Page 44 of Nathan
I should turn it off because the hostess was one of the most toxic people on TV, but curiosity made me turn up the volume.
“That sounds incredibly scary. And how long were you hospitalized after the assault?”
“Almost three weeks. I came very close to not surviving.” The man talking had a strong Hispanic accent and sat with his left foot stretched out and knee braces on both legs. He was wearing black jeans and a dark blazer on top of a purple shirt that was open three buttons down. “It’s not that I want people to feel sorry for me, but I think it’s important that what happened to me never happens to anyone. Especially a defenseless young woman like Serena Star.”
“That’s very noble of you.” The hostess rocked her right foot, which was crossed over her left. She was known in the industry to have a massive shoe collection, and the orange high heels she was wearing today looked expensive. “But some viewers at home might say it’s been two years, and Nathan Robertson served his time. He could have repented and changed. What do you say to that?”
The man shook his head and brushed her words off with a dismissive wave of his hand. “No, no. People shouldn’t be naïve. Someone like him doesn’t change, and it would be a big mistake to trust him. What people don’t understand is that I was looking straight into his evil eyes, and I saw the second he decided to kill me. Nathan Robertson is a monster, and the only reason I survived that day is because a third person sprayed him with a fire extinguisher.”
The female host gave a sympathetic nod. “How does it feel for you to suddenly see your attacker’s face blasted across the media kissing one of the greatest movie stars in the world?”
“I don’t like it at all. I’m worried about what he’ll do to Serena. She doesn’t know him like I do, and I believe she’s in real danger.”
As I watched the interview, I felt strangely detached, like they were talking about someone else. Hearing the man on TV say that Nathan was a monster didn’t resonate with me. The viewers who had never met Nathan might buy it, but I had spent days with Nathan and knew him to be calm, rational, and emotionally stable. Growing up in a world of gossip, I’d learned that there were always two sides to a story.
The hosts turned to the camera. “We have, of course, reached out to both Serena Star and Nathan Robertson for their response to your side of the story, but neither of them wished to be part of our show today. Storm’s team responded, saying that Storm is troubled and heartbroken by Serena’s betrayal and that he’s deeply worried about the character of the man she was seen with.”
I immediately changed the channel before I might throw something at the screen. Storm was pissed at me for the interview I gave yesterday, but I didn’t have the patience for his pity party. Instead, I checked to see if Nathan had answered.
Nathan: No, I don’t enjoy being hunted by the press. You?
I stared at the phone. Maybe it was better to leave his text unanswered. Sinking lower in the bed, I closed my eyes for a second, remembering our trip to Spain and how safe I’d felt with Nathan. On Saturday night, I’d invited him to my room and given him every chance to hurt me if he wanted to, but he had left me without a scratch.
I quickly typed a reply.
Serena: Meeting fans is lovely, but getting lynched online is brutal. I hate being chased by the press.
Nathan: Why do they chase people for an interview if they don’t listen to what we say anyway? They just make up stuff!
Serena: Welcome to my world. I’ve lost count of how many times gossip magazines have revealed that I was pregnant, engaged, dumped, or proposed to.
Nathan: I assume you haven’t heard what they say about me, or you wouldn’t be talking to me.
Serena: Is it true?
Serena: Did you try to kill him?
I felt my heart pound in my chest when I watched bubbles form as I waited for his answer.
Nathan: No, I didn’t try to kill him. I was defending myself and two female comrades.
Serena: But you went to jail, didn’t you? What happened?
Nathan: I don’t want to explain over text. Can I call you?
I brushed my hair back and looked around the messy room.
Serena: Give me two minutes.
I wasn’t sure if Nathan would call me with or without camera, but just to be sure, I hurried to clean up a little. I threw away the empty candy wrappers and cleared away my clothes from the chair before I gathered the silverware and plates from room service and left it outside the door.
A quick check in the bathroom mirror showed that I looked much like I had this morning when I woke up. My curly hair was in a messy ponytail, and my face was make-up free. I reached for my mascara but stopped midway when I heard my phone ring.
Making a quick decision, I ran to my bed and grabbed my phone to answer the incoming video call.
“Hey.” I hurried to get under the blankets since I was only wearing panties and a t-shirt.
“Hi.”
