Celestine's POV:

I was sitting in the passenger's seat of Ensley's beloved convertible, my stomach full of delicious food from the lunch we just had. Ensley's on a phone call with a client so I sat and waited patiently, keeping myself busy with her car. I'm pretty sure she spends more time and money on it than herself.

"Isn't she a beauty?" Enlsey said, walking over and smiling proudly at her car.

"She's definitely something," I said with a chuckle. "But she's got nothing on you."

Ensley hopping in the driver seat and glanced at me, "Ready to head back home?" She asked, a mischievous grin on her face. I could tell she was itching to hit the gas, feeling the power of her old car beneath her.

"Sure thing," I said, buckling myself into the classic red leather seat.

We drove for a couple of minutes outside the city, feeling the breeze in our hair and laughing about something silly, when all of a sudden, the car just stopped. It died right in the middle of the road, with no other cars around to help us.

"No, no, no, no..." Enlsey muttered, trying to start the car once again.

"What happened?" I asked, as Ensley tried to turn the car on again and again.

"I don't know," she replied, "I thought I had this thing working perfectly."

I looked at the roadside, smirking. "Looks like your baby needs a break."

Enlsey gave me a playful glare, "Hey, don't talk about my baby like that."

"But she's old and tired," I argued, playfully sticking out my tongue.

"Say that again and I'll kick you outta here."

I laughed, "As if you could."

"This never happened to me before...I swear." She replied, eyes wide.

I couldn't help but smile at the panic in her voice, and the way she was frantically trying to figure out what was wrong. I couldn't help but tease her some more.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually," I said, trying not to laugh.

Ensley shot me a glare and then broke out into a pout, her arms crossed tightly in front of her.

"You're not helping," she grumbled.

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. "Sorry, sorry," I said, "I'm just enjoying this little adventure."

She rolled her eyes at me, but I could see a small smile play at the corners of her lips.

We got out of the car and Ensley opened the hood, trying to look under it, while I leaned against the side of the car.

"Can I help with something?" I asked, trying to offer a hand.

"Just stay there and look pretty," Ensley replied, winking at me.

I laughed and rolled my eyes, watching her with amusement as she tried to fix the car. After a few minutes, she gave up and slammed the hood shut with a sigh.

"Well, I don't know what's wrong with it," she said, turning to me, "Guess we have to call for some help or something."

I reached for my phone to call an uber, but to my dismay, there was no signal.

"Great," I muttered, "Looks like we're stuck here with no signal."

Ensley's eyes widened with excitement. "Or we could walk!" she suggested, pointing down the road.

I looked at her like she was crazy. "What?" I exclaimed in disbelief, "Do you know how far it is?"

Ensley just grinned at me. "Come on, it'll be fun!" she said, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards the side of the road.

I hesitated for a moment, but then decided to just go along with it. It wouldn't hurt to walk a little, and maybe it would even be a good opportunity to burn off some of the food we had just eaten.

"Fine let's walk." I finally said, following behind Ensley. I looked back at her car and stopped in my tracks, tugging at her shirt, "hey Ens, what about your baby?" I asked. 

Ensley shrugged nonchalantly. "It'll be fine here for a little while," she said, not seeming too worried.

I hesitated again, but then decided that she probably knew better than I did. After all, it was her car.

We started walking down the road, with Ensley leading the way again. Despite my initial reluctance, I have to admit that she was right - it was actually kind of fun to be out walking for a change.

But just as we had settled into a comfortable pace, the sky suddenly opened up and it started to rain - hard.

"Shit," I muttered, "we should go back, wait in the car."

Ensley's eyes widened with excitement. "Or we could run!" she suggested, pointing towards the faint outline of a house in the distance.

I looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you serious? We don't even know whose house that is!" I protested.

But Ensley didn't care or simply chose to ignore me. She took my hand and pulled, urging me to run, I couldn't help but feel a flutter in my chest at the touch of her hand in mine. It was such a small, simple thing, but it felt intimate in a way I couldn't quite explain.

I felt a little distracted by our hands, the warmth of her touch sending tingles up my arm. I quickly shook the feeling off and tried to focus on the task at hand. We were stranded in the rain and needed to find shelter. Focus on that Celestine!

As we approached the house, I let go of Ensley's hand, suddenly feeling self-conscious. But then I saw her looking back at me with a smile, and I felt my cheeks flush with warmth. By the time we got to the front door, we were both soaked through and shivering.

"We have to knock," I said, feeling awkward as I raised my hand to the front door.

To my relief, a kind-looking woman answered the door. "Can I help you girls?" she asked, eyeing us curiously.

"Sorry to intrude," I said, "But our car broke down so we decided to walk when it started raining. Do you mind if we wait here until it stops?"

The woman smiled at us kindly. "Of course, come on in," she said, leading us into her cozy living room.

"Thank you ma'am." Ensley replied, placing her hand on the small of my back, guiding me forward.

