by K E Osborn
I’m doing a course online through University and working through everything I need, with some help—the perks you get from being famous and all—so I can help those who need helping the most. Teaching is where I want to be, I want to help people who can’t read like Nate, people who have learning disabilities. I just want to teach people how to read and write. That’s my aim now, this is my life goal. I’ve achieved everything and more from Hollywood, now it’s time for me. If being with Nate taught me anything, it’s that my life has a greater purpose than acting. I’m meant to be helping, not performing.
The doorbell rings and I walk to the door as there seems to be a delivery of some kind I wasn’t expecting so security told me. Opening the door, the driver looks completely unimpressed and bored as I sign for the giant parcel.
“Thank you.”
He grunts and rushes off as I take it. It’s quite heavy and as I maneuver it past the door I exhale. Grabbing a corner I rip the brown paper and packaging to reveal the dove painting that Nate started all those months ago. Seeing it makes my heart flutter and the tears stream from my eyes while I stare at it in awe. It’s perfect, totally stunning, and everything I’d pictured. I’ve been following the success of his business through Alex, and I’m so happy and grateful that he’s doing all this on his own merits. I knew he’d do well.
A small card peeks out from the side. I pull it down turning it over to see neat but child-like handwriting and instantly I know it’s Nate’s.
My hand instinctively moves to my stomach and tears fall from my chin.
I’ve been so stupid.
I miss him.
I’m going to be forever linked to him.
He needs to know.
I can’t keep this a secret anymore.
Just because I’m scared doesn’t give me the right to block him out.
I love him and being apart from him has shown me that and now I need to show him. I just hope he can forgive me.
Racing to the table, I grab my keys and head out to my car sliding in as fast as I can. I’m not sure where he’ll be, but my first guess is the gallery, so I’m heading there.
I make quick work of getting there and park out the back so I don’t draw attention—my security team are parked behind me, they know to keep a safe distance. I race down the same alleyway he took me down all those months ago and burst through the door.
“Nate,” I call out.
Alex turns to see me and frowns.
“He’s in the studio… drowning,” she says.
I furrow my brows and nod walking quickly toward the back studio. Opening the door I walk in to see him slouched over a bottle of whiskey. I wince at the same time my heart rejoices at seeing him for the first time in three months.
“Nate,” I whisper. His head slowly moves up and looks at me, then to my stomach.
Oh God, he knows!
My hand instinctively moves to my tummy and he draws his eyebrows together in a frown. Not the reaction I was after. I exhale as he slumps his body.
“It’s not mine is it?” he asks so softly I can barely hear him.
“What?”
“The baby… it’s not mine?”
I jolt my head back and gasp. “Is that what you think?”
“That’s why you broke up with me because you’re having someone else’s baby, right?”
I’m not sure whether to be horrified or relieved. “Nate, I’ve only been with you. And for a long time before you, I was with no one. I only want to be with you...” I feel tears forming but blink them away. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I found out for sure the day of the re-filming and then I freaked out when you were acting jealous. I thought if you got so worked up over that, if I told you about the baby, you’d completely lose it. I was also concerned about how you would react with me filming those sort of scenes from then on. The way you reacted… I just didn’t want to put you through that pain every time I was doing a love scene. It’s not fair on you.” He goes to say something but I stop him and continue, “I also didn’t want you to give up your life for the baby and me. I didn’t want you to stop painting or stop playing your music for us… so I broke it off instead. I became my mother and bailed when it got too hard, and it was the worst decision of my life, Nate. But at the same time it’s made me realize that… I love you. We’re having a baby together so, we need to be together. I need you, Nate… if you’ll still have me. Please… take me back, I’ve been so stupid.”
He sits there just staring at me. I’m not sure if he’s actually heard anything I’ve said or if he’s completely zoned out.
“Nate?”
He puts his finger up as if to halt me, then stands up and walks over to me. He looks down at my stomach and places his hand on my belly tenderly caressing. “The dizziness, fainting, puking on tour?”
“Morning sickness,” I clarify.
He nods and exhales. “We’d been careful?”
“Not the very first time,” I remind him.
He stifles a laugh and nods.
