The Brightest Stars ✨

Chapter 19

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" Gabe asked for the umpteenth time that morning.

Natalia's throat tickled and she coughed involuntarily. She never got sick, the last time she had a cold flared jeans were still in fashion. But she had been coughing uncontrollably, with a runny nose and a fever since this morning. The tickly sore throat had started a couple of days ago and it had suddenly gone full blown with an extra vengeance this morning.

"Your mum is here to keep me company, I'll be fine," Natalia reassured him. She was still wrapped up in bed. Hogging the spot that Gabe had vacated, it still smelled like him and it was comforting.

He eyed her sceptically, and felt her forehead also for the umpteenth time this morning, he was on his knees by the side of the bed. Honestly it had been a wonder how he had managed to shower and get dressed with all his hovering like a concerned mother hen.

Her throat tickled again and Natalia fought the urge to cough, each time she did he looked like it was personally paining him too. She had almost succeeded in getting him out of the door, if she coughed now all her hard work would be for nought.

"Okay, but you'll call me if anything changes?"

Natalia nodded, she was losing a battle with the tickling cough, her eyes were watering with the effort to contain it and that led to her nose running and when she used her tissue to wipe her nose, the edge of the soft Kleenex tickled her nose and all that stimulation was too much for her involuntary nervous system, the cough exploded from her mouth. Her eyes wide, waiting for Gabe's reaction.

She could tell it was the last straw for him, he got up and took his shoes off.

"I'm staying." He said firmly, unbuckling the belt to his trousers. Presumably to get back into bed with her.

"Gabe!" Natalia shouted, to get his attention. Her voice was croaky with how sore her throat was, and it took real effort to even raise her voice to that volume.

He paused his movements to look at her.

"You're being absolutely ridiculous. I'm fine! I just have a little cold that's all. Please go to work, and stop worrying about me. I'm just going to rest and up my fluid intake. There's nothing you can do for me unless you want to crawl into my bloodstream and join my white blood cells in fighting this cold." And even that she wouldn't put past him.

Natalia raised an irate eyebrow waiting for his reply. She hoped that it got through to him, because she honestly didn't have the energy to repeat any of what she said.

"Okay," he agreed glumly. And she could tell he was doing it reluctantly.

He sat down on the edge of the bed. "Can you see the doctor? I know it's just a cold but it would make me feel better to know you've been checked out."

Natalia nodded, eager to appease him if it meant that he'd relax and go to work. "Okay, I'll make an appointment," she waved her mobile phone at him.

"Thank you, Baby." It was wild. He was thanking her for seeing a doctor about her own health.

He bent down to kiss her and Natalia dodged his advance. His lips landing between her cheekbone and her temple.

"I'm infectious and it's gross." She objected.

"I don't care," He growled, holding her face in place with the cup of his palm.

He placed a series of kisses on her lips. "God, was I this annoying when you got shot?" Natalia said against his lips.

Gabe chuckled slightly but didn't elaborate and she knew that she had been as annoying if not worse. And he never once complained. He was definitely a better person than her.