If I Was Your Boyfriend

Justin’s Point of View

The doors of the hospital swung open for the second time I’ve been here. This time it was some girl being carried in by who I’m assuming is her father. Her small cheeks were stained with tears. Just as I wondered what was wrong with her she let out a bad cough. Her dad grabs one of those clip boards from the nurse in the front and carries her over to an empty chair. I carried Chrissy in here the same way about forty-five minutes ago. I wonder what was taking them so long. As soon as I brought her in the nurses took her away. I haven’t seen her or her dad since. Isabelle took the kids to the house so she could put them to bed before it got too late. They sure did put up a fit when their parents told them they couldn’t go to the hospital. With all the commotion going on at the dinner table the time flew right on by. I just remember how she was waving her hands all over the place during dinner. She was frantically touching her mouth repeatedly. I kept asking her what was wrong but she didn’t respond or maybe she wasn’t able to. Her dad was the one who came forward and said that it could be an allergic reaction. The entire restaurant slowly started to watch us. A few offered help but the majority stared and some even pulled out their phones. Typical. Yeah some girl’s in some kind of pain and let me take my phone out and record it for TMZ or some other life-sucking gossip site. Speaking of – my phone buzzes for the twentieth time. I yank it from my blazer pocket and stare at the screen. The words seemed so small or maybe it was the fact my hand couldn’t stop shaking. It’s been like this ever since I helped Chrissy into the car.

The hospital?? What’s going on? – Scooter.

Chrissy had some kind of allergic reaction. I’ll call you soon. – Justin.

I sat here in the hospital lobby bouncing my feet impatiently. What on Earth is taking so long? I stand up and walk over to the counter and wait for the nurse to acknowledge me.

‘How may I help you?’ the nurse, Donna wonders after typing on the computer behind the desk. I couldn’t see the screen but I figured she was on Facebook or something.

‘Yeah, I’m trying to see when my girlfriend will be done?’ I reply bouncing on the heel of hi-tops. ‘It’s been an hour.’

‘We’re a bit backed up tonight so I couldn’t give you a definite answer. It’s just as soon as the doctor on duty gets everyone in and treated.’ She replies with a simple shrug.

‘Thanks.’ I walk back to my seat and pull my phone out. I unlock it and call up Scooter to let him know what’s going on.

‘Her dad? When did that happen?’

‘A few weeks ago. We met her uncle in some diner.’

I remember after our fight in the parking lot Chrissy left. For a few days actually. She ended up in some place called Seal Beach, not too far from Los Angeles. She thought her uncle was her dad at first. She met him in some diner in Seal Beach. I joined her there and sat down with him. He told her how he wasn’t her dad but she knew him. He gave her a phone number and the next thing I know we’re here.

‘Oh wow. When are two coming back?’ Scooter asks after a while.

‘I’ll have to see how she’s feeling. We’ll probably fly back tomorrow morning or something. I’ll let you know when I see her.’

‘Alright. Maybe you should let her mom know what’s going on too.’

‘Uh.’ I cut off looking around the hospital.

Chrissy mentioned to me that she hadn’t told her mom about all of this just yet. She was scared of how her mom would react to the fact Chrissy went out searching for her dad. Well she didn’t exactly search for him. I’ll let her be the one to explain it all to her mom. When she’s completely ready. I’ve decided it wasn’t my place to rush her into this. I wasn’t sure about her dad in the first place. Sitting down getting to know him was an okay experience. I’ve grown to tolerate him these last hours. I’m still confused why he would walk out on such a beautiful girl like Chrissy. I’ve seen the pictures of her when she was a baby. One of the cutest little girls even though she tried to deny it when her mom was showing off her scrapbooks. Again, it wasn’t my place to say anything. Yet. If he hurts her again, I can’t guarantee I won’t step in and say anything.

‘Justin, come on in.’ her dad pokes his head out of the door.

‘I’ll call you back Scooter.’ I say before hanging up the phone. I honestly forgot he was still on the phone. ‘How is she?’ I ask her dad following him down the hall.

‘She’s, okay.’ He replies briefly looking back at me.

‘Was it an allergic reaction?’

‘Yeah, it was. I’m going to the restaurant right now to meet with the manager to see exactly what she ate.’

‘Could you maybe drive the rental car back when you’re finished? I left it at the restaurant.’

‘Sure thing.’ He dad agrees as I place the keys in his hand, ‘she’s waiting for you.’

I come to a stop in front of her door and watch as he dad walks back down the hallway and out the door. With a soft knock I step through the cracked door.

‘Hey baby.’ I say walking closer to the bed, ‘it’s me.’

Chrissy’s Point of View

I faintly hear Justin and my dad exchanging hushed words outside the door of the hospital room. I snatch the washcloth beside me and toss it over my swollen lips. A muffled cough escapes from my mouth just as the door opens.

‘Hey baby,’ I hear Justin’s voice say as he comes into the room, ‘it’s me.’

‘Hey.’

Even when I talk it sounds stupid. Between my swollen lips and swollen tongue I sounded like Daffy Duck.

‘How are you?’ Justin’s voice is closer than it was a moment ago.

I knew he was practically lying against the bed.

‘Eh.’ I mutter.

‘Can I see you?’ Justin wonders curiously.

I really wish he hadn’t asked that.

‘Baby.’ Justin continues, ‘please.’

‘I look bad.’

‘Impossible.’ Justin laughs and I could just see the smile on his face right now, ‘you will never, ever look bad in my eyes.’

‘You’ve never seen me like this.’ I whine.

I’ve never seen me like this. My mom always kept me from any kind of nut for as long as I could remember.

