Waves of Fate

Chapter Ten: The Proposal

Those days were a whirl of mixed emotions for Emma, as Harbor Creek embraced her heart tighter than she ever thought it possible and Nate.well, Nate somehow became inescapable to life. Spending time with him could be a tug of war of sorts between the life she knew and the one she began to imagine.

Of course, the hotel was there waiting for them. It just cannot be described without using the word beyond, or something else that is kind of vague and does not really communicate what is meant. Anyway, it was the big break for Valerie's ambitious daughter, her much-needed entry into the architectural world. Valerie had carefully pointed that out during their last call.This hotel will make you, Emma, Valerie said. Don't let anything get in the way.

Valerie's words were playing in her head as she sat at the little local café, her laptop open to the blueprints of the hotel staring back at her. She was supposed to finalize the designs tonight, ensuring everything was perfect for the next meeting with the investors. But her mind kept going there. Nate.

As she was poised to roll back into the "work," Nate entered the room. A smile brightened his face as he became aware of her gaze. She closed her laptop and shut her heart with a beat as he drew near.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Nate asked, already pulling out the chair opposite hers."That's okay, of course not," Emma smiled.

He sat down, his eyes still on her face for a moment. "You look like you have a lot on your mind."Emma let out a big sigh and ran a hand through her hair. "I do. The hotel. everything. It's all just too much."

Nate nodded, his expression softening. "I get it. But you know, you don't always have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders.".

She managed a smile, but it hit her eyes only patchily. "I'm not sure I know how to do anything else."

They sat there silently, the tension between them almost palpable. Then Nate pushed his chair back and come forward again and spoke quietly. "I've been thinking a lot lately. about us."Emma's heart did a funny flip. She'd been thinking of them, too-more than she cared to admit. But hearing Nate say it out loud made everything so much more real, so much more immediate."What about us?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Nate took another deep breath, his eyes locked on to hers. "I don't want to stand around anymore, Emma. I don't want to pretend anymore, act like that thing between us doesn't exist. I know you've got your career and your choices, but.I need you to know where I am.".Emma's heart pounded in her chest. She knew it was coming; she just wasn't sure if she was ready for this.

"What are you saying, Nate?" she asked, barely keeping her voice steady.He reached across the table and took her hand in his. His was warm and steady, grounding her in a way that she hadn't expected.

"I'm saying I am falling for you, Emma. I'm saying I do not want to envision a future where you're not in it."

The air between them seemed to snap with electric tension, hanging on the words that had been spoken. Her mind went racing, a perfect jumble of emotion. Emma had feelings for Nate. There was no way to deny it. But how could she reconcile those feelings with a career that had poured so much of her lifeblood into it?