Julia has the rest of the week off from The Avalon. Something to do with her husband being in town and wanting to talk to her about shit. We all know its the medical bills. I genuinely feel sympathy for Julia. She has been through more than anyone I have EVER met. More and more things get thrown at her, yet she somehow makes it another day.  Barely. She's had her share of moments where she has given up on live but really- who wouldn't if they were in her shoes? I mean, let's be real here. It's a lot to handle being Julia Moretti.

Because she has the week off, Paul stays with me. I have offered to just go to Nate's to give him the week off as well but he insisted on staying put, which makes me feel like he really doesn't regret being here with me, or else he would have left the first chance he got  for a break.

I give Paul the break he deserves the first day. We sleep in until ten in the morning. When I get out of bed I feel ok so start the coffee for Paul. He groggily comes out when he smells the coffee brewing. I know he only sleeps in his boxers but he always makes it a point to come out wearing sweatpants or athletic short and a T-shirt, no matter what. I just come out in whatever I rolled outta bed with. But I also live here. I'm  fully clothed this time, sparing the poor man, wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt. Though I refuse to put on a bra unless I'm going out. Sorry Paulie, that's as far as I go.

"You let me sleep in. Why?" Paul grumbles  as I pass him his cup of coffee. I take one as well, reading in that damn book you can indeed have a bit of caffeine.

"Didn't you get Nate's text? They gave Julia the week off from The Avalon."

"Yeah. But usually you still have me up and chasing after you all day."

"Eh, I need a day off. I want to be home today."

"You feeling ok?"

"No. But that has nothing to do with me staying home and everything to do with carrying a mini Nate Hollan around." I scoff.  God, if this child is anything like his father.. Lord help us all.

"So you...Trisha Banks.. want to stay home all day? You sure you don't want to check your temperature?" He teases me and leans against the counter next to me. I take Paul's hand and put it up to his forehead.

"No fever. See?" I instantly feel a  shockwave run through my body by doing this simple thing. God, It IS gonna be a mini  Nate Hollan, my hormones have me horny as hell for Paul lately. 

"No fever." The man mumbles and takes his hand away, deciding to take his coffee to the couch like always. And like always I sit next to him. 

"So we just...stay here today?" He raises an eyebrow at me before he takes his first sip, placing the mug on the coffee table.

"Why, is there something YOU want to do?" 

"No, you keep me busy enough. I welcome a low key day."

"Good." I curl up on the couch and put my cup down as well. "A low key day it is. And don't worry, you can even have the remote and--- shit." I jump up and head to the bathroom like every other fucking morning.

Paul gives me a minute of privacy, letting me finish getting sick, before coming in to check on me. By the time he comes to the bathroom I'm already in the process of brushing my teeth.

I spit and look at Paul through the mirror.

"Have I ever mentioned how much I hate Nate?"

He chuckles and leans against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Like, REALLY hate Nate." 

"I'm gonna guess you weren't saying that in the moment of conception."

"Yeah, you think you're funny. Huh?" I turn to my bodyguard and squint my eyes at the man. Then, I suddenly feel lightheaded from my morning sickness on an empty stomach. I sway a little, and Paul quickly swoops in and grabs me by the arm before I go down.

"Shit. Trish, hold on." He mumbles as I lean into him. "Alright. c'mon."

Paul is used to this now. It happens almost daily. He walks me to the couch and sits me down, handing me a blanket and then going to get me a bottle of water and a box of saltine crackers. My breakfast consists of saltine crackers these days.

"Here, eat a little, Julia." He teases me, and I give him a dirty look.

"Just for that comment, I'm using you as my pillow." Without thinking, I lean the side of my head on my bodyguard's broad shoulder and close my eyes. And without thinking, Paul lifts his shoulder to put around me so I can lay on his chest. This is Paul taking care of me. This is Paul being affectionate. It doesn't happen often, so when it does, I get the warm fuzzy feeling deep in my stomach.

I feel Paul gently rub my arm to comfort me, and I say nothing nor do I draw attention to it, knowing he will stop the minute I say something, and I enjoy it.

"It'll pass. That's what that damn book says." The grumpy man grumbles.

I lift my head a little to look up at Paul.

"You read the book??"

"Just the first part. Hey. I gotta know what to expect, too, if I'm gonna be around your sorry ass every day, Banks."

He read the first part....to know how to take care of me. To know what to expect and how to handle it  if it happens to me. That means a lot. It's more than Nate has done, that's for sure. He ignores this whole problem altogether and refuses to acknowledge its existence. Instead, he becomes snappy or has an fricken panic attack whenever I bring it up.

