*James*

I'm starting to really get concerned about Julia's mental health. The way she stormed out of the hotel room, the way her moods fluctuate, the way she cries...it's all happening more and more frequently.

I head home and see Julia is parked in front of my house. Relieved that she chose to come here I quickly pull into my driveway and head over to her car.  I sigh when I see how visibly upset Julia still is.

I open her car door.

"If you're trying to be my stalker, you may wanna hide a little better, sweetie." I laugh, trying to lighten her mood up and it works. She smiles and relaxes a little more. 

"I don't know why I'm here. I'm sorry. I should go."

"Well, since you stormed out and blew off our coffee date, it's only fair you come in. I'll make the coffee and we can sit and talk. Does that sound ok?"

I take her hand and help her out of the car, immediately wrapping my arms around her and resting my chin on the top of her head, not caring the rain is getting us wet.

"Sounds like you've had a pretty shit day so far."

"I don't know what's happening."

"C'mon, let's get you out of the rain." I hold her hand and she follows me inside.

 "Why don't you get comfortable." I nod towards the couch. "I'll get the coffee going and bring it to you. If you wanna talk, we can. If not, that's OK too."

I head to the kitchen and start the coffee.

"A little cream and one sugar, right?" I call out from the kitchen.

"You remembered.

*****

*Trisha*

[ We're fucked]

That's all I type and send the link to both Nate and Julia. I'm home and can't believe what I'm reading. How did this news leak so fast about the two of them? How the hell am I going to fix this? This is NOT what I wanted to deal with today.

Elliott has already tried calling me. Nate didn't respond. Julia didn't respond.  I guess I'm dealing with this on my own?

I never answer Nate's publicist's call. Mainly because I haven't a clue what to say to him. I don't know what Nate wants me to say about the broken contract and he's not  texting or calling me back. I pace around the living room.

Shit. What if this makes the news?? I fumble to grab  the remote and turn on the TV. My eyes widen as I switch from one channel to the next, seeing Nate and Julia's faces on each and every channel.

"Fuck!!!" I throw the remote and grab my keys to head to Nate's house.

*****

*James*

"You seem to have a habit of falling asleep before I come back with your coffee, Miss Moretti."

"How long did I sleep??" Julia yawns and stretches out on the couch.

 "Almost two hours this time. Either you're really comfortable, or I'm a bore to be around."

"Mmmm. You're definitely not a bore to be around." Her voice comes out raspy from sleeping as she stretches one more time and then sits up, making her way closer to me. She then pushes the magazine I'm holding out of my hand and crawls up on to my lap, straddling me. Once again, I'm caught off guard by her fluctuating mood, never knowing what I'm going to get out of her. I raise my eyebrows and instantly put my hands on her hips, giving her a devilish smirk. I like this version of Julia.

"Anything but a bore, Mr. Gallo." She grabs my face gently.

"Oh yeah?" 

"Mmhmmm." She kisses me and we make out like two teenagers. When Julia pulls her shirt off, I realize she wants more than just a make out session.  I take in her bright colorful flower patterned bra and swallow hard before my hands gravitate to her chest.

"Christ, Julia." Is all I can manage to say before my  lips trace along the seam of her bra.

"Now, take off your pants and let me see the rest of you." I groan in a demanding demeanor. I lean back on the couch and watch her undress. She turns around and throws her clothes off to the side and I grab her, pulling her back before she can face me and start kissing her body.

"Jesus, you're so beautiful." I say as I pull my own shirt off and sit her on my lap so we are facing the same way. She can tell I'm hard when she shifts her body over me

"James," She breathes out while my tongue traces down her neck while kissing.

"Mmm. Julia..." I move my hips to match her rhythm. 

"No..wait..." She abruptly spins around and sits on my lap facing me, then kisses me hard. She rests her head on my forehead and I smile at her but don't know what's going through her head right now.

"I love you." She says the three words I've been waiting to hear from her for a long time. I grab her face and kiss her so hard it takes her breath away.

"FINALLY! " I yell out and Julia starts laughing. "Hear that, everyone ?!" I announce to my imaginary crowd. "She finally loves me!" I kiss all over her face for a minute and then slow down, making my kisses more serious.

"I love you, Julia. God, I love you so much." I crash my mouth into hers. 

 "So, what do we do?" 

"Whatever we want." I kiss down her neck and tick my hips up into her. "I'll be whatever you need me to be, Julia."

Julia's phone rings but she ignores it and all the notifications that follow. Something is wrong. I can feel it.

"Julia." I push her back a little. "Why don't you see what's up. It's obviously important."

