Some time later Eve finished her painting and sighed. Her neck and her arm were brutally aching but she was satisfied with the result. 

After tidying up, she grabbed her bag and went downstairs. Suddenly she smelled something burning and immediately panicked. 

„JUSTIN!!! JUSTIN!!!“ She shouted and hurried into the kitchen. 

Justin fell asleep at the sofa. He immediately woke up when he heard Eve screaming his name. Hectically he raised himself. 

„OH SHIT!!!“ He shouted and reached the kitchen at the same time as Eve did. 

He hurried to the oven and opened the door. The hot smoke clouded the room. Justin grabbed a kitchen towel to put the baking sheet out of the oven. Unfortunately the towel slipped out of place and Justin burned his right hand badly. 

„AHHHHH!“ He screamed out loud and released the sheet. 

„Oh no!“ Eve said nervously. 

Then she switched off the oven, grabbed the towel and put the sheet outside. The pizza was completely burned. She put the sheet onto the stove plate and then opened up all windows to let some fresh air inside. Justin was in deep pain, concerningly staring at his burned palm. 

„Damn, Justin. This doesn’t look good.“ Eve said as she saw his burn. 

„Should I cool it down under cold water?“ He asked. 

„Yes, but not too cold.“ Eve answered. 

She went with him to the sink and started the water. 

„This hurts like hell…“ Justin complained. 

Eve took a closer look and realized that he needed to see a doctor.

„Justin… this is really bad. You should go to the hospital.“ She said carefully. 

„You think so?“ He asked concerned.

Eve nodded. 

„Shit… I’m such an idiot… I fell asleep at the sofa and didn’t notice the smell. I guess you just saved my life.“ He said.

„Don’t be so melodramatic, Justin.“ Eve replied and smiled. 

He forced a smile, still being in deep pain. 

„Okay, let’s go to the clinic. The keys is on the kitchen island.“ He said next.

Eve’s heart dropped and she looked at him like seeing a ghost.

„Are you okay?“ He asked irritated. 

„Ehm… you want me to drive?“ She stammered.

„Well, yes… looks like I can’t do myself.“ He replied, being confused about her reaction.

„Ya… right… okay… ehm… the keys…“ She said nervously and grabbed the bunch and her bag in the next moment. 

They walked outside to Justin’s white Jeep, parking in front of the house. Justin sat down at the passenger seat. Eve hesitated for a moment before she opened the driver’s door. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

„You can do this. You can do this. Pull yourself together, Eve.“ She was talking to herself in her mind. 

Then she entered the car and gave Justin a shy look.

„Are you really okay?“ He asked again.

„Ya… sure… I just never drove a car with automatic gearbox.“

Justin smiled.

„It’s pretty simple. There is no clutch, just gas pedal and brake pedal.“ He explained.

Eve nodded. Then she started the engine while her heart beat out of control. 

Justin used his remote to open the gate. His palm felt like being on fire. Eve stepped on the gas carefully and left his property. Her whole body was brutally tensed up. She was grateful it was already dark outside, so Justin couldn’t see the beads of sweat on her forehead. 

„You need to tell me where to go.“ She said when they left the Hills. 

„Oh, ya… you better take the highway, it’s the fastest way.“ Justin answered. 

„The highway?“ Eve stammered. 

„Is that a problem?“ Justin asked back. 

„No… ehm… but… you have different rules…“ She said shyly. 

„Oh… ya… you can drive and overtake wherever you want, so it will be a little unusual for you to see cars passing by from the right. That’s it.“ He said. 

Eve nodded and felt like throwing up any second. The highway access was just in front of them. 

„Eve. For god’s sake. That man burned his hand badly. Pull yourself together and just drive!“ She thought. 

She took the access and drove at the highway. There was a lot of traffic but fortunately no bigger traffic jam. Eve stayed at the right lane and didn’t dare to overtake. Justin was sure now something was wrong with her. But he decided not bringing it up now. 

Finally they reached the Cedars-Sinai Hospital. Eve parked the car at the visitor’s spot. She was grateful she made it without mental breakdown and smiled relieved. Justin glanced at her and then left the car. She did as well and escorted him inside. 

The receptionist immediately recognized his face. 

„Mr. Timberlake, what happened?“ She asked concerned.

„Hi, ehm… I burned my hand. It hurts pretty bad.“ He said.

„I see.“ The woman replied and grabbed her phone. 

