*James*

"You good in there? You're taking forever." I quietly knock on the door to Julia's bathroom. She's been in there for a while now. I hear her rummaging through her purse and what sounds like a pill bottle.

"Yeah." She responds quickly.

Julia has been nervously fidgeting the entire night after we had sex. I know she's struggling internally now between me and Hollan, but nothing has changed. No matter what happens, we'll still be friends.

I watch her open the door, walk past me, and start pacing around the room, playing with the rings on her fingers.

"Julia... you're still fidgeting." I laugh. "You're overthinking things..."

"Obviously I know that." She snaps. "Sorry..." She stops pacing and sits on her bed. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

"Nothing's changed." I assure her and relax on the couch with my arm over the top of the sofa.

"How are you so relaxed? Everything's changed."

"So, we had sex, one time. It felt good. Reeaally good. And now it's done. We agreed it was just a one-time thing. Now you just know what you're missing out on." I wink, and Julia throws a pillow at my face and gets under the covers.

"I hate you, you know that?" She teases and starts to feel tired.

"I don't think you do..." I flirt. "You KNOW I don't hate you...."

"Just go to sleep or something, Gallo," I laugh as she rolls over and starts to doze off.

*****

"How long has she been out like this?" Hollan seems concerned that Julia is still sleeping.

"We went right up once my coworker came to take over the front desk. She fell asleep pretty quickly. She doesn't normally sleep in once in a while?"

"She doesn't normally SLEEP at all. She has insomnia." Nate sits on the bed next to Julia, who is still in a deep sleep. She doesn't budge. My stomach turns just seeing him so close to her.

"Huh....well, maybe this is her just crashing from not sleeping much? I'll go downstairs and get you guys some more water bottles. Looks like you're running low. She could still be a little dehydrated from her boozefest this weekend." I quickly exit now feeling uncomfortable in the same room. I now realize they slept together. I can tell. I didn't realize it got that far between Julia and Nate, and now I feel like I don't have a shot in hell with her. Money and Sex. Great combo. Too bad I don't have the money part to keep her happy. I KNOW I have the sex part down.

*****

*Trisha*

James and I bump into each other in the elevator, and I notice he is also going up to the 4th floor.

"Why do we keep bumping into each other like this, Trisha The Assistant?" He smirks while balancing a few water bottles in his hands.

"I don't know. You hand deliver water bottles to your patrons now?" I laugh as he almost drops one, and I help him out.

"When the patron is Nate Hollan, I sure as hell have to."

I give him an odd look.

"Nate? He's here??" I question, now thoroughly confused. Me and James are going to the same room. Julia's room. But why in the fuck of fucks would Nate be in Julia's room?

"I thought that's who you were coming to see? Your boss? He's with the contestant. Julia."

"Hmmph. Well then. After you, Mr. Gallo" The elevators open and we both head to Julia's room. There's Nate... Sleeping in the SAME FUCKING BED as Julia. Fortunately, it doesn't look like anything. She's under the covers and facing the opposite direction and Nate is over the covers, fully dressed. But why? Why is he even here in the first place? What the hell is going on?

"What the hell are you doing here??" I stand over Nate glaring at him after waking him up with a hard punch to the arm. There's one way to get his attention.

"Sorry, man, she insisted on coming in." James shrugs.

"Paul had the night off. So, I had to stay here with Julia. No one knows I'm here. I didn't mean to fall asleep though. I was...Cara... shit what time is it?" Nate rambles on.

"Cara?" I sit down on the corner of the bed. The minute I hear Cara's name I'm concerned. That subject is a heavy burden for Nate to carry.

"The hospital called in the middle of the night. I had to have James come up and hang here while Julia slept."

"What's going on Nate??" I want more information.

"She's ok. She's stable now." Nate glances over at James, who is looking down at his phone, and back up at me, letting me know he is texting me. My phone goes off, but I pay no attention to it yet. I stand up and look at Julia's gala dress still in the bag, hanging up on the curtain rod.

"So I take it sleeping beauty hasn't tried on her dress yet then. I know she was busy yesterday but didn't think it'd knock her out like THIS!" I joke remembering how Julia had a man in her shower with her yesterday morning. James gives me a strange look that I don't quite understand and will have to ask him about later.

"Well, if you are all set here, I'm gonna head out if that's ok." James gets up and heads for the door.

"Thanks Mate, I owe you one." Nate gives him a pat on the shoulder.