She rolls her eyes at me and gets off me.  When she reads the notifications on her phone all the color drains from her face. I sit up more and wait for her to say something.

 "Oh my God." She drops her phone to the ground and freezes.

"Babe, what's wrong?? Julia?"

I pick up her phone to see what's up and see the article. No...."Shit."

"You don't have a TV, do you? I need to see if this made the real news."

"Yeah, in the spare room. But I don't have cable. Just the basic news." I grab our clothes and we rush up to the spare room.

We catch just the last bit of the breaking news. ...

{ NBC has yet to comment on the broken contract between the two.} The reporter says, filming outside the studio. I cover my mouth and stare at the TV.

"Here, let me find another channel ."  I flip through a few channels. Shit. Someone really went digging through Julia's life. All the photos being displayed for the world to see, including  her family. Including her son's fucking grave!

"OH MY GOD!" Julia screams at the tv for good reason. This is so bad. I hug her not knowing what to say while we watch the news. Her phone keeps going off but we both ignore it. Then Julia pushes me away real fast.

"I'm gonna throw up!" 

Shit.

"Ok, Ok... Cmon. It's ok." I rush her to the bathroom just in time for her to throw up in the toilet. This stress is too much for her to handle. I need to be calm for her.

"It's ok. We'll figure this out." I rub her back as she gets sick and then flush the toilet. I clean her up  while she shakes and hyperventilate, clearly in a state of shock.

"Take a deep breath, sweetie. I'm right here with you."I whisper while cleaning her up. I wrap my arms around her and rock her to console her until she regulates her breathing more. "Shh. It's ok." 

"They took a picture of my son's grave." 

"I know, babe. I know."

"Who does something like that?!" She asks but I don't have an answer for her.  rummage through my closet and get her a new toothbrush. I'm trying to stay calm. Fuck. I'm trying. But seeing her like this rips my heart out and I know now that her life is on the news shit is only going to get worse for her.

"Here we go." I had her the new toothbrush and she does her thing. "Cmon, let's get you dressed." I walk her back to the den and help her get dressed. Then I hug her. So fucking hard.

"I don't know what to say." I admit.

"I can't believe this is happening! This is going to fuck everything up! This is gonna fuck with his whole career!"Julia is thinking of Nate before herself and gets all worked up. 

"This is gonna send me home!" 

What??? Fuck.

"No. Julia. You won't have to leave, ok?" I put both my hands on her shoulders and look her dead in the eyes. "If you want to stay, I will do whatever you need so you can stay. Alright? You don't have to go back there if you don't want to. Ok?"

We both stop and freeze when we hear the TV repeat the news.

{ Breaking news - We're here in front of Los Angeles General Medical Hospital, where a crowd has already begun to form. What we know as of right now is that Nate Hollan was rushed in by ambulance.}

I freeze at the words. Did I fucking hear that right???

"WHAT?! Did they just say-" I start but don't finish my sentence when I  see the picture of Nate, from a recent People's Magazine cover, on the corner of the screen while the reporter continues. I  turn the volume up. "Fuck."

I look over at Julia and she is shaking. She's gonna pass out.

"Here, Julia sit down." We sit on the couch together with our eyes glued to the tv.

{ Again, this just in. British singer-songwriter Nate Hollan in stable condition here at LA Gen. His fans already starting to crowd the outside of the facility and extra security has been called. Around two forty five this afternoon, the pop-star was found unconscious in his studio.}

"OH MY GOD!" She yells and I feel like I'm in shock also, now. We continue to watch as the reporters show shots of the hospital where Nate is at.

"I need to go there!!!" Julia stands and cries out and I shoot up as well.

"Ok, I'll drive you."  We both run down the stairs but then I stop. "Wait. Can you go? Can you be seen there???"

"Fuck! Where's my phone!? I don't know what to do!!!" She looks up at me devastated. I run up the stairs as fast as I can, grab her phone and run back down.

"Here! Here! Tell me what you want to do, Julia. I will do whatever you need." I panic a little now and it's noticed.

"Trisha!" She screams. "Where are you?!"

*****

*Trisha*

"Trisha!" She screams. "Where are you?!" Julia cries on the other end. She sounds more frantic than I expected over the news about the contract. I furrow my brows while sitting on Nate's couch waiting for him to come home. Why the hell is he ignoring my calls now?

"I'm at Nate's but he's not here. He's not with you?"

"Oh my God! You don't know??" 

What the hell is she talking about? Of course I fucking know. I'm the one who texted her. I turn on Nate's tv. 

No... 