I felt a slight flutter in my stomach at her touch, but tried to push it aside and focus on the situation at hand. But even as we were welcomed into the home of a kind stranger and offered towels and hot drinks, I found myself stealing glances at Ensley out of the corner of my eye. Her cheeks were pink from the cold and her hair was matted to her forehead, but she had a smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes.

We sat on the couch, watching the rain pound against the window. The woman whose name is Teresa sat with us and we chatted with her for a while. Turns out she was a retired nurse, and had some pretty interesting stories to tell.

As we waited for the rain to let up, I found myself still stealing glances at Ensley. There was something about the way the firelight danced across her face that made my heart skip a beat.

However, the rain didn't let up and Teresa offered us her spare bedroom for the night. "You girls are welcome to stay the night," she said, eyeing us kindly. "I have a spare bedroom you can use. It's getting late, and the roads are dangerous with this rain. I don't mind at all."

Ensley and I exchanged a glance. "Oh, no, we wouldn't want to impose," I said, feeling a little flustered.

Teresa seemed to misunderstand our reluctance. "Don't be silly," she said, getting up from her armchair. "You two are sweet. It's nice to see young love in this day and age. I'll get the spare room ready for you."

Ensley and I exchanged another glance, but decided not to correct Teresa's assumption. "Thank you, ma'am," Ensley said, smiling kindly at her.

As Teresa disappeared down the hallway, I turned to look at Ensley. "We should probably tell her we're not...you know, actually a couple," I said, feeling a little uneasy.

Ensley looked at me. "I mean, we could, but would it really matter? She's just being kind," she said, shrugging.

I hesitated for a moment, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized Ensley was right. "I guess you're right," I said with a small smile.

Then Teresa came back, a kind smile on her face, "let me show you the room."

We followed her down the hall towards her guest room with vintage floral wallpapers, a bedside table with a lamp and one bed on one side.

"I hope you both can sleep comfortably," she said with a warm smile. "Or I can get a sleeping bag here if you don't want to share a bed."

"That would actually be great, thank you," I said, grateful for the offer.

Teresa nodded, disappearing once again to fetch the sleeping bag. As she left, I noticed a brief moment of hurt flash across Ensley's face.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, concerned.

Ensley shrugged, a small smile on her lips. "Yeah, of course," she said. "I'm just a little silly, that's all."

I wanted to know what's bothering her, see if I can help but that would mean getting too close to her and I can't afford that, so instead I tried to lighten the mood by changing the topic

"I can't believe she thinks we're a couple," I said, shaking my head.

"I know, right?" Ensley replied, finally smiling a bit. "But honestly, it's kind of flattering."

I raised my eyebrow at her. "What do you mean?"

Ensley shrugged. "I don't know, it's just nice to be mistaken for someone's girlfriend. Makes me feel wanted, you know?"

I couldn't help but feel a little twinge of jealousy at Ensley's words. I want her to feel wanted, of course, but not by anyone else. I pushed the feeling aside and chastise myself for feeling this way. I can't have her, I can't want her, I reminded myself.

"Yeah, I get it," I said. "But just so you know, you don't need to be in a relationship to feel wanted. I'm sure plenty of people want you...plus you're pretty great all on your own."

Ensley's cheeks turned pink at my words, and she smiled softly. "You think so?"

I nodded, "I know so." I whispered, smiling softly at her.

I was about to say more but before I could, Teresa came back with the sleeping bag, and the moment was lost. "Here you go dears," she said, handing me the sleeping bag with a smile.

"Thank you so much," I said, taking the sleeping bag from her. "We really appreciate your hospitality."

Teresa smiled warmly at us. "It's my pleasure. Get a good night's rest, and stay as long as you need in the morning. The rain isn't letting up anytime soon."

"Thanks, we will," I replied, grateful for her kindness. Teresa bid us goodnight then closed the bedroom door.

I turned to Ensley, holding the sleeping bag in my arms. "Take the bed Ens," I said, getting ready to setup the sleeping bag. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable or anything."

Ensley shook her head, grabbing the bag from me. "No, it's fine. You take the bed. I'll be okay with this."

I frowned, "Are you sure? I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

Ensley smiled, squeezing my hand. "I appreciate it, but really, I'll be okay. I'm used to roughing it a bit."

I nodded, still feeling guilty, but grateful for Ensley's kindness. "Alright then. If you're sure."

We settled into our separate sleeping arrangements, with Ensley's sleeping bag right beside the bed.

"Goodnight Ensley." I whispered into the dark.

"Goodnight Ce."

I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the sound of the rain outside, hoping it would lull me to sleep. But every time I drifted off, I would wake up again, feeling restless and uneasy. In the end, it was the sound of Ensley's breathing that finally calmed me down, and I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

But in the middle of the night, I woke up to the sound of Ensley shivering. At first, I thought she was just cold, but as I turned on the lamp and looked closer, I could see that she's sweating and pale.

