Page 41 of Nathan
“Storm is here?” Maximum asked with surprise.
“Yes. He’s shooting his next movie there, right now.”
I shrugged. “So what? It’s not like we’ll socialize.”
“I know that, but if you go to Bangladesh, the press will make it seem like you’re going for a confrontation with Storm. They’re already portraying you as a violent lunatic.”
“How would the press know where Nathan goes?” Maximum said. “It’ll just be our secret.”
River scoffed. “Don’t be naïve. These people get paid to know the location of celebrities they follow.”
“But they can’t seriously think that Nathan is a danger to Storm. That’s ridiculous.”
“Yes, it is,” River agreed with Maximum. “But then, you already took the role as the nice one in the family.”
“Hey, I’m a nice person, too,” I exclaimed.
River made another “tsk” sound. “Not according to the Internet, you’re not. I just read a headline that said you were a liability for the army, and that’s why they let you go.”
I groaned. “That’s not true.”
“I didn’t say that it was true, I just said that it was a headline. You should see some of the things they’re writing about Serena after she gave that odd interview yesterday. The haters are calling her the fiancée from hell while her fans are worried that she might be suicidal.”
I tensed up. “Why would she be suicidal?”
“Because she said that she sometimes wonders if her life is worth it.”
“She said that?” The idea of Serena hurting herself freaked me out. “She’s not suicidal.”
“How do you know? It’s a lot of pressure to be called a whore and to have millions of people who judge you.”
I scratched my neck, worry making me feel prickly. “You think she’s suicidal?”
“It wouldn’t surprise me. Being a celebrity is exhausting and harder than most people can even imagine.”
“Now I feel bad for the woman,” Maximum said. “It must feel so unfair to her; being attacked for cheating on a man she isn’t even dating.”
“But what did she say, exactly?” I asked with a knot in my stomach.
“Didn’t you see the interview?”
“No.”
“You should. She was talking about you and Storm.”
“What did she say about me?”
“She basically said that Storm couldn’t fulfill her sexually and that she’s had to suppress that part of her. But then she met you and suddenly felt alive again.”
I narrowed my eyes. “River, she didn’t say that. Stop joking and tell me what Serena really said.”
“I’m not joking. Look it up, it’s all over YouTube.”
“She said that Storm couldn’t fulfill her?” I felt like a vein was about to pop in my temple from the blood rushing to my head.
“Yes. She hinted at his lacking size and skills. That’s why people are calling her the fiancée from hell.”
I whistled low, as if I were a teapot that needed to release the pressure of steam inside me.