"Oh my God...Oh my GOD!" I start crying, unable to process what I'm seeing. Is this really happening? The phone is still to my ear and I hear James now. 

"Trisha.. hey..Trish. take a deep breath ok?" James says on the other line.

"I- Oh my God!!!" It's all I can say and I'm just as frantic as I think Julia is now. 

"Listen to me... Go to the hospital, ok? I'm taking Julia there now." He hangs up on me. Go to the hospital.. I say in my head but my body won't cooperate. I stare at the tv. I stare at the hospital they show. I stare into Nate's eyes on the screen when they put up his picture. Fuck. Trisha. Snap out of it!

I need to do my fucking job.

First person I call- Paul the security guard.

"Paul!" I yell. "You need to go to the hospital. I need your help!" I say to Nate's security guard. 

"Already heading there now. Hey, Trisha. It's ok. He's gonna be fine." Paul says keeping me on the line.

"I don't know what to do! I always know what to do!"

"Do you need me to send a driver to get you?" Paul asks.

"No.... No. I'm on my way."

I hang up, and  even though I probably shouldn't be driving myself in this condition. I do. I put my hazards on and speed though red lights. Speed through stop signs. And park in a handicap spot close to the entrance of the hospital. Tow my fucking car. I don't care.

Reporters are already lined up. Shit! The minute they see me, the cameras are on my face. I push through them covering my face and rush to the doors.

"Shit!" I stand in the middle of the hospital lobby in shock. The first nurse that passes by me recognizes me as Nate's personal assistant right away and takes my arm.

"Miss Banks... He's stable. Lets go." The nurse says and leads me to a waiting room. The waiting room is crowded. Things are only getting worse. 

*****

*James*

Right as I'm about to pull out of my driveway, I see Max. One of guys from Paul's security team pull up in an unmarked private car with tinted windows. Fuck. Things just got real. This isn't just Nate. This is fucking Nate Hollan.  And Julia isn't just Julia anymore. Julia is fucking Nate Hollan's girlfriend, so the media says. Now she's gonna need security 24/7. Everything is gonna change for her.

I turn the engine off  and look at Julia.

"What? Why aren't you driving?? James!"

"I can't take you there. Nate's security team just pulled up." I say softly.

"What? I don't need fucking security, James. I need to go to the hospital!" She watches me get out of the car and walk around to her side, opening the door, as the unmarked car pulls up behind me.

"Julia. Your face is all over the news. You can't go to the hospital without security now. Hell. You can't go ANYWHERE without security now!" I take her hand and help her out of the car. "I'll do whatever you need me to do. If you want me there I'll go. But just know, I'm not really a friend of Nate's, remember? I don't know if he'll want to see my face. But I will do whatever you need, babe."

I look down at Julia. She's still in shock, not quite processing my words fully. All she does is hug me tight. Max comes over now.

"Paul sent me." Is all he says.

"Yeah, I know. Hey Julia..." I pry her arms off me. "What do you want me to do? Stay or go?"

"You're right." She snaps out of it. "If you show up, everything may get worse. I'm sorry. Stay."

"Don't be sorry. Call me when you can, ok?" I kiss her quickly and she nods, walking away with Max to the unmarked car.

This is all really happening isn't it?

*****

*Trisha*

Thank God for Paul.

Paul had the hospital set up a small waiting room for us away from the general public, so doctors and nurses can update us candidly. Paul also had his work cut out for him, getting Julia through the now very large crowd outside the hospital. He escorted her into the hospital with two other body guards.

The minute I entered the small room, I see Julia. She made it here before I did thanks to Nate's driver. I throw my arms around her and we both cry for a minute before I back away.

All hatred, jealously and issues have temporarily gone out the window between us as we go into survival mode.

It's been an hour with no news as we sit on folding chairs in the makeshift waiting room. The commotion outside these walls is muted but still an issue as guards escort people out of the hospital. I sit next to Julia and glances at me and then at Paul. I have so many questions from the article but I don't know if it's safe to talk about shit.

"You can say whatever you want in front of him. He won't talk. Nate pays him too much to be that stupid." Julia  glares at Paul. 

"Is it true? Your son? Your marriage?" I need to talk about anything but Nate right now.

"Yes. To both."

 "Jesus. I'm sorry. I had no idea. Nate never said anything."  Why the hell did he tell me any of this?

"Nate said the less you knew, the better. He didn't want to drag you into any of my shit. It's the last thing he'd ever want." 

Yep. That sounds like Nate.

"So.... he went to Boston with you?" I start putting all the pieces...all the lies... together. God I was such an idiot for not seeing any of this.  I had no idea their relationship had gotten this far. No wonder Nate was so upset...even after we slept together. He is still hooked on Julia.