"Ensley, are you okay?" I asked, feeling her forehead with the back of my hand.

She groaned and tried to push me away. "I'm fine," she muttered. But I knew better.

"Your forehead is burning up," I said. "I think you have a fever. Let me find you a damp cloth."

I got up and walked toward the bathroom, finding a cloth in the cabinet. I wet the cloth in cold water and brought it back to her, placing it on her forehead.

Ensley sighed in relief and closed her eyes. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"Should I call Teresa?" I asked, worried.

Ensley shook her head. "No, it's fine. I'll be okay."

I looked at her for a moment and sighed, "you don't look fine, wait here." I said.

I got up off the bed and went down the hallway to Teresa's room. I knocked on her door, feeling guilty about waking her up.

"Teresa, Ensley's sick!" I called.

The bedroom door opened and Teresa stood there, half asleep. "I'm sorry for waking you but do you have any fever medicine or something?"

Teresa looked up at me, more alert now. "Oh, goodness gracious. Of course, let me get you something."

She quickly handed me a bottle of fever-reducing medicine and a glass of water. I thanked her quickly and hurried back to Ensley's side.

I sat down next to her and gently shook her awake. "Here, take this," I said, handing her the medicine and water. "It should help with your fever."

Ensley slowly sat up and took the medicine, her eyes still bleary and unfocused. I couldn't help but feel worried for her.

"Hey, why don't you take the bed?" I said suddenly, gesturing to the bed next to us. "I'll sleep here."

Ensley looked at me. "You don't have to do that."

"You're sick," I said firmly. "Just don't fight me on this Ens."

Ensley shook her head weakly, "let's share." She whispered, voice hoarse.

I hesitated, feeling torn between wanting to take care of Ensley and not wanting to overstep my own boundaries. But seeing the exhaustion on her face, I knew it was best to let her rest.

"Okay," I said softly, nodding. "Let's share."

With Ensley's help, I maneuvered the covers enough for her to slide in next to me. We lay there, side by side, as she tries to sleep. I kept a watchful eye on her, checking her temperature and making sure she was comfortable.

"Thank you, Cece," she said softly, pulling the covers up to her chin. "I appreciate it."

"Of course," I whispered, "sleep now."

As the night wore on, I found it difficult to sleep. The fear and concern I felt for Ensley crowded my thoughts, leaving little space for rest. Every time Ensley stirred or shivered, I startle awake, muttering words of comfort and care.

During one moment, I felt soft tugs on my shirt sleeve and opened my eyes to a very sick and very tired looking Ensley.

"Are you feeling okay?" I asked, my voice filled with concern.

She shook her head, her voice hoarse. "No, I feel terrible. I think I'm going to be sick."

I quickly grabbed a bin from the corner of the room and placed it next to her. Ensley leaned over and vomited, the sound echoing through the quiet room. I rubbed her back soothingly as she finished, feeling helpless and worried.

"Hey, it's okay," I said, handing her a glass of water. "Just drink this, it might make you feel better."

Ensley nodded weakly, her face looking pale and tired. I watched as she took small sips of water, hoping that it would help soothe her stomach.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I hate being sick."

"It's okay," I said, rubbing her back gently. "You regret suggesting to walk now huh?" I teased her, hoping to make her feel better.

"Shut up." She muttered with a small smile threatening to break free.

"Ok ok, try and get some rest." I said, scotting over to give her more space. Ensley leaned her head back onto the pillow, her eyes closing once again. I settled beside her, my arm coming in contact with her arm. I shivered at how cold she is and pulled my arm in surprise.

"Ens?Are you cold?" I asked, rubbing her arm gently.

Ensley nodded, eyes closed and her teeth chattering. "Yeah, a little bit," she admitted.

"Here," I said, pulling her closer to me. "Let's snuggle, maybe that'll help."

Ensley looked at me, surprised. "Really?"

"Of course," I said, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her closer. "We're friends, right? We can keep each other warm."

Ensley immediately snuggled in closer to me, burying her face into my chest. We lay there like that for a while, ensconced in the warmth of each other's arms, as I stroked her hair and whispered soothing words. I felt her body relax against mine, her breathing growing more even and her shivering subsiding.

"Thank you," Ensley whispered, her voice barely audible.

"For what?" I asked, my chin resting on the top of her head.

"For being here for me," she said. "For caring about me and being my friend."

"Of course," I said, "That's what friends are for."

As I lay there with Ensley in my arms, I couldn't help but feel a wave of emotions wash over me. With her body pressed against mine, I realized that my feelings for her were much stronger than I had ever let myself acknowledge.

It's wrong, I know that. I have a boyfriend, and Ensley is supposed to be just a friend. But as I looked down at her, her face peaceful and relaxed in sleep, I couldn't deny the feelings that were rising within me.

I love her. I love Ensley and it scares me, because I shouldn't.

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(A/N:) I love this chapter a lot 🥰 something about it is just heartwarming for me 😅