckled softly behind her hand. Her mom waved and stepped away, granting us a moment of privacy.

"So, how have things been with you lately?" I inquired as I gestured for her to take a seat in my office.

"I'm doing better," she replied, wiping a tear from her eye. "I was discharged from the hospital yesterday. They ran some tests and found that my allergy had worsened during my stay." She shrugged, and I nodded. "I've been swimming a lot, and this has never happened before."

"I'm relieved you wear a medical alert bracelet," I remarked, and she glanced at it on her wrist.

"I told my mom the first place I wanted to go was here, just to see you or let someone know I was okay," she shared, and I agreed. "You took such good care of me. I was scared I wouldn't make it."

"You scared me too," I admitted with a murmur, and she laughed softly. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"I was scared as well," she confided quietly. She looked so different now—alive, happy, and like her old self, which brought me immense comfort. "All I have to do now is be more cautious."

"I'm so glad you're healthy again," I assured her, and she smiled.

"You saved my life. Thank you," she whispered, prompting me to stand up and hug her again.

"I'm thrilled you came back," I whispered when we pulled away.

"Is the other guard who helped me here too?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow as she looked towards the door to ensure her mom hadn't returned.

"Brendon isn't here today, but I could give you his number or something if you'd like," I offered, and hope sparkled in her eyes. "What's on your mind?"

"I don't know, how old is Brendon?" she asked in a hushed voice, checking for her mom.

"He's only 17, so if that's not an issue, I can give you his-"

"No, tell me his number. I'd like that," she interrupted with a laugh, her cheeks turning rosy. It crossed my mind that putting my seventeen-year-old guard in touch with the person he saved might not be the best idea, but I couldn't resist a cute story with a happy ending.

"Oh," I chuckled and raised an eyebrow.

"What? From what I remember, he was pretty cute," she mumbled, and I laughed at her blushing cheeks. Setting her up was never my intention, but I couldn't help but indulge her.

"Do you think he'll respond to my text?" she asked in a whisper.

"Did you come back just so I could play matchmaker?" I teased as I picked up a binder from my desk and found Brendon's contact information.

"No! I came back to see you, but if we end up with a phone number, that's just a bonus," she whispered, and I chuckled as I wrote down the number on a post-it note.

"Remember, you can't tell anyone I gave it to you; I'm not supposed to share personal information about employees," I reminded her. She squealed, stashed it in her pocket, and gave me another hug.

"Thanks, Julianna, you're the best!" I rolled my eyes playfully as she grinned. Suddenly, she pulled back and said, "Wait." I raised an eyebrow. "Did he see me topless?" she blurted out, making me sigh.

"Yes, we had to remove your top to provide medical attention," I explained, and her face turned pale.

"He's seen my breasts already?" she squeaked, and I struggled not to laugh. "And you too!"

"I don't remember anything about that, and it's really not important when someone's life is at stake, Lauren," I reassured her, trying to keep a straight face. "They're just breasts-"

"No, don't say that. What if he thought-"

"He's probably not even thinking about that," I interrupted, and she let out a relieved breath. I was just happy to see Lauren back to being a lively 16-year-old girl. The fact that her biggest concern in a life-or-death situation was whether the attractive lifeguard had seen her breasts was quite amusing.

"You'll have to give him a call to find out," I suggest playfully. She responds with a smile and a roll of her eyes.

"Stay right here," she instructs me, and I nod in agreement. She dials her mom, and soon, they both return to the office. "Can we take a photo together?"

"Of course," I reply with a smile. Her mom retrieves her iPhone, and Lauren puts her arm around me. We all share a warm smile as the photo is taken.

"Alright, I know you're busy with lifeguard duties, so we'll leave you be," she sighs. "But I'm incredibly grateful we found you so I could express my thanks." She smiles and gives me another hug, which I gladly reciprocate.

"I'm just relieved you came back. I was really worried about you," I admit quietly, and she nods as I mumble.

"Thanks to you, Julianna, I'm doing well," she whispers. "It's time for us to head out. Have a wonderful day." She says this, and her mother takes out a card and a small box from her purse. "You deserve this." She hands it to me. "It's a small token of our appreciation."

"You really didn't have to do that. All I cared about was seeing you again," I respond, shaking my head as I mumble.

"It's already done, but thank you nonetheless," she says quietly. "May I have your phone number so I can send you the photos?"

