by Blythe Stone
“Nat was telling me about some of the drama on set. And I filled her in on some of the stuff at my school,” Olivia said.
“Which drama were you telling her about?”
“The whole stunt fiasco,” Nat said, rolling her eyes. “How they fought forever about minute positioning and just left me standing there for over an hour pretending to care.”
“Ah, yeah… that was shitty. I wasn’t even able to hang out with you,” Iris said. She kissed Nat and leaned closer to rest against her.
“How are you feeling?”
“Better,” Nat smiled. “Less stressed. Thanks to this one,” she flashed her eyes and nodded her head back, implying Olivia.
Olivia went to sit across from them on the other lounge.
“She’s pretty cool,” Iris admitted.
“I wanna play with you while I'm out here,” Olivia expressed. The flattery wasn't exactly something she could accept so she quickly moved on to something else, something happier.
“Oh, yeah! We should totally do that. I’ve got my guitar here but we can hopefully use the one Ellie leaves. If you’re okay with guitar. I don’t have a keyboard here but maybe we could get one."
“I can probably get one,” Nat suggested. “One of the P.A.'s would be on that in a heartbeat.”
“I just think it'd be fun,” Olivia said. “Therapeutic.”
“For sure, I’d love to try it,” Iris said.
“Thanks,” Olivia said. “I know you probably just want to relax when you're off.”
“Music is relaxing to me. It makes me so calm when I play off stage."
“Me too,” Olivia said. “I mean, it calms me too.” She wasn't comparing their lives and she worried it came off that way.
“Are you ready for Ellie?” Nat asked, anticipating the mess.
“Never was and never will be but I’ve got support this time."
She tugged on Nat’s shirtsleeve and smiled at Olivia.
“You guys have been so great about this,” Iris said.
“It honestly sounds stressful,” Olivia said. “If you want me to try to sneak around baggage claim and get that guitar before she has a chance, I'm game.”
“We might need a plan like that. She’s tricky but you don’t have to do that,” Iris said.
“Well, I would. This girl is on my shit list,” Olivia expressed.
“I’m really grateful for that. You know. I didn’t know what to expect when I met you and now I know exactly why Nat loves you."
“Yeah, Olivia is shit with compliments,” Nat mentioned, nuzzling close to Iris.
“Thank you,” Olivia said belatedly to Iris. “That's sweet.”
“I just wanted you to know that. I mean it,” Iris said.
Nat hugged Iris closer.
“Okay but Nat's right,” Olivia laughed. “I suck at accepting compliments.”
“It's adorable,” Nat teased.
“And dysfunctional,” Olivia proudly judged herself..
“Poor baby…” Nat soothed. “There's no fixing you.”
Olivia got up and set her wine down, stretching a little and then taking her hair down.
“I am going to get wet again,” Olivia warned. “Leave you two alone. I need to clear my head.”
“Take your time,” Nat said.
“You got it,” Olivia said, walking off.
“So, she’s okay, right?” Iris asked when Olivia was out of earshot.
“Yeah,” Nat huffed a laugh. “Yeah, she's okay.”
“What about you? You’re not still feeling like an asshole are you?”
“No,” Nat said. “We talked last night,” she explained. “I feel bad for before but we’re okay.”
“Good, I know she’s very important to you."
Talking was a distraction so she wanted to keep that going. Thinking was hard because the gravity of what was about to happen would grab her if she let it. To be eaten by her thoughts would mean descent into panic.
“She is,” Nat said. “It hurts me when I hurt her. I don't like it.”
A splash came from behind them as Olivia dove into the pool and started to slowly swim.
“Sometimes I get a little bit jealous though.”
“Jealous of what?” Iris asked.
“I still get mad that she's perfect,” Nat explained.
“Wait, you’re jealous that she’s perfect to you?” Iris asked.
“I get mad at her sometimes for things that aren't even her fault."
“Like what?” Iris asked.
“For one? That I like her so much.”
“What would have happened if she hadn’t met Avery?” Iris asked.
“I'll never know that,” Nat said. “But I don’t like to think about it. We weren’t healthy together. Not like now. Now she's an angel.”
“What do you want to happen with us?” Iris asked.
“What?” Nat asked, confused. “What do you mean?”
“After all of this, the movie and work, what would you like in the future?” Iris clarified.
“What would I like,” Nat repeated. “What would I like.” The question stressed her out.
“I’m just curious. You don’t have to know for sure."
“Iris,” Nat sighed, resting her forehead on her skin. “I would like to love you.”
“I want that too,” Iris said.
“Can I rephrase?” Nat asked, being careful. The "love" word was out there now. She couldn't take it back. It'd taken her a while to actually say it.
“Yes, of course,” Iris allowed.
“I'm falling in love with you, Iris.”
That was a lot all at once. A lot for Iris to hear. Tears sprang to her eyes and she sat up to look at Nat.
“I’m falling for you too, really hard,” Iris said.
“Yeah?” Nat asked, breathing in nervously.
“Yes. How could I not? You’re the you,” Iris said.
“What?” Nat laughed, getting teary herself.
“You’re the perfect one is what I’m trying to say,” Iris clarified.
“Iris,” Nat laughed in disbelief. “Do you have any idea how addicting you are?”
“Honestly, no. I have no idea but I’m beyond happy that you feel that way."
“I have been screwed this whole time baby,” Nat confessed softly.
“I’ll be happy to keep you screwed,” Iris teased.
Nat laughed.
Iris frowned when her phone buzzed in her jean pocket. She pulled it out and checked.
“She’s almost here,” Iris said.
Nat sighed and rubbed Iris's thighs. “Olivia will fuck her up for you, ya know. Just say the word.” Olivia was a gentle goddess so this was actually hilarious to imagine.
“That’s very sweet but I don’t think she’s worth it,” Iris snorted.
“Oh come on. Wouldn't that be fun to watch?”
“For sure. I’d kill to see her take Ellie down. It wouldn’t be easy