I was pretty shocked when my scans revealed our first time together was more than likely our conception date too.
“You love me?” he asks.
Smiling wide, bringing my hand up to caress his face, I nod. “So much.”
His body visibly relaxes. “I love you too, baby, and I wish you’d told me about this sooner. I could’ve been here for you… been to your appointments. I want to be here for everything, Ria, everything.”
I nod and smile. “Alex said you’d say that.”
“She’s a smart girl.”
“She is. I should probably tell you I had Hyperemesis Gravidarum in the first trimester.”
He furrows his brows pulling me to him and flares his nostrils. “That sounds serious. Are you both okay?” he asks running his hands up and down my arms.
“I’m fine… now.”
He looks me up and down and winces. “Ria, you’ve lost weight. You have a bump, but your arms, your face, you’re overall much thinner. Baby, what was wrong?”
I wrap my arms around his neck and look into his eyes. “It’s okay, it was just really severe morning sickness. The doctors have it under control now.”
His face falls. “Ria, why didn’t you call me? You know I would’ve been there for you, helping you any way I could have.”
Half-smiling, I thread my fingers through his hair. “I know that now, and I’m sorry I didn’t come to my senses sooner. I stupidly shut you out.”
He pulls me to him and holds me tight. Feeling his warm body pressed against mine is sending a fire burning inside my very soul. I’ve needed him more than I thought.
“Jesus Ria, if I’d have known…” he pauses to take a breath, “…if I had any idea at all you were so ill, I would have been there. You know that, right?”
I pull back looking into his watering eyes. “I know. Don’t worry, I know. Alex was there. She helped a lot. She’s amazing.”
He exhales and nods. “She really is but that’s not the point. You know I’m not letting you out of my sight now?”
Smiling, I nod. “Good, but this will really test us. This is a super new relationship and we’re throwing a baby into the mix.”
“Ria, there’s more than just a baby here, we have so much… so fucking much to talk about.”
I slump my body and gnaw on my bottom lip with a nod. “I know… I’m such an idiot for letting this go on for so long, I should’ve never shut you out. I should’ve trusted you’d be able to handle this.”
His entire body sags and he looks to the floor. “I have to admit it hurts that you’d think I wouldn’t be there for you. Did you think I wouldn’t find out…” He scrubs his hand through his hair. “I just don’t get it, Ria. We were happy. Even then I loved you. I would have jumped for joy if you’d have told me, baby. I would have come to all your appointments, held your hair while you puked... Fuck! Ria, I would’ve painted the nursery for our child. You have to know that, right?”
Tig
htness forms in my chest as I let out a small sob. “I’m so sorry, Nate. I was unwell. The stress of the tour and my family got to me, and I thought that throwing a baby into our relationship would be bad for you. You’re just starting to get on track… your art, your music… everything’s heading in the right direction for you. I really felt like you didn’t need the added stresses of being bogged down in the family way.”
He grunts and shakes his head. “Are you kidding, Ria? Fuck the music! Fuck the gallery! I’d burn the world to the ground if it meant I’d be left standing with you and our family.” His forehead creases. “Ria, you’re it for me. You were since the moment you strutted into the boardroom demanding lemon water with a fucking straw…” Nate smiles, and his eyes twinkle with love and understanding. “You, me, little nugget in there… you two are my world.”
He moves in pressing his open palm to my stomach and butterflies flurry right through my very existence. He knows, he finally knows and he’s being so amazingly good about it all.
Why the hell did I wait?
I sniff and step up throwing my arms around his neck, taking him into an embrace. His body shifts against mine and we hold each other so tightly, I can feel every inch of him. “I love you, Nate. I can’t apologize enough for not telling you. I just want and pray that you never leave my side again.”
He pulls back and nods, places a strand of hair behind my ear and then caresses my cheek. “Ria, you and our little… boy? Girl?” he asks.
“I’m not sure yet,” I tell him.
He smiles like he’s so happy I didn’t find out without him. “Okay, you and our little nugget are all I need. I don’t want to spend any more time away from you, especially since you’ve been so ill. I don’t want to be one of those dads who isn’t there for every single part of their child’s development. I know what it’s like not having a parent, you do, too. Our kid’s not having that, not ever. You with me?” he asks, and it fills me with such joy that tears flood my eyes and spill over as I nod. My bottom lip trembles and I blurt it out before I even have time to think it through.
