Chapter 3
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Being Sick |
Chris woke up the next moning aching all over. His head throbbed when he tried to pull himself into a sitting position. He groaned loudly.
"Peple are trying to sleep here," a tired voice informed him from the bunk above.
"Sorry, J.C.," Chris croaked.
"Chris?" It was Chloe's voice this time. "You don't sound so good."
"I'll be fine," Chris whispered back, but his throat was killing him and the motion of the bus was making him more than a little queasy.
Chloe stuck her head into the bunk. Her red/gold waves spilled ever his chest, but his nose was too stuffed up to smell the familiar sweetness of it. Her face was screwed up in an expression of concern.
"Chris, you're burning up!" Chloe cried, placing one of her cool, slim hands on his forehead. "I'm going to get you a Tylenol."
Before Chris could protest she was gone. She appeared a moment later with a glass of water in one hand and two gelcaps in the other.
"Take these and go back to sleep," she instructed.
"Yes, mother," Chris grumbled, although it felt nice to have her take care of him.
"And drink this too," Chloe told him, handing him the glass.
Chris took a long refreshing swallow. It slipped down his swollen throat like a soothng snake. He had to admit that he already felt better.
The last sound he heard was the sound of Chloe hushing Justin and telling him to go back to sleep and he awoke several hours later to her gentle prodding.
"What?" He mumbled.
"I want you to drink this and let me take your temperature," she said.
Chris opened his mouth obediently, holding the thermometer under his hot tongue.
He stared up at Chloe, who had seated herself on the side of his narrow bunk and was gazing at the picture of his family, absently stroking his hair in a surprisingly calming manner. She was beautiful. Her eyes were slightly baggy from lack of sleep, but were still brillant green. Her soft hair was pulled back and was fastened at the nape of her nedk with some sort of clip. Chrs reached up to brush a stray piece off her forehead. As he did so, she turned, pinning him with her intense eyes. Chris found himself unable to look away. Slowly, his eyes traveled to her lips. Her perfect white teeth were nibbling on her full lower lip, giving her a sexy, yet innocent appeal.
The moment was ruined by the shrill sound of the thermometer beeping. Chlole hastily pulled it from his mouth.
Chris noticed the faint color in her pale cheeks as her studied the divise, trying to read it in the dim light.
"Chris! It's one hundred two, point six!" She exclaimed. "I'm going to get you another Tylenol."
The bunk seemed empty without her reassuring presence. Chris sturggled to sit up.
The pulsing pain in his head caused hm to flop back down in disgust.
For the rest of the afernoon he lay in the bunk, floating in and out of conciseness.
Chloe looked in on him every once and a while, supplying drinks and tender, sympathetic words.
"Chris, wake up!" J.C. hissed in his ear.
"What?" Chris forced his eyes open.
"We have twenty minutes before sound check," he informed him.
Chris groaned. he slowly pulled himself from the bunk, trying to ignore his pounding head. Somehow, he managed to make it to the hotel room and into the shower.
He felt a little better. His throat was no longer buning. He sang a few bars of a song.
His voice was pretty much the same as it was always before. Now if he could only ignore the throbbing pain of his head.
Chloe watched Chris closely that night. He smiled at all the fans, he bounced around like usual but his eyes were glassy and his face was more flushed than normal. She worried about him pushing himself like this.
"The show must go on," he had told her with a weak smile when she had asked him about performing.
I'm glad I'm not a star, Chloe thought. She marveled at the way he flipped about, ignoring the pain that he was no doubt experiencing.
After the concert the guys headed right back to the hotel. Chloe noticed Chris nodding off in the limo.
"Chris," she said, gently shaking his soulder. "We're here."
"Huh?" Chris' eyes opened reluctantly.
Chloe felt terrible about waking him. She helped him out of the car, allowing him to lean against her. She coaxed him into his room that was thankfully on the first floor.
Lance, his roommate, held the door for her as she hauled him into the room. He reluctantly headed out with the rest of the guys to enjoy the remainder of the night.
Chloe made sure that Chris got into his pajamas and tucked him into bed. As she pulled the blanket ever him she could feel his dark eyes on her. Chloe forced herself not to look at him. Instead she busied herself getting the thermometer ready.
"Only one hundered, point two," she commented. "At least you're inproving."
"Are you going out with the guys?" Chris asked in a small voice.
"No, I'm not really into the club scene," Chloe lied. The truth was, she didn't want to push her fake I.D. any further that she had to.
"Then will you stay with me?" His comment surprised her.
"Sure," she said.
"I just get lonely when I'm sick," Chris admitted sheepishly. "You know, on the road with no one but four other guys to take care of you."
"I understand," Chloe assured him.
For the rest of the evening they watched TV and played cards. Chris entertained her with stories about the other guys and a few about his childhood and several goofy jokes. Chloe laughed harder that she had in a long time.
"What about you?" Chris asked. "What was your childhood like?"
Chloe froze. She looked down at the comforter. "Not the best," she replied.
"Oh." Chris' big warm hand found hers.
Chloe gazed at his hand. It was large in comparison to hers, strong and firm with clean, straight cut fingernails.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Chris asked
"Um..." Chloe took a deep breath, trying to control the tears that threatened to spill over.
"Hey," Chris cooed. "You don't have to talk about it."
Chloe broke down. She put her hands over her face ashmed that she was crying in front of him.
"Hey, none of that," Chris said, gently pulling her hands away from her face.
Chloe lowered her eyelids, still ashamed to look him in the eye. She felt his fingers tenderly brushing away her tears. His fingers grazed her lips, causing her to look up. His eyes captured hers in a long stare.
"Don't cry," he whispered gently. "I can't stand it when people cry."
The movement of his lips mesmerized Chloe. Impulsively, she ran one finger along his stubble-covered jaw. She felt his quick intake of berath and knew that she had started something. Something she shouldn't have started, something she couldn't finish.
It was too late. Chloe felt as if she were drowing in his eyes. His hands were warm on her cheeks. He leaned forward, his nose brushing hers. Their lips touched for one magical moment.
"Chris? Can you let me in?" Lance called from the other side of the door. "I forgot my key."
Chloe got up and shuffled toward the door to let Lance in.
"Oh, Chloe, I didn't know you were still here." If Lance noticed the brilliant color in her normally pale cheeks he didn't comment.
"I-I-I was just leaving," Chloe stammered.
She snuck a quick glance at Chris before slipping ou the door.
While walking down the hall, Chloe smiled and bid goodnight to Justin and Joey without taking note of them. She floated into her room, collapsing on the bed.
Her lips still tingled from Chris' touch. She closed her eyes savoring the moment that she would remember forever.
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