"It was my pleasure." James smiles and leaves the room.

The door closes a little too loud and Julia starts to stir. I sit down where James was sitting, and Julia notices me.

"Trish....what are you doing here?" She slurs her speech, still half sleep. Her eyes barely open as she speaks.

"Shit girl, I knowwww that look. You take too many sleeping pills or something?" I joke but Julia definitely took some shit. You don't wake up like that unless you're drugged up.

"You didn't get my text? Saying I was coming over to see if the dress fit?" I ask.

Julia slowly sits up still out of it.

"Are you still here babysitting me too? You told me Trish could rip new hole in anyone, and I wouldn't need a bodyguard with her around." Julia starts to wake up more and I cackle at her comment.

"I didn't know she was coming. But now I want to see you in that dress, darlin." Nate flirts in front of me. Some things never change. He flirts with anybody with a pulse, that kid.

"Settle down, playboy." I wave him off like always and take the dress out of the garment bag. It's beautiful. A really dark deep green color and long. "Cmon, it will only take a minute. I have a spin class to go to soon."

"Alright, alright." Julia slowly gets out of bed and grabs a water from the mini fridge.

*****

"Hey, you try it on...I'm going to the lobby to grab a few coffees, ok? I'll be right back up to see it. Someone let me in when I knock this time though!!!" I yell through the bathroom door before leaving.

James is down the hall, and I quickly head to him. We walk into the elevator together.

"Something seems weird. Did you catch that?" I ask.

"Besides the fact that we were all in the same room together acting on edge?"

"Why would you be on edge? You were just doing your job. Delivering waters to her room." I don't understand what James means.

"What did you mean by Julia was busy yesterday? Never mind, it's none of my business."

"Oh, that. Yeah, I guess she brought someone to her room and did the deed in the shower with him." I laugh a little but as I'm saying that James's facial expression changes. Does James have a thing for Julia? Was he the one in the shower with her yesterday? By the jealous look and shock on his face I don't think he was.

"Ok. Well, I gotta run. Catcha ya another time." James quickly exits the elevator, leaving me dumbfounding. What the hell is going on with everyone today?

******

*James*

She DID have sex with Hollan, didn't she? In her fucking shower. And then had sex with me that same night? If my feelings for Julia weren't so damn strong, I would have let it go and just stay friends with her. But now, Hell, now I can't. I'm friggen addicted. What the hell did I do? I'm setting myself up for disaster.

I feel a headache coming on but have so much to do today, the first being to help my sisters out with my mom. I head to my car and open the glove box, rummaging for my bottle of Advil. I take two and try to erase everything from this morning while driving to Lindsay's house to get Maggie and then head to my mom's.

I pull up to Lindsay's house and see her waiting on her front steps watching Maggie play with her toy.

"Well look who it is!" Lindsay exclaims and our dog bolts to me before I can even get to the steps. I kneel down and let Mags lick my face and jump all over me. This dog makes everything better.

"Ok Ok Ok.. My God, you'd think I left three weeks ago!" I scruff up her fur and stand up, making my way to my ex. "Hey Linds." I kiss her on the cheek. Something's wrong. I can tell.

"Hey, you good?" I look her over and can tell she's not.

"You haven't talked to your sisters yet today, have you... sit down, James." Lindsay takes my hand, and we sit on the front steps.

"What's going on? My phone died a little while ago while I was at work. Are you fine??" I stare at Linds trying to read her facial expression.

"Ashley called me." She starts.

"Ashley, as in my sister Ashley?" Lindsay and I were together or awhile. She is still friends with all my sisters. Ashley must have tried to get ahold of me and couldn't and knows I'm still close with Linds, so tried her.

"Yes, Ashley, Ashley. I guess Katie had a doctor's appointment, so Ash was watching over your mom, and your mom freaked."

"Shit." I drop my head into my hands. My mom isn't good with change when it comes to her dementia. She gets confused easily and is used to our oldest sister, Katie, taking care of her every need. "Can I charge my phone here for a few minutes?"

"Of course, but wait. I'm not done. I don't think you should go over there today. I know you usually do." Lindsay gives me a look full of sympathy, and I feel a lump in my throat. "Your mom is stuck in the past a little today. She's having these awful memories of your dad, and Ashley said maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to go over because ...well you know..."

