The bodyguard I never knew I needed

The end?

In the hospital we found out that Jake's arm was broken in several places. The doctors said that he would need surgery and several months of physical therapy to make a full recovery.

But as bad as that news was, it was nothing compared to what happened next. When my dad found out that Jake had let me hike alone, he was furious. He called Jake into his office and threatened to fire him on the spot.

I was panicked. Jake had risked his life to protect me, and now he was going to lose his job because of it. I couldn't let that happen.

I went to talk to Jake in his hospital room, hoping to find a way to save his job. When I told him what had happened, he just nodded his head and said, "Your dad's right, Natalie. I messed up. I should have never let you go alone."

But I wasn't ready to give up on Jake just yet. "No, Jake. You're not getting fired. I won't let that happen. You saved my life, and I owe you everything. We'll figure something out," I said, my voice shaking with emotion.

Jake looked at me, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Natalie. You don't know how much this means to me," he said softly.

Together, we came up with a plan to convince my dad to let Jake keep his job. I explained to my dad how brave Jake had been on the mountain, how he had risked his life to protect me. I told him that Jake was a true hero, and that we couldn't have made it without him.

In the end, my dad agreed not to fire Jake, but he made Jake promise to protect me at all costs from that moment on. Even if his arm was broken, even if it meant putting himself in danger. Jake agreed without hesitation.

And so, Jake and I became even closer after our experience on the mountain. He had risked everything to protect me, and I had done everything I could to protect him. In the end, we had both come out stronger and more determined than ever to face whatever challenges lay ahead.