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

Chapters 177 & 178 Falling Through Time/ We Could Make A Comeback

"Shit. God, guys. I'm so sorry. I dropped the ball on this one." I push my plate away and drop my head into my hands, mortified.

"I already called the front desk last night and demanded for them to not restock Mr. Hollan's fridge. I will call down and demand the same for yours." Evan turns to Jonah then to me. "Give me the agenda for the next two hotels and I will make some calls ahead of time."

Evan offers to take some of the pressure off me, which I appreciate. I think Nate does as well with his silent nod. Evan stops eating and immediately walks over to the phone by the desk to complete the task.

"He's a good man." Jonah sighs. And he is. Paul was right in choosing Evan to be Nate's bodyguard.

"You and me, Nate. I will look it up, but either later today or tomorrow, we are sitting in one of the Avalon's AA zoom meetings. Got it?" Jonah raises a brow at Hollan.

"That will have to happen in between Richard's 'fluff, ' he had Leslie schedule." I remind Nate. "We need to get going soon, actually."

"There has got to be a way you can ditch this label you're under, Nate. That guy is a piece of work." Casey chimes in, like Jonah- she is worried about Nate's health. That is the whole reason why she and Jonah are here. To make sure he stays healthy. But the way Richard is working him doesn't help matters. Nate's exhaustion is written all over him...his eyes dull, his movements sluggish, his energy stretched too thin. Each show drains him further, each city blending into the next without a moment to catch his breath. He's running on fumes, and management doesn't seem to fucking care as long as the crowd is screaming and the money keeps flowing.

His body isn't built for this relentless cycle. Not anymore, it isn't. Not with that weak heart of his. He's skipping meals, pushing through headaches, ignoring the warning signs that keep stacking up. And if something doesn't change soon, he's going to crash.  He thinks I don't notice, but I do.  Saying something to him, bringing it up,.. It's like talking to a brick wall sometimes.

My main goal is to get Nate through this tour unscathed. And then? Then I dig into his contracts, sit down with a lawyer, and dissect every clause, every loophole. There has to be a way out of this management. A way to free him from their grip.

I just have to find it.

*****

The radio interview wraps up smoothly, and the meet and greet is everything I hoped for. These moments watching Nate signing autographs, shaking hands, hearing the stories of the people he's touched through his music... it's what makes Nate happy. You can see it in his eyes. 

Today, the crowd is a mix of ages when it comes to fans. A seven-year-old girl was beaming with excitement, her tiny hands clutching a poster with Nate's name scrawled across it. A seventy-year-old great-grandmother, eyes filled with wisdom, listens to his music every evening while she prepares dinner. It's humbling. It's exhilarating. It's just what Nate needed.

But once the excitement settles, reality creeps in. The "fluff" is handled, so Nate needs to protect his voice. No more speaking until tonight. Rest is mandatory. It's three-thirty in the afternoon, and the exhaustion is bone-deep. It's noticed. Nate looks drained with no energy. Like he needs a mid-afternoon nap before the show.

 Everyone is spread out in this warehouse-type room before the show. The caterers have put out an amazing spread of all different kinds of food. But Nate only picks at his. I pile my plate and sit next to Leslie on the couch so we can go over the agenda for the next few days. But mid-conversation, Jonah's words catch my attention.

"That's what concerns me, Nate. Your BP is all over the place, you are tired all the time, and now your appetite has diminished. You're burning calories up on that stage every night. And lately... You haven't been getting adequate sleep.