‘What did you order tonight?’ Justin asks sitting down on the bed.

He pulls my feet across his lap and rubs my legs.

‘It was some kind of stew.’

‘And didn’t you ask the guy if there where any nuts in it?’

‘Like I always do. I have to check any food for walnuts.’

‘I thought so,’ Justin briefly stops rubbing my legs. ‘That part doesn’t make any sense to me.’

‘My dad is going back there now to see what happened.’

‘Yeah he told me in the hallway. Did you taste any nuts?’

‘No it was so much in it though.’

‘Why’d you get stew anyway? You usually get chicken in some form. Always. At every single restaurant we go to.’ I could tell Justin was trying to lighten the mood.

‘Isabelle kept going on about how good it was. I just wanted her to like me.’

‘What makes you think she didn’t like you?’

Maybe because she told me that night in the kitchen. She looked me right in my eyes and demanded to know why I needed my dad all of a sudden. She doesn’t want me around because I might ruin their perfect little family. She doesn’t like me. Isabelle absolutely hates me. Hates me.

‘Chrissy, did something happen?’ Justin asks just as the door opens.

‘Alright, miss. Chrissy…’ the doctor starts, ‘lets see how you’re looking.’

‘Do you want me to leave?’ Justin’s voice is now further away than before.

‘No, it’s okay.’ I sigh slowly removing the cloth from my face.

‘The swelling should go down within the next twenty-four hours so don’t worry about that. Just stay away from anything you’re allergic to and you should be good to go.’

‘Thank you.’ I reply as he walks out the door.

‘It’s not that bad.’ Justin speaks up sitting across from me on the bed, ‘it’s like you have some really full lips, I think it’s quite sexy.’

‘Is a swollen tongue sexy?’ I stick the puffy tongue out enough so he could see it.

‘You might win in tongue wrestling.’ Justin bursts out in a fit of laughter.

‘Not helping.’ I grab my cloth and cover my mouth.

‘Stop that.’ Justin snatches the cloth from my hands and tosses it across the room.

‘Justin!’

‘That would be me.’ He gets up from the bed and extends his hand out to me. ‘Let’s go beautiful.’

‘Okay.’ I follow him to the lobby where we wait for my dad to bring the car back.

Soon Isabelle and my dad returned and joined us in the lobby. Justin sits down in the seat beside my dad getting the keys from him. From outside I could see the flashes and the mass of people waiting. Word travels fast.

‘What did the restaurant say?’ I hear Justin ask him.

‘The head cook is going to look into it and call me first thing tomorrow.’

‘Good. We definitely need to find out what happened there.’ Justin says in return.

‘Can we go to the hotel?’ I whisper to Justin holding my mouth.

I didn’t feel like being in this hospital any longer. It was both cold and crowded. As most hospital usually are.

‘Of course we can. We’re going to go back to the hotel.’ Justin looks over at my dad.

‘Alright, we’ll meet you at the airport in the morning.’

‘Goodnight.’ I murmur clutching onto Justin’s hand.

‘Here put this on.’ He shakes out of his blazer and wraps it around my shoulders. Justin pushes the glass door open where we were bombarded with the people who awaited us.

CHRISSY WHAT HAPPENED?

WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOUR LIP?

WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING AT THE HOSPITAL SO LATE?

DID YOU GET LIP IMPLANTS AT THE WRONG PLACE?!

‘I thought it wasn’t that bad.’ I say to Justin as he makes his way through the crowd. I grab the surgical mask from my pocket and pull it over my head.

‘Shut up!’ Justin shouts at the paps.

Fans were pushing and shoving with paparazzi and they were pushing right back. It was complete chaos. ‘Excuse us guys.’ Justin says firmly shielding me with his body. ‘Give us a little space please.’

He opens the side door to the rental car and jogs around to the driver’s side. The flashes fail to come through the deep tinted windows of the sleek car. The car purrs to life and Justin peels out of the hospital parking lot.

‘The doctor said give a little time and you’ll be good as new.’

‘When’s the flight in the morning?’

‘Nine.’ Justin replies reaching over placing a hand on my thigh.

…

I didn’t remember falling asleep last night or even getting to the hospital for that matter. I just remember Justin just waking me up. I get out bed grabbing a pair of leggings and Justin’s hoodie before going into the bathroom. I examine my face in the mirror. The swelling had gone down a bit but it was still there. After my shower I get dressed and sit on the bed.

‘Your lip’s looking good.’ Justin says with a smile.

For once he was the one packing the bags instead of me.

‘Really?’ I wonder pulling on my pair of vans.

‘Really.’ He leans up and presses his lips to mine.

‘I love you.’ I say touching his shoulder as he zipped up his duffle bag.

‘I love you gorgeous.’

Once Justin finished with the luggage we went to the airport where we had to check the rental car back in. Dad, Isabelle, and the kids were patiently waiting.

‘Chrissy!’ Audrey, Alyssa, and Dustin rush over wrapping their arms around me. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘I’m doing good.’ I respond crouching down to their tiny level.

‘We made you this card.’ Alyssa hands me a crookedly folded pink piece of paper.

GET WELL SOON CHRISSY

‘Aw, thank you.’ I hug each of the kids. ‘I am going to frame this at the apartment.’

Dad and Isabelle stand to their feet and behind their children. Maybe they were a perfect family. They sure did seem to be one at first glance.

‘Chrissy.’ One of the most familiar voices rings through my ears.

I look to my other side to see my mom and Jeff standing no more than five feet away from me. She locks eyes with the man she once spent her life with. I watch as all the color drastically drains from her face. In the same second my dad’s face is the exact same.