But Paul shows he cares by doing something I never asked.  He wants to learn more. He wants to know what to expect.

Neither of us says a word. I study Paul's face for a minute.

"That means a lot." I break the silence. "Thanks, Paulie." I smile up at the man and then....my smile fades. It fades by the way he's looking at me. It's the same way Nate looks at me sometimes. My pulse picks up in pace. It's noticed.

"Ok then, I'll make pancakes for breakfast." He abruptly gets up and heads to the kitchen, leaving me frozen on the couch. I was about to make a move on the man, wasn't I? And I could sense he was feeling it too. So what's his problem?!

*****

It's Monday morning and I'm supposed to be ready for the day. Instead I'm hugging Nate's toilet.

"Trish... you good?" Nate knocks on the bathroom door. "Maybe you should stay behind." 

I throw up again then lean back against the wall.

"Trish.." Nate knocks on the door and then opens it, seeing me sick- again.

"I'm really not feeling great. I'm sorry. You need to go without me."

"I can't! This meeting is more your meeting than it is mine. It's setting up all the dates, going over the timeline of the tour. I'm just there to O.K. everything. We're gonna have to cancel." He says while wetting a cloth to hand to me. I put it behind my neck and drop my head. There's no way I can go to the meeting.

"I'm sorry Nate."

"I have no one else. I have to cancel this. Christ." Nate begins to pace in the bathroom. "Ok." He takes a deep breath. "I'll get Jonah in here to help you while I make the call."

I feel awful that he has to cancel this meeting. But there's no way around it. My morning sickness is in full swing and I can't function right now. Jonah comes in to stay with me. I get sick again right as Nate walks back into the bathroom.

"Trish, where's your laptop? Is the calendar app on it??" 

"Of course it is. And in my computer bag on your bed, why?"

"I'm hiring Vanessa for the day to cover you. I need to have a PA at this meeting. She will know how to do it. She uses the same computer programs and calendar."

What? He's kidding me, right? This has to be a joke.

"Vanessa? Nate, can't you just reschedule it?"

"You know I can't. You know she is good at her job. Just as good as you. She can handle this meeting. I have to go. I'm sorry."

Before I can say another word Nate is gone for the day.

"Who's Vanessa?" Jonah asks while helping me stand up.

"Vanessa is the brunette version of me. But younger. She's another personal assistant who does her job just as well, if not better than me." I frown. "And of course, she's beautiful. Nate's loving this isn't he?" I scoff and lay on the couch. Unbelievable.

*****

*James*

I wake up this morning with an awful headache. What's worse is I can't let anyone know. I can't communicate when I'm in pain. I don't usually get headaches but since my coma I have been. Again, no way to let anyone know. Casey helps me get dressed and I  tap on my temple. Julia would know right away I bet, but Casey is having a hard time.

"What is it? You thinking of something?" She asks while helping me with my T-shirt. I shake my head to every guess of hers and begin to get frustrated. All I need is Tylenol or Ibuprofen. I'm getting a headache just trying to explain this!

I point to the scar on my wrist. The lovely reminder of my asshole father.

"Scar? Ok.. Honey, you don't have a scar on your forehead."

I drop my head back in frustration. I then point to the scar and then my head. Hoping eventually she will understand 'Pain- head- headache."

"I'm sorry, James. I'm trying." 

I finally get up and begin to look around the hall bathroom. Casey follows me as I look in the medicine cabinet.

"What are you looking for?" Jonah asks Casey but she just shrugs. There's no meds in the cabinet.

 How the hell am I going to explain this simple  thing. I sit on the chair in the living room and hold my head in my hands. 

"What's the matter, James. you have a headache?" Trisha asks when she sees me drop my head to my hands. I immediately clap once and point at her with raised eyebrows like she just won the game. 

"Jonah. He has a headache. He's looking for pain reliever." Trisha  looks over the couch to Jonah who nods and  retrieves some Advil, handing James two.

"Sorry. I couldn't understand what you wanted. I'm awful at charades." Casey pats James's shoulder. Maggie needs to go out, so Casey leaves with her.

"James. Do you usually get headaches?" Jonah asks. I shake my head no. "Have you been getting them since you came out of coma?"  I nod. "Hmm. Are they bad?" He goes into nurse mode and I put my hand out and tilt it from side to side to say, "Sort of."

"We should bring that up to the neurologist. Just to keep an eye on it, just because you said you don't usually get headaches and now do."

