Unforeseen: A Hollywood Story

Chapter Thirty-Five: Heartbeat

{ CHAPTER MUSIC SELECTION: My Love by Sia }

The past few weeks had been a blur with Matthew. Everything had taken a turn for the better after your endless night of sex three weeks ago. You'd returned to work and found out that you had, in fact, been the one to be cast as Spencer's new love interest. There had been a miscommunication with the casting directors, and Maria had been dropped for the part. You'd only started shooting the week before, but you were already loving it. The entire cast loved your chemistry - and you didn't even have to act for it.

Matthew had made a full recovery from his accident, with only minor aches and pains every now and then. He continued to walk with a limp from the time he dislocated his knee, but he did so even more now due to the accident. It was just another quirk about him that made you love him even more.

The next morning, you were supposed to be at the studio at 6AM sharp to get ready for shooting. In the dead of night, you snap awake, drenched in sweat. Your stomach churns with nausea, and you're up in a split second, running to the bathroom. Kneeling over the toilet, you definitely puke up every single thing you ate the day before.

You lean your head on the toilet, relaxing at the coolness of it against your skin. A soft whimper escapes your throat as your stomach continues to churn.

Seconds later, you feel a cool washcloth against the back of your neck. Through the mess of your hair across your face, you see Matthew kneeling beside you, worry all across his face.

"What's going on?" he whispers softly, rubbing the back of your neck and making his way to your forehead.

"I just started..." you motion to the toilet. "All of a sudden."

Matthew reaches forward and pulls all your hair off your face, pulling it back into a gentle ponytail so it doesn't get in the way.

"Think you ate something bad today? We did eat a lot of food," he says.

"But you're okay, so unless I got really unlucky...maybe I'm getting sick?" you whimper.

Matthew reaches into a cabinet and pulls out a thermometer, nudging it in your mouth and waiting a few seconds. It reads normally, and he shakes his head. "No fever yet."

Your stomach churns some more, and you feel another wave coming. You lean over the toilet for what seems like hours, throwing up until you can't anymore. Matthew sits by your side the whole time, keeping your hair out of your face and keeping you cool.

At 4:30, when things finally start to feel normal again, Matthew calls into the studio and tells someone you're sick.

"I'm staying here with you all day," he says, helping you back to the bed. "I can call in a doctor to come here and take a look."

"Okay," you whisper weakly, not even bothering to protest. You collapse on the bed, whining into your pillow.

From beside you, Matthew holds out two pills. "They'll help with the nausea, darling," he murmurs, wiping stray hairs off your forehead.

You nod, barely able to open your mouth to swallow them with water. As soon as you do, you lean back, shutting your eyes. "Oh, god, this is awful."

Matthew squeezes your hand gently. "I'm going to go call the doctor. I'll be right back, okay? Try to rest."

All you do is nod, and before you know it, you're sleeping again.

* * * * * * * * *

A soft nudge wakes you up. You see sunlight peeking through the closed blinds of the room. Matthew's face comes into focus.

"The doctor is here, darling," he says softly. "Here, sit up some..." He reaches under you and props you up, moving to the other side of the bed to sit beside you.