"I can't even go see my own mom? When is he going to stop fucking haunting us?" I almost yell but don't because I don't want to scare Maggie. She's not used to that. Instead, I sit on the front step and fucking cry like a baby. "God, I wish I could change the way I look and sound. I hate being affiliated with Joe. I hate resembling him. I HATE everything about him." I drop my head, and Lindsay brings me in and lets me rest my head on her shoulder while I cry, stroking my hair to calm me more.

"I know you do, James. I'm sorry. Come on in. Charge your phone and I'll make you a cup of coffee, ok? Have you eaten anything today?"

I don't answer. Lindsay knows my situation. She knows where my money goes. Food shopping isn't a top priority for myself right now. She lets out a sigh and takes my hand.

"I'll make you breakfast." She pulls me up with her and we go into her house with our dog following behind.

******

*Trisha*

I grab a bunch of pastries and coffee from the free breakfast in the hotel and bring it up to Julia's room. Nate opens the door, and I put the tray down, seeing Julia in her dress. She looks fucking stunning.

"Yay! It fits!!" I bend down to adjust the bottom a little. " Bitch, you are going to have men falling over for you when they see you walk the red carpet in this. I'm a little jealous! I could use a good..."

"Trisha!" Nate reprimands me and shakes his head. I just smile. He'll get over it.

"Oh please, you're one to talk." I stand up and looks over the dress to make sure it's perfect. "Are you excited Julia?" I ask and Julia nods. She is going to be beautiful for the awards Gala.

*****

I let Julia and Nate eat and leave the hotel for the day knowing I have a few appointments. One being a mani-pedi which takes a few hours and then my yoga class tonight.

 Once I'm home I settle down into the bath with some new bath and body shit I bought while out and about. Right as I sink into the warm water filled with bubbles my phone rings.

Nate.

"Hey. About time you call me, Playboy. Go ahead. Talk." He knows he needs to tell me what's going on with his sister. I sink into the water a little lower and give him all my attention now.

"Cara had a seizure in the middle of the night the other day." Nate explains.

"Oh fuck."

"Yeah, they don't know if it's from all the shit she has been taking or from them switching her meds around, so they are going to keep her a little longer. She had to be transferred up to the 3rd floor."

The 3rd floor... Shit... The THIRD FLOOR??

"The 3rd floor?? Why?? Isn't that the..."

"Yes."

"But she's not like that. She doesn't belong up there, Nate."

"She does, Trish. I told you it was bad. I didn't tell you how bad."

I can hear Nate opening a bottle. He's drinking tonight. Most likely Whiskey.

"Ok...so tell me now...before you get so drunk you can't talk at all."

"She stopped taking her meds...and..."

Nate pauses on the other line, and I sit up a little.

"She's been using."

"Ok...well, Cara's been doing that for years. That's not a shock to you, and it certainly doesn't put her on the 3rd floor."

"Trisha. Heroin...... She's been shooting up Heroin."

Holy shit.

"Heroin! But that's what -" I blurt out. This is so much more than I thought it would be. Rita is a Heroin addict and now her eighteen-year-old daughter is following in her mother's footsteps? Poor Nate. This is horrific news. No wonder he's fucking drunk all the time.

"I know. Please don't finish that sentence. I can't tonight, ok? I have too much shit in my head already."

"Christ, Nate. I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry. How are you holding up? Never mind. Don't answer that - I already know. What can I do? How can I help?"

"I could use a weekend off. Is that possible? Maybe closer to the end of the month?"

*****

*James*

Lindsay makes me pancakes, eggs, bacon, and let's me eat as much as I want. She makes extra for me to bring him and gives me a full carton of orange juice to go with it. I charged my phone in the process in the other room and could hear the million notifications from all my sisters.

"James. Why don't you crash here for a while before you shift. I don't want you going home and being alone." Lindsay has always been overprotective of me.

"Linds. I'm fine. I don't think I could sleep even if I wanted to." I watch her load her dishwasher while I clean off the table, giving Maggie a pancake in the process.

"James! Dog food. Not people food!" She slaps my hand away but the pancake drops right in Maggie's mouth. I smile at our pup.

"Seriously James. Sleep here. I will take a nap with you. I know that will help." She remembers. Sleeping alone when I'm stressed is hard. I don't require a ton of sleep but always end up getting rest when I sleep next to Lindsay for some reason.

"And ONLY sleep Mr. Gallo. I'm on my period anyways so I'm off limits."

"Please, you know that won't stop me. But fine. I'm not in the mood anyways," I give in, and we head up to her bed so I can rest a little before work.

Maggie sleeps right in between us as always.