Chapter 6: Unexpected Softness (and a Whole Lot of Confusion)

Justin’s POV

The guest room was super quiet, the only sound was the soft rhythm of Selena's breathing. I stood in the doorway, watching her sleep. She looked so… different. Not like the girl who’d argued with me a few days ago. More like… a kid. 

The slight bruises on her face were a total punch in the gut. I swore I’d find out who did this. Mostly because they dared to mess with me through her.

I’d spent most of the night on the phone, pulling all the strings I could. I needed to know who was behind this. When I’d asked her to fake date me, I’d told her it was all for the media, to keep up appearances. But that was a half-truth. The real reason? Way more complicated. It was the way she looked at me – a mix of fear and defiance.

And yeah, maybe the way her touch had sent a weird jolt through me. A connection I didn’t want to admit. Probably just the stress making me feel… soft. Yeah, that was it.

I walked over to her bed, super quiet. I sat on the edge, trying not to wake her. I reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face. She stirred a little.

“Justin?” she mumbled, her voice raspy with sleep. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she gazed up at me with a dreamy, disoriented expression. 

I forced a soft smile, trying to keep my tone light. 

“It’s okay,” I said, whispering. “Go back to sleep.” My fingers twitched with the urge to brush a stray strand of hair from her face, but I held back, not wanting to overdo it.

Her gaze locked onto mine as her eyes widened slightly. 

“Th…Thanks,” she muttered, her voice trembling. “For everything.”

I swallowed hard. “Don’t thank me yet,” I said, my voice low and rough. “This isn’t over.” My eyes lingered on hers, and her lips curved into a faint smile. She closed her eyes again. I stood there for a moment, before turning to leave.

I entered the kitchen, poured myself some whiskey, and stared out the window. The city lights looked like a million tiny stars. I took a sip, the burn, a welcome distraction from all the thoughts buzzing in my head.

Selena was… tough. She’d been through a lot, and she still managed to smile. She was a survivor. And she was under my protection now. Mostly because it would look bad on me if something happened.

Later that morning, I went back to her room. She was awake, sitting on the bed, her eyes vacant and looking lost.

“Hey,” I said, trying to sound casual. “How are you feeling?”

She shrugged, her shoulder rising swiftly. “Sore,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “And… scared.” Her eyes welled up with tears, but she bit her lips holding them back. 

“I know,” I said, sitting next to her, my thighs brushing hers slightly. “But you’re safe here. I won’t let anything happen to you.” I wrapped my hand around her shoulders, pulling her close.

She leaned in, her eyes searching mine. “Thanks,” she said, her voice a little stronger this time. 

I smiled, my lips brushing against her hair. “No problem,” I whispered. There was no need to tell her not to thank me again. “Want some late breakfast?” She nodded. 

In the kitchen, I busied myself making some toast and pancakes trying to create a sense of normalcy. Selena ate slowly, her eyes fixed on the table like she was still trying to process everything.

“Hailey called earlier,” I said, trying to break the silence. “She’s worried.”

Selena’s eyes snapped up, widening in alarm. “Oh man,” she breathed, her face pale. “I still haven’t called her.”

“She’s coming over later,” I said softly. “Something about bringing you some clothes.”

“Okay,” Selena said, her face twisting into a smile. “That’s… good.”

A few hours later, Hailey burst in, her face etched with worry. She flung her arms around Selena, holding her super tight.

“Selena!” she cried. “I was so scared!”

“I’m okay, Hailey,” Selena whispered. “I’m okay now.”

Hailey pulled back, her eyes searching Selena’s face. “What happened?” she asked, her voice shaking. “Who did this?”

Selena hesitated, looking away. “I don’t know,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “It was… a blur.” She was avoiding the topic.

Hailey’s frown deepened. “But… who would do this to you? Why?”

“They told me to stay away from Justin,” Selena said, barely audible.

Hailey’s eyes widened in shock. “Stay away from Justin? Why?”

Selena shrugged, her shoulders trembling. “They didn’t say.”

Hailey looked at me, her eyes narrowed. “Justin,” she said, her voice sharp. “Do you know anything about this?”

Her directness caught me off guard.  “I have my suspicions,” I said, trying to sound casual and unperturbed by her guts. “But I have no proof.”

“You’d better find out,” Hailey said, her eyes flashing. “Selena’s my best friend. If anyone hurts her, they’ll have to go through me.”