Eve looked around and was deeply impressed. She never saw such a fancy hospital before. 

„Let me guess, this place is just for L.A.’s upper class.“ She teased. 

Justin frowned. 

„Imagine me entering a random clinic.“ 

„Cocky you.“ She teased again and made him smile. 

„Mr. Timberlake. What did you do?“ A doctor said in the next moment, coming towards them. He had full grey hair, being in his late fifties. 

„Kitchen accident.“ Justin answered, showing his hand.

„Uh… that must hurt.“ The doctor replied. „Come on. Let me fix this.“ 

Justin glanced at Eve. 

„I’ll wait here for you.“ She said and smiled.

„No, you can come with us. This is no big deal.“ The doctor said and encouraged her to follow them into the treatment room.“ 

„Ehm… you want me to come with you?“ Eve asked Justin. 

„Ya… sure… you can explain in the meanwhile how you saved my life.“ He replied and gave her a charming smile. 

Eve felt her face flushing and hated it. Why was he able doing this to her? 

She entered the treatment room with Justin and the doctor. 

„Take a seat, Mr. Timberlake.“ The doctor said, pointing at a stool. 

Justin did what he said. The doctor sat down opposite of him and took a closer look.

„This is a classic second-degree burn. But don’t worry. It should heal without leaving any scars. I need to clean the wound and bind it up. You’ll get some painkillers for the night. Tomorrow I’ll need to check on you again.“ The doctor explained. 

Justin nodded.

„Be brave, Mr. Timberlake. This will be a little unpleasant.“ The doctor said next and started cleaning the wound.

„Fck…“ Justin complained, trying to pull himself together. 

Eve felt terribly sorry for him and was barely able watching the scene. 

„So, that pretty lady saved your life, you said?“ The doctor asked to engage him in conversation.

Justin gave Eve another charming smile before he replied. 

„I fell asleep while my pizza was burning in the oven. Luckily she noticed and kept my house from burning down as well.“

Once again Eve flushed. 

„So, you have a guardian angel.“ The doctor replied.

„Yes, I do.“ Justin answered. 

„This was it. I’m finished.“ The doctor said next and put a bandage out of a drawer. 

Then he dressed Justin’s wound carefully and gave him meds for the pain. 

„Don’t forget to come back tomorrow. I’ll need to clean this once again.“ The doctor said. 

Justin nodded.

„Thank you.“

All of them stood up and said goodbye to each other. Then Eve and Justin left the room. 

„How do you feel?“ Eve asked on their way to the exit. 

„It brutally hurts. But I’m glad this is nothing serious.“

„That night was pretty adventures.“ Eve said and smiled. 

„And I’m still hungry.“ Justin replied, smiling back. 

„Ya, me, too.“

Eve suddenly remembered that she promised having dinner with Josh. But it was already 9 PM. 

„Oh shit… Josh surely wonders what happened to me.“ She said nervously and grabbed her phone out of her bag. 

There were three missed calls and several messages from Josh. 

„I’m sorry that I ruined your night.“ Justin apologized. 

„Don’t be silly. This was an emergency. Let me just give him a call and tell him what happened.“

In the next moment she dialed Josh’s number. 

„Eve, for god’s sake!“ Josh complained. „Where are you?!“ 

„I’m sorry, hon. There was a little emergency in the Timberlake’s house.“

„What happened? I’ve been there to look for you but as you didn’t open up I believed you left.“

„Ya… I did. Justin came home and had an accident in the kitchen. I brought him to the hospital as he burned his hand badly.“ 

Josh needed a moment to process. 

„You brought Justin to the hospital?“ He asked in disbelief. 

„I did…“

„Are you saying, you drove his car?“

„Yes… actually I had no other choice so… I drove his car.“

Justin listened to their conversation and wondered why this information was confusing Josh that much. 

„Okay… so, where are you now?“

„Still in the hospital. But I bring him home now. I’m sorry I didn’t call but things were pretty exiting and I just forgot.“ 

„It’s okay, you’re fine. I’m glad nothing happened to you. But I was worried.“

„You’re cute.“

„And it’s really no problem for you driving him home?“

„Ya, I guess I got this under control.“

„That’s great. I’m proud of you. Give me a call when you arrive. I’ll pick you up as I don’t want you to walk that late.“ 

„Okay.“

„Can’t wait to see you.“

„Same here.“

„Tell that stupid jerk I said hi.“

Eve chuckled.

„I will.“