Your Guardian Angel

Chapter 12

Ben thanked the bartender after being handed the drinks and gave him a tip. As he started back over towards the bar, he saw Cassie chatting with someone. It was a man who looked her age, but he couldn't get a good look because his back was facing him. Ben took a few more steps when he heard Katie say beside him, "Oh, great."

He turned to her as she continued, "I told Richard not to invite him."

"Invite who?" He asked, his eyes never leaving the two. Cassie was laughing like he was an old friend. She reached for his arm as she hunched over laughing. Ben cleared his throat, then gulped.

"That would be Nick. He's Cassie's ex from High School. He's a good guy and they ended on good terms."

"Then why ask not to invite him?"

"I just thought it might be awkward for you."

Ben took in a deep breath through his nose. "Why would it be?" He croaked out. "I'm the one between her legs every night." He gave her a side eye and a smirk.

Katie rolled her eyes with a smile and patted his back. "Behave, Benny Boy."

After gathering himself for another moment, Ben made his way back over. When he approached, he got a better view of the guy and had a to take a calming breath. He was definitely her age and definitely more attractive than him in his eyes.

He kept repeating the words he just said to Katie, to himself. "Hello, there," he loudly greeted with a smile. He handed Cassie her drink, then stuck his hand out to Nick. "Ben Cumberbatch. Pleasure to meet you."

Cassie gave him a curious look, but smiled nonetheless and hooked her arm into his. Nick was caught a little off guard, but gave Ben a manly handshake. "Pleasure is all mine, man," he responded. "Your ears must have been burning! Cass was just starting to talk about you."

Ben looked to Cassie, who was giving him a look he knew all too well. It was the 'what are you getting at?' look. He simply gave her a smile, then turned back to Nick. "Well, I hope I didn't interrupt."

"Not at all," Cassie said, looking to Nick. "I was just about to say how my amazing boyfriend was getting us our drinks and that we'll be heading out after we finish them up." Now it was Ben's turn to give her the curious look.

"That's a shame," Nick said. "I was hoping to catch up a little bit."

"Maybe at the next party," she told him. "I'm just getting a little tired." Ben rubbed at her back, now genuinely worried about her health. "But, hey, we can chat until the cups are empty!"

Ben mostly stood next to Cassie with a hand on her hip, listening to the two catch up. Ben purposefully took his time sipping at his drink so they could talk some more. The more he listened, the more he understood why they ended on good terms.

Surprisingly, he got less and less jealous as they spoke. This guy was clearly no longer her type, as Ben was the complete opposite. What did bother him was the fact that this guy was talking like he was twenty-nine, which he was. Ben couldn't help but think if this is how Cassie should be talking about life.

Instead, she's been talking about marriage and houses and having a family. She's not talking about her recent backpacking trip, or a crazy party with her friends. She's telling Nick about her seemingly domesticated life at home and work, all while keeping an arm around Ben and a hand on his stomach.

"Well, you seem...happy," Nick concluded with a smile.

Cassie smiled back. "I am. And I am also very tired. Ben, can we get going?"

Ben furrowed his eyebrows at her and took a hold of her dress in his fingers. "Of course, my love. Come on, let's go say our goodbyes." They made their rounds around the party, but of course Katie took the longest to say farewell to.

Before they could leave, Katie opened her present, which was a simple card with a heart-written message inside. Katie told her it was the best one, even though she hadn't opened the rest of her mountain of gifts.

As Ben and Cassie left, Ben took her hand and squeezed it. "Are you feeling alright, love? Why are you so tired?" He opened the car door for her, but before she could get in, he checked her forehead with the back of his hand. "You are a little warm."

"Maybe that's the glow you saw today," she tried to laugh. He saw her attempts and gave her a small smile. "Can we just go home and cuddle with a movie?"

His smile got wider at her request. "Of course we can, baby. Any movie you want." He kissed her forehead, then let her get in the car.

When they got home, they immediately headed to the bedroom to get comfy. As Ben watched her get her pajamas on - he could never resist watching her - he noticed her falter a bit when stepping into her sweatpants.

"Baby," he said as he caught her waist to steady her. "Hey, you alright?" He took her face in his hands and studied her worryingly.

She gently brushed him away. "I'm fine, Ben, just lost my balance for a sec."

Ben kept his distance, but kept a close eye. He suggested they stay in the bedroom and watch a movie, to which she agreed. Of course she wanted to watch a scary movie and picked an especially creepy one just to have an excuse to hold Ben closer.

He knew that was the reason she frequently picked it.

They got under the covers and Ben invited her under his arm. He held her close and placed a kiss on her head once they got settled. He kept his arms close around her and could feel her body burning the longer they lay there. He looked down at one point during the movie and saw she was asleep, but sweating.

He put his hand over her forehead once again and felt her burning up. He got her head onto the pillow and went into the bathroom to get some cool cloths.

"Cassie," he gently said to wake her. She stirred a bit, but didn't wake. "Sweetheart, we need to get you either out of these clothes or in some new ones."

She woke up and let him pull her up to sit up. "Was'appening?" She mumbled as she rubbed her eyes.

"You've got a fever, babe, and you're sweating through your clothes. Come on, get up for me." He helped her stand and took her into the bathroom with the cool cloths over her forehead. He sat her down on the toilet lid as she moaned in pain.

"I know, my love, I'm sorry," he told her. He turned on the shower and made it slightly cooler to take down her fever. "Get in the shower, let's get that fever down and you can go back to sleep." He helped her out of her wet clothes and into the shower.

He kept the door open when he left to go put her clothes in the washing machine. When he came back, he checked in to see she was leaning against the shower wall with the cold spray hitting her face. She was trying her damned best to keep her eyes open.

Ben got her out and into some sleeping shorts and a tank top. When she got back into bed, he sat next to her and took her temperature. "It's a bit high," he sighed as he looked at the stick. "One hundred and one point two. That's not good."

He brushed back her hair and watched as she sunk deeper and deeper into sleep. Once he was sure she was out, he kissed her temple and turned off the lights.