Again, I thought to myself, she’s fearless. But I understood her, Selena was practically family to her. “I’ve got it,” I replied. “I’ll protect her.”

After Hailey left, Selena seemed a little more relaxed. She’d changed into some of the clothes Hailey brought – which were, uh, not exactly my style. But at least she was out of the oversized pajama set she was wearing.

“What about the gala?” she asked, looking worried. “It’s in a few days.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I whispered. “I’ll handle it.”

“But I’m in charge,” she protested. “I can’t just—”

“I’ll find someone else,” I interrupted, my tone firm. “Your safety is more important.” And keeping up appearances, of course.

“But, Justin—”

“No buts,” I said. “We’ll talk about it later. Right now, relax.” “And you’d get more gigs in the future, I promise.”

“Okay,” she answered, sounding defeated.

“Hey,” I said, a sudden idea struck me. “How about we go shopping? Get you some new clothes? Retail therapy might help.” 

I glanced at Hailey’s choices of clothes, which were…interesting. “And we can find you something more suitable for public appearances.”

“Are you saying my clothes are bad?” She shot back. 

“I didn’t say that” I answered sizing her up once again. 

“Justin. I don’t feel like—”

“Come on,” I coaxed, grabbing her hand. “It’ll be fun. And you need to get out of here.”

She looked at me. “Okay,” she said. “But I don’t have any money….”

“I got you,” I interrupted chuckling. “Let’s get out of here.”

We spent the afternoon shopping, trying on clothes. I got her a new phone like I promised. She started to loosen up and even laughed a few times. Made my heart do a weird flip, not that I’d ever admit it.

As we left a store, a bunch of paparazzi swarmed us.

“Mr. Branson! Ms. Gonzales! How are you two?” they shouted. One reporter with bright red lipstick pushed her way forward.

“Mr. Branson,” she purred. “Rumors are flying about your new budding romance. Care to comment?”

I smirked, putting an arm around Selena. “Let’s just say I’m enjoying the company,” I said, looking a little too long at the reporter.

Selena shifted uncomfortably.

We walked past them, ignoring their questions. In the car, Selena turned to me, her eyes flashing.

“‘Enjoying the company’?” she repeated, her voice laced with a hint of jealousy. “You were flirting with her!”

I shrugged, trying to play it cool. “She was… persistent,” I said, downplaying the situation. “Besides, it’s good for our image.”

Selena sighed her expression a mix of hurt and frustration.

“Relax,” I said. “I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you?” she challenged. “Or are you trying to sabotage us?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I snapped, my tone sharper than I intended. Why was she taking this personally? “I’d never do anything to sabotage our arrangement.”

Selena smirked. “Wouldn’t you?” she countered. “Or are you just loving the attention?”

I glared at her, my face heating up with irritation. “Don’t push it, Selena.”

“Or what, Justin?” she challenged. “What are you going to do?”

I felt my anger falter, replaced by a growing sense of unease. I couldn’t answer. She was right. I was messing with things, and I had no idea why I did that.

We drove back in silence, the tension between us thick and heavy. As soon as we got home, she slammed her bedroom door, the sound echoing through the hallway.

She’d been through so much, and she still dared to challenge me. It was annoying. And… kind of hot.

Later, I went to check on her. The room was dark. She was standing by the window in a silk robe I had helped pick earlier, her hair wet. She looked… breathtaking.

I cleared my throat, but no sound came out. She hadn’t heard me. I was close enough to see the delicate curve of her neck, and the way her hair shone. My heart skipped a bit as I reached out and touched her skin.

She gasped, spinning around to face me, her eyes wide with surprise. The robe slipped open a little. My breath caught. She was even more beautiful than I thought.

“Justin!” she whispered, her voice trembling with shock. My heart pounded my pulse racing with excitement.

I couldn’t speak, couldn’t think. I was too busy staring at her, being mesmerized by her beauty.

I stepped closer, cupping her neck, pulling her towards me. Her breath hitched. I lowered my head, my lips brushing against hers in a soft kiss. 

But as she leaned into me, her lips parting, the kiss deepened becoming more intense. She moaned, her body melting into mine, and I felt myself getting lost in the moment. It was a moment of pure weakness. One I knew I could regret later. 

But I didn't care. All I cared about was her, the feel of her lips against mine, the way her body fitted perfectly against mine. 

When I finally pulled away, breathless, I knew something had changed. The air crackled with tension, and our fake relationship felt… way too real.