She knew something was off the minute she stepped in the house. She set her purse and jacket down and made her way into the kitchen and nearly giggled at the sight before her. The brown-haired dork that she loved so much was looking a little out of breath and if his flushed face was any clue, he was rather sick. She could have cared less about the fact that he was shirtless because she could practically feel the feverish heat coming from him.
“Justin?” Selena called cautiously as she walked over to him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“Sel?” His voice was raspy and hoarse and he sounded congested. “I don’t feel so good.”
Selena nodded and grabbed his arm with her other hand, “Let’s get you upstairs and back in bed, you need all the rest you can get.”
Justin felt entirely too sick to argue and willingly followed her up the stairs. Her hands were soft and cool against his feverish skin and the feel of her hand gently rubbing his shoulder was making him sleepier than he already was. When they reached his bed and she let him get on it, he found himself missing her cool hands on his back. Once he was settled comfortably in the bed, she disappeared into the bathroom and came back with a wet cloth and gently placed it on his forehead.
“Leave that on, it’ll bring the fever down.” Selena whispered, brushing her hand over his cheek. “I’m going to run to the store and get you some things. If, when I come back, you are out of this bed, you won’t be kissing me for a week. Even when you’re not sick.”
His eyes widened and panic nearly choked him but the mischief in her grin and the playful glint in her eye had him settling back into bed as she kissed his cheek and left the room.
Twenty minutes later when Selena returned from the store with three plastic bags of groceries and a drugstore bag of things, she was pleased to find that her threat had worked. Even if he had nearly choked when she delivered it, it had been worth it to see that he had listened to her. She made quick work of putting the groceries away and preparing a bowl of chicken soup and a glass of orange juice. She carried it on a tray, along with the drugstore bag, back up the stairs to his bedroom.
“I see you behaved,” Selena grinned mischievously as she carried the tray over to his bed. “I brought you some soup, orange juice and I bought you some cold medicine.”
He wanted so bad to kiss her senseless as a way of thanking her for making sure he was taken care of but he knew that she would not appreciate catching his cold.
“Your welcome.” Selena smiled sweetly, almost as if she had read his mind.
She took the wet cloth off from his forehead and brushed the warm skin with her hand as he sat up and let her settle the tray over his lap. The hot chicken soup felt good on his scratchy throat and the orange juice was just what he needed.
“How did you know what I needed?” Justin asked her hoarsely, looking up from the bowl of soup to where she sat beside his legs on the bed.
“Well, I got sick a couple times during my tour so Brian made sure he had chicken soup and orange juice wherever we went.” Selena explained with a soft laugh.
“Thank you, baby.” He whispered hoarsely, barely able to speak.
“Shh.” Selena whispered, “You don’t need to talk. It’ll just make it worse.”
He nodded and went back to his soup and orange juice. Once the bowl of soup was gone, she gave him some cold medicine to take with the rest of his orange juice. When he was finished, she set everything on the floor by his bed and helped him settle back down into the bed. She checked his forehead again.
“You’re still burning up. You’d better not move for at least a day,” she softly advised while putting the cloth back on his head and rubbing it gently.. “I’ll get you better before much longer.”
“Mm…I’m not worried,” he muttered with a cough, looking up at her with tired eyes and a warm smile. “Got the best girlfriend in the world. And the prettiest.”
Selena blushed, but kept up the rubbing sensation on his head. He continued to hazily drone out compliments to her in the process. “I love you, mamacita…”
Selena smiled and shook her head slightly, “I love you, too.”
“C’mere.” Justin mumbled, patting the bed beside him.
She nodded and slipped off her high heels before crawling into bed beside him. Once she was settled in bed and he had her in his arms, he let his heavy, tired eyes close. Before she knew it, her brown eyes were sliding closed and she found herself falling asleep on his chest.
That’s exactly how Pattie found them later when she came to check on her son. With a soft laugh and a shake of her head, she left them to their mid-afternoon nap.
Justin was being taken care of just fine.
