The driver pulls up outside of my parents’ lush Hollywood Hills mansion. Half the furniture is out in the yard, ready to be packed into the containers that adorn the vast lawns of the garden. I tense up as we step out of the car, and Nate looks around, taking in the chaos.
“Wow! So they’re packing up everything?” he asks.
“Yeah. The bank foreclosed and is seizing assets. I told them I’d give them the money for this place and their stuff, but they’d rather have the money for their other properties. This one, they didn’t care about so much,” I say.
Nate raises his brows in what can only be described as shock. “How many properties do they own?” he asks.
“Twenty-seven,” I reply.
He raises a brow and simply nods before he grabs my hand, threading his fingers tightly into mine. It sets my racing heart slightly at ease but not wholly.
“How are you doing?” he asks, looking at me lovingly with soft eyes.
“Not really sure I can answer that. I feel like I want to puke, and I’m not sure if that’s nerves or just from being… you know.”
He smiles his handsome smile that always manages to melt my heart, and it puts me even more at ease as he pulls me to his side, wrapping his arm around my waist for added support. “We got this. I’m by your side, babe. I’m not going anywhere.”
I take a deep breath and straighten as we step up the stairs to the front door. It’s already open, as movers are coming and going, so we walk right through. I know Nate’s looking around,taking in my famous movie producer stepfather’s home, or what his home was, but we don’t have time to check it out now.
“Nate, focus,” I whisper, and he chuckles.
“I’m with you, Dove.”
I smile as we walk through the kitchen to the back and out on the patio, where Patrick and Mom are lounging by the pool while everyone packs up things around them.
I roll my eyes while Nate smirks.
“Mom, Patrick, we thought we’d drop in unannounced to say hello,” I call out, and they both look up through their shades and sunhats at us.
“Oh, Ria, darling! You look…” She stands, pulling her shades down from her face, and frowns. “Well, frankly, my dear, you look terrible. Have you been drinking? You’re pale, and your stomach is bloated. Gosh, Ria, too many carbs, girl. It would help if you lay off the eat-whatever-you-want diet you’re on. You’re a celebrity. Please remember that! You need glitz and glamour, and right now, darling, you look like trailer trash.”
I scoff. “Nice, Mom!”
Nate’s grip on my hand tightens supportively.
Patrick stands, waving his hand through the air. “Ariella, my sweet darling wife, leave your daughter alone. She looks beautiful as always, don’t you, my Arabian Princess?” Patrick utters his lifelong term of endearment for me as he walks over. I smile at him as he reaches me and kisses both my cheeks.
“Thank you, Patrick.” I can’t help but look at the scar running down the length of his chest, and my heart squeezes in response. This man, this loving, affectionate man, has done nothing but support my family since we met him. Sure, he may have pushed me into a career I didn’t want to go into, but if I hadn’t, I would never have met Nate. I wouldn’t be where I am right now because of this man. I owe him a lot. On the other hand, Mompushes and pushes, and right now, she’s making me crazy as usual.
“So, I see you have a rocker friend on your arm. Why don’t you listen to me like I told you to? Wait, Ria… are you doing drugs with him? Is this why you look so terrible?” Mom asks.
Nate stiffens beside me, and I squeeze his hand a little tighter.
“Mom, no. I’m not doing drugs. I’m eating just fine. I’m looking after myself. I’ve just been a little sick over the past few months.”
“Few months, Ria, and you haven’t told me? My God, Ria, it’s like I don’t even know you. Why ishehere anyway? This… this… rock thing? He has no purpose here inmyhouse!”
As I glance at Nate, I notice he’s doing an outstanding job of keeping his cool. “Mom, look… I love you, but I don’t like you very much right now.”
“What does that even mean, Ria? You don’t like me? What utter rubbish, Ria. You talk so foolishly. All you do is talk, talk, talk, and you never—”
“Mom,shut up!”I yell, and everyone straightens up, including Mom, who looks at me, raising her eyebrow with her mouth agape, and miraculously, she says nothing more.
I take a deep breath and bring my hand, holding Nate’s up to show her. “Nate and I… we’re a couple. We’re in love, and we’re going to be together for what I’m foreseeing as the rest of our lives.”
Patrick smiles as Mom scoffs, rolling her eyes. She goes to speak, but I raise my free hand, halting her. “That’s not all. Nate’s moving into my home. We will be redecorating and making it feel more like a home than a house, because if there is one thing I’ve realized about my life, it’s that it’s so fucking bland. Everything I do and have done is because you’ve told me it’s the right thing. Do itthis way, do itthat way,becauseyousaid so. Well, you know what? I wanna live my lifemy way.”
I take a large breath and continue, “So, your company going bust means fewer acting roles for me, and you know what? That’s fine. Because now I’m going to do something for myself.Iwant to be a teacher. Teaching special needs childre—”
