Point Of View 2 [*Do not read until you've read the same chapter of ATW]

Chapter 171 Bring Down The Rain

"She's still coming down off her high. You need to remember that, Nate." Jonah's gaze softens. "Don't read into it too much." Jonah murmurs, his voice softer now. "Don't read too much into it." He nudges the clear cup toward Nate, ensuring he takes his morning meds.

"I can't believe this is going on." Nate's words barely escape his lips.

"She has a lot going on in that head of hers. There will ALWAYS be something going on, Nate. You know that just from your sister. This will continue to be an issue. And Ativan will continue to be the one thing to calm her. She's an addict. Being on a low dose just doesn't work for her. She will always want more. It's unfortunate, yes. But this is her reality. Until someone invents something else to help, this is it."

Nate exhales, rubbing a hand over his face. ""I know, but... I was just hoping.... shit, I don't know. I was hoping it wouldn't get as bad as it gets with Cara. If anything, Julia is worse. She's lived more life and been through a lot of trauma which only makes it all so much worse." His voice breaks.

Outside, the storm moves in fast. The sky bruises into deep grays, then black. The Weather Channel warned of chaos, and now, it delivers. Rain hurls itself against the bus in violent sheets, lightning splitting the horizon. The tour bus slows, creeping through near blindness. I glance at my phone, calculating how far we still have to go.

Nashville is slipping further away. And Nate's show is set for eight.

****

Casey and Jonah are perfectly content, curled up in Jonah's bunk, absorbed in whatever's playing on the small TV screen. Evan has found himself lost in one of the novels from the bookshelf, flipping pages at a steady pace. I sit across from Nate, purposely doing my nails knowing the fumes piss Nate off, smirking all the while.

Mila, though....Mila looks ready to tear a hole through the fabric of time just to escape the monotony. She sits on the couch, eyes fixed on the rain streaking against the window, her posture stiff with barely restrained frustration.

Touring can be really busy and chaotic some days and others really fucking boring. Today is one of the really fucking boring days. And it's eating her alive.

"You really need to turn your phone off for a while." I watch Nate look down at his phone for the hundredth time. "There is absolutely nothing you can do from here."

"Well aware, Trish." He rolls his head, feeling the tension building at the base of his neck. I'd rub his shoulder but my nails are wet.

Mila notices. She slides off the couch, padding over to stand behind him. Oh boy.

"I help," she says, matter-of-fact. "I give good massages."

Before Nate can answer, her hands find his shoulders, fingers pressing firmly into the knots. I smirk watching him tense out of habit.

"I'm sure you do, princess. But I'm ok."

But Mila doesn't pull back. "Relax," she murmurs. "Sei avvolto strettament."

"I think she said you're wound tight." I answer Nate when he looks up at me for help.

"Ok, well you have fun with that, I'm taking a nap." I slide out of the booth and head to my bunk when I see a text come through from Paul.

It's rare for him to reach out to me first, especially after everything that happened....the whole confessing his love to Julia while we were still dating thing. But I don't hold a grudge against him. I can't. I've known him for so long, and it's so unlike Paul to do something so bold like that. Honestly, it's unheard of. He obviously feels something strong for Moretti. It was really the timing of it all that hurt me the most.