"Maybe we shouldn't talk about this right now." Julia stands up and start pacing again, already on edge. James texted me twice to make sure I'm ok, and I can tell he was also texting Paul-most likely getting the confirmation from him as well. I'm sure he has been texting Julia as well since he is caught up in this spiderweb of lies.

An older woman in her fifties wearing scrubs opens the door, and Paul shoots up and stands in her way. The nurse jumps a little, clearly not used to everything that's happening around her, and stands in the doorway, looking to the side of the bodyguard to talk to us.

"The doctor said you can visit Mr. Hollan, but only one person at a time."

Julia nods for me to go in first and sits down. Damn right I'm going in first. "He'll want to see you first."

 I say nothing and follow the nurse in.  A security guard escorts us to Nate's room, where two more security guards are stationed. I'm relieved for that. That's all we need- fans breaking in to see Nate.

The security guard lets me in to the sterile room and closes the door behind me. I stare at Nate. Oh my God. This is real.  There Nate is. In the hospital bed. He looks worn out and I try  swallow the lump in my throat before I burst into tears.

I walk to the side of his bed and hold his hand.

"What happened, Playboy?" I ask the question but then begin to cry before Nate even says a word. He squeezes my hand to get my attention.

"Hey. I'm fine. See? I'm completely fine." He tries to console me while lying in the bed with wires and noises all around me. 

I nod and sniff, trying to be strong for him, and sit down in the chair next to his bed without letting go of his hand.

 "It was minor. I'll be outta here in no time, yeah?"

"Yeah." I wipe my eyes and stare at him. He can tell I'm not handling this very well at all. 

"You good? How's Julia?? Is she ok??" The monitor goes off, and a nurse comes in to check on him. 

I look over at the numbers on his heart monitor. Holy shit.

"Your blood pressure's so high, Nate." My eyes widen. "What did they say?"

"How's Julia?" Nate doesn't answer me. He's too concerned about Julia.

"She's a fucking mess. Can you blame her with this shit show?" I  look up at the  muted TV reporting live from the hospital entrance. "And the article. Christ, Nate. No wonder you're having heart attacks." I try to make a joke out of my words but it comes out flat.

"But really. Trisha . I need to know she's ok."

"You seem more concerned about her than yourself, you idiot."

"She can't handle things like we can. I just want to know she's holding it together." Nate gives me his sad eyes and I sigh at him. He's really in deep. 

"Julia is fine. She's downstairs with Paul. She had a few moments where Paul had a nurse come check on her but it's just because she's upset and overwhelmed."

The monitor beeps again and I push the mute button. I know all these buttons. I took care of my mom when she was dying of cancer. Looking at this machine and this hospital bed brings all those memories to the forefront of my head now.

"I'm not sure you should be touching any of this shit, Trish."

"How quickly you forget. My mom? I know ALL the buttons! Every time I mention Julia's name, your heart races you, big horny mess."

Nate cackles loudly and makes me start to laugh as well. But I can tell he's not concerned about himself. He's not concerned about me. He's concerned about Julia. And his blood pressure isn't going to go down until he sees her for himself. It also makes me kind of sad. Not that I want Nate to be concerned for me. But sometimes ..I don't know.. I feel like I'm put on the backburner because I let off that I'm stronger than I am. God, if Nate only knew I'm on the verge of a breakdown...

No. I need to hide it. He deals enough with all of Julia's shit. I can't add to his stress. I need to be strong. Fake it till I make it strong.

"I don't know what to do, Nate." I admit. "Tell me what to do."

"Nothing, ok? Say nothing to no one. Wait till Elliott and Richard figure shit out. They will hold a press conference." Nate says but that's not my concern.

"I'm not talking about the fucking NEWS, Nate!" I burst into tears. "I don't now how to fix this! How do I fix you!" I'm the fucking fixer. I fix all of Nate's problems.  I feel so lost right now.

"Hey, doll. Look at me." Nate squeezes my hand and I look into his sad blue eyes.

"I'm ok. Seriously. There's nothing to fix. I'm in good hands." He leans over the railing of the bed and kisses my forehead. "Just do what Paul says. Don't worry about the rest. Go get Julia and bring her here before she has a heart attack too." He tries to joke and I fake a smile and nod. Nate pecks me on the lips and I leave the room, still feeling lost and broken.

I'm escorted to the waiting room and I look at Julia and nod for her to go in before sitting down and lowering my head to my hands to quietly cry. I don't care if Paul sees me like this. At this point, I don't care if anyone sees me like this.