"Well you gotta find a way so he can tell you though." Trisha says and I agree. I can't go through a half hour of the guessing game every damn time my head hurts. Jonah sits on the couch next to Trisha and thinks for a minute.

"You use the guest bathroom in the hall right?  For the most part at least. What if I put the pain reliever in the medicine cabinet in there. Then when you have a headache,  bring me the bottle and point to your head. I'll document the frequency of them, sound good?"

 I nod. At least we have a plan. Still doesn't put me at ease on why I'm getting headaches.

At this rate, I'm never going to be able to live on my own, am I? What's gonna happen when Nate goes on tour and takes Jonah with him? Casey is great and really smart, but Jonah is better with understanding me and always three steps ahead of the game.

And is Casey going to be able to care for both me AND Julia full time with no support? Does she know what she signed up for?

"You're mind is going a mile a minute, isn't it Hot Stuff?" Trisha studies my face as I nod. "No wonder you have a headache. Ok. Let's play the guessing game to see what's on your mind." 

I smile and sit back in the chair and Trisha sits up a little, pulling her blanket over her more to get comfortable.

"One, Two, Three- Are you nervous about something, mad about something or just being a guy and thinking about sex." 

I laugh a little. I hold up my index finger. Then laugh and hold up three fingers. Always.

"Yeah, I knew you were gonna throw up the number three. Ok, you're nervous about something. Your head?"

I shrug and make a face. I am a little but that's not what I'm thinking about.

"Hmm." She thinks for a moment and throws out a few wrong guesses before finally catching on. "Are you nervous about the Tour coming up?"

I point at her and nod.

"Yeah. Me too James." She sighs and I furrow my brows at her. Why would Trisha be nervous about tour? Because she's pregnant?  "I have a feeling Nate is gonna leave me behind. He keeps throwing out little hints here and there. Me not keeping up, me being sick, me being pregnant while traveling. 

I get that. All of it. Trisha is now a liability. She's not just caring for herself but now there's a baby involved.  She'd be devastated if she couldn't go on tour with Nate.

My mind then jumps to Julia. Is she going on tour with Nate? There's been so much going on with her lately no one has really brought it up. If she goes on tour.....who's gonna take care of me? Just Casey? No Julia? I won't see her for weeks or months on end.

It won't be James and Julia.

 I'll be all alone.

*****

*Trisha*

Julia and Paul come back from the Avalon at their normal time. James is waiting for Julia to eat, like always. And I'm on the couch with a blanket, a sleeve of saltine crackers and ginger ale. I haven't moved much all morning. Instead I've been reading this damn What To Expect When You're Expecting book. 

"Didn't you have some big Tour Scheduling meeting today? You know... the big one Nate has been so stressed over about?" Julia blurts out while walking by me. Rub it in why don't you, Moretti. She sits with James and they eat lunch together.

"Yeah, well ... this 'demon baby' of Nate's decided it be best to spend the morning hugging a toilet." I put my book down and sit up when Paul sits next to me. He picks up the book and begins flipping through the pages.

"Um, yeah. You might not want to read that one Paul....it's about pregnancy." Julia warns but me and Paul look at each other and smirk.

"Paul has been reading it too, so he knows what to expect since he's practically living with me."

"YOU are reading that??"

"Yep. Right now Nate's demon baby is the size of a raspberry." He announces, proud that he knows this detail

"So, Nate went to that meeting alone? Without a PA?" Paul arches a brow.

"No.. He had to borrow Vanessa." I answer. Paul knows Vanessa. He's been Harrison's bodyguard before.

"Oh shit." Is Paul's only response.

"Is Vanessa not good at her job??" Julia asks and Paul chuckles a little.

"Oh, She's VERY good at her job." He responds. I smack his arm  and give him an agitated look.

"Good as in...should I be worried?" 

"You? No. Me.... yes." I scoff.

"She's very responsible. Nate can flirt till he's blue in the face, and she won't give him the time of day. But she's drop dead gorgeous, young and VERY smart. It's Vanessa Hathoway."

Julia shrugs not knowing who this is so picks up her phone and googles her.

"THIS is who you're talking about?" She lifts up her phone and both Paul and I nod yes.  Paul and James are smiling stupid over the beautiful brunette.

"Trisha's jealous." Paul smiles at me and I elbow him.

"No. I'm not. I'm just mad. It should be me doing my job. Not Vanessa. Yet here I sit, consuming a diet of fucking saltine crackers  and reading about episiotomies." 

*****