“Nate, move in with me,” I ask.
He smiles resting his forehead on mine with a sigh. “I was hoping you’d say that. This house is much better for a family than you moving in with Matt and me. Plus, I’m not sure Matt could handle a screaming nugget.”
“Can you handle a screaming nugget?” I chuckle.
He cuddles me a little closer. “Baby, when it’s a part of you and a part of me... this will be the best nugget the world has ever seen. Talk about celebrity babies, hey.”
I smirk. “Wow! The world doesn’t even know we’re a couple, and now they’re gonna know we’re not only together but having a child. Talk about instant headline news.”
Nate raises his brows and nods. “I’ll get Tillie drafting up a press release… if you’re ready to come out of the closet with me?”
“I want the world to know you’re mine, Nate Levine, and that we’re madly in love…” she trails off and then continues, “… but… there’s probably one person we need to tell before the world knows.”
He tenses up and looks in my eyes with a nod. “Your Mom?”
“Mmm… Mom knowing we’re together should be fun times. Her knowing why I’ve been so sick… yeah, this is going to be a shit storm.”
He pulls me close looking into my eyes. “Honestly, with all the shit we’ve been through, we can get through this little hurdle. There’s nothing a dove and clown fish can’t accomplish together, right?”
I giggle. “So true.”
Chapter Twenty-One
RIA
We pull up outside of my parents’ lush Hollywood Hills mansion. Half the furniture is out in the yard ready to be packed away 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 surrounding us.
“Wow! So they’re actually packing up everything?” he asks.
“Yeah. The bank foreclosed and is ceasing their 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 making him raise his eyebrow in what can only be described as shock.
“How many properties do they have?” he asks.
“Twenty-seven,” I reply.
He opens his eyes wide and simply nods as he rounds the car and grabs my hand threading his fingers tightly into mine. It sets my racing heart slightly at ease but not completely.
“How are you doing?” he asks looking at me lovingly through soft eyes.
Sighing, I swallow hard. “Not really sure I can answer that. I feel like I wanna puke, and I’m not sure if that’s nerves or just from being… ya 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 the entire time, babe, I’m not going anywhere.”
Resting my temple to his quickly, I take a deep breath and straighten up 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 was his home, 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 continue to walk through the kitchen out the back to 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 to see us.
“Oh… Ria, darling! You look…” She stands up 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 all bloated. Gosh Ria, too many carbs, girl. You need to lay off the eat whatever you want diet you’re on. You’re a celebrity. Please remember that! You need glitz and glamor, and right now darling you look like trailer trash.”
I scoff. “Nice Mom…”
Nate’s arm tightens around me supportively.
Patrick stands up 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 life-long 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 down to 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 really want to go into, but if I hadn’t I would have never met Nate. I wouldn’t be where I am right now because of this man. I owe him a lot. Mom, on the other hand, she pushes and pushes, and right now she’s making me a little crazy.
“So, I see you have a rocker friend with you 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 promise. 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 is he here anyway? This… this… rock thing? He has no purpose here in my house!”
As I glance to Nate, I notice he’s doing a really good 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 an
d 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 right now 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 forseeing 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 it and making it more of 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 it this way, do it that way, because you said so. Well, you know what? I wanna live my life my way.” I take a large breath and continue, “So, your company going bust means less acting roles for me… and you know what? That’s fine. So now I’m going to do something for me. I want to be a teacher. Teaching special needs children—”
“Ria what?—”
“I’m not done! I want to help children who can’t read, who can’t write, I want to help. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do, and with my fame I can bring awareness to special needs children now. This is my new goal, my new aim, and I’m going to do it because I have a man by my side who’s going to help and support our baby and me through every stage of our new lives.”
“Wait! What? Did you say… baby? Oh Lord, Ria, please tell me you did not say that word?” Mom says and my hand instinctively moves to my stomach and Nate’s moves in embracing my hand on my tummy.
