Page 30 of Nathan
“At least I made you smile.”
Pushing her long blond hair back, River looked toward the door. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous about this interview. I’ve done a ton of them.”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. “Are you sure it’s a good idea? Maybe Kit’s suggestion of hiding until it blows over is better.”
“It’s not. Kit isn’t a celebrity and she doesn’t understand how this game is played. I’ve learned to be proactive and take control of the direction of the story.”
“And you trust this journalist?”
“Trust… no, I don’t trust anyone in the gossip industry, but Prisha helped me out in the past when I needed exposure. By giving her this story, I’m securing that she’ll continue to help me, and she has matched the highest offer from the other magazines looking for an exclusive interview. I just hope we get our food before she gets here; I’m starving.”
The food came before Prisha, who turned out to be a woman in her early forties who spoke with an Indian accent and tipped her head from side to side when she asked her questions. She looked like an adult version of one of theGreasecharacters with her sixties hairstyle, glasses, and polka dot dress. On top of it all, she had on a black leather jacket that would never close over her generously sized chest.
“Thank you for meeting with me,” she said after shaking our hands.
We all looked at the dictaphone that she placed on the table between us.
“Why don’t we get right to it? River, how did you react when you heard that Serena had cheated on Storm? Did you feel vindicated? Like God was doing to Storm what he did to you?”
River played with her thick blond braid, her brown eyes serious. “No, that’s not how I felt at all. I’ve moved on and don’t hold negative emotions toward Storm or Serena. What happens between them has nothing to do with me.”
“You must have felt a pinch of satisfaction from seeing someone who hurt you getting hurt themselves.”
River crossed her legs. “I’m in a good place now, and my focus isn’t on the injustice others have done to me. Clearly, the universe has a way of teaching the lessons that need to be taught. It’s not something I need to worry about.”
I watched my sister speak with confidence, and it hit me how she said all the right words but wasn’t living any of it. Crossing my arms, I frowned as I thought back to my childhood where our mentor and teacher, Conor O’Brien, had done the same thing. Lying without shame was a psychopathic trait, but River had far too much empathy to be a psychopath. What I was watching was learned behavior, and if I was honest, I was guilty of it myself. I zoned out for a minute, thinking back to my time in the military. I’d learned to hide my emotions and play a game of pretend respect around assholes who were unworthy of their rank.
“Nathan, the news has already broken that you’re the mysterious man who kissed Serena last night. Can you tell me how you know her?”
“What do you mean the news broke? I didn’t tell anyone. River said that we would give you exclusive rights to reveal my identity.”
“That’s what we negotiated,” River interjected. “We haven’t given any other interviews or commented online.”
“No, but the news broke on your own fan site while I was on my way here. A colleague called me to say that someone recognized Nathan as your brother. The person even shared a picture with you and Nathan from theStar Warspremiere two years ago.” Turning to me, Prisha asked, “So, how do you know Serena Star?”
“I went on a survival trip in January with Storm, River, and Serena. It was part of the preparations for Serena’s and Storm’s roles inBeyond Tomorrow. River and I joined them for fun.”
“I didn’t do it for fun,” River objected. “I did it because Storm had already been in LA filming most of the scenes for the movie for five weeks. That survival trip was a chance for me to spend time with my boyfriend before he went onto another two weeks of shooting in some remote location.”
“How would you describe your relationship with Serena?” Prisha asked me.
“Ehm…” I didn’t know what to say, so I just shrugged.
“Are you two having an affair?”
“No.”
“Was this a one-time thing?”
“Yes.”
“Was it planned, or did it happen spontaneously?”
“She was in town to promote her new movie, we met up, drank too much, and then I kissed her.”
“In the series of photos that’s been shown on news sites, it looks more like she kissed you.”
I felt my heart hammer with an odd sense of protectiveness toward Serena. “No, I’m sure I kissed her first. It wasn’t fair to her, but I don’t regret it.”