"Sure," I say with a smile, writing my name on a second sticky note so she can identify my contact. She winks at me and gives me one final hug as we say our goodbyes. Her mother shakes my hand, and they wave as they exit the office.

My smile remains on my face for the rest of the day. Seeing Lauren safe and sound filled me with happiness. It was surreal to think that I had played a role in saving someone's life, and knowing that Lauren was out and about was incredibly satisfying.

Finally content for the first time in weeks, I hurry home. I feel so elated that I almost skip through the door. The weight that had burdened me for a week has finally lifted, and after discussing the rescue with Michaela and reuniting with Lauren, I feel like I can move on.

"Hey, Julianna," Mark greets from the kitchen, chopping lettuce.

"Hi," I laugh, kicking off my shoes.

"You seem to be in a better mood," Kyle remarks as he emerges from the next room. He comes over and puts his arm around my shoulders. I lean into him.

"Have you spoken to your supervisor?" Mark asks, placing the freshly cut leaves into a bowl and loading his dishes into the dishwasher.

"I feel better," I say, smiling, and Mark raises an eyebrow. "Well, I did talk to her and everything, but the girl I helped today showed up at the pool. She's alive and well." Kyle laughs and gives me a congratulatory hug, which I gladly accept.

"Wow, Julianna, that's fantastic!" Kyle exclaims, and I nod in agreement.

"See? I told you everything would turn out fine," Mark says, giving himself a reassuring hug.

"I'm just relieved. Now I can stop worrying if I did something wrong," I groan, and Mark concedes.

"I believe it's clear, Julianna, that you did everything right," Mark affirms, and I smile. My phone buzzes in my pocket, and when I check it, I see a new number. I open the text message and find a kind message along with a series of photos.

"Here she is," I say, grinning as I flip my phone over.

"That's a cute picture," Kyle remarks. "Respond to her now."

"I already did as soon as she walked into the office," I nod, saving the photos on my phone. "She also gave me a card." I nod and head to my work bag, where the small box is nestled.

I sit down at the dining room table and run my finger along the envelope's edge to break the seal. Inside, I find a humorous thank-you card featuring a cat on the front. Lauren has penned a heartfelt message inside and signed it at the bottom.

"Did she give you something too?" Kyle asks, and I simply nod and shrug as I pick up the box. I unwrap it, revealing a post-it note resting on top of its contents.

"I tried to think of something you needed, but then I remembered you're in college, and my mom thought this would be a great gift. I'm sorry I frightened you, L."

"She's really funny," I chuckle and remove the sticky note from the top of the box. Inside, I find what appears to be a stack of cards.

"What's that?" Mark inquires as he settles down next to me. I simply shrug and start taking them out. Then, my eyes widen.

"Oh, wow," I mutter, amazed. They were gift cards for various places like the grocery store, campus coffee shops, Walmart, and other retailers. Each card had a value of $100.

"Wait, are these all gift cards?"

"Yes, but they must be worth a significant amount," I whisper, shaking my head. "How can her parents afford this? It's quite expensive."

"You may have saved a millionaire's daughter," Kyle chuckles.

"What name does she go by?" Mark asks, pulling out his phone.

"Lauren Duke."

He types for a few moments while I gaze at the stack of gift cards before me, astonished. It looked like I wouldn't need to buy food for a long time.

Mark laughs and says, "Oh, wow."

"What did you discover?" I inquire, returning the cards to the box and neatly stacking them.

"Her father is a senator," he mutters, turning his phone around to show a family picture. My jaw drops, and they both laugh. "Quite the choice."

"I need to send her a text to express my gratitude for this. It's way too much," I mutter to myself as I lift my box of plastic wealth. It was as if her parents had handed me a thousand-dollar check.

I place the box in my sock drawer to keep it safe and run my hand over my face. This was unbelievable.

I hear the door across the hall open, and as he steps into the hallway, the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. He halts right in front of my door, and we lock eyes.

This is the last thing I need right now, as it dredges up painful memories. I'm too busy to even contemplate what Kent and I did. So I summon all the courage I have to approach the door between us and close it, keeping him on the other side.

I then lean against it and swallow hard, running my hands over my face. Everything is so much harder than I anticipated. I made a foolish mistake by getting too close, and now I had to face the consequences.

The worst part is, I don't know if I never want to see him again or if I want him but can't have him. My heart and mind are engaged in a fierce battle, and I'm uncertain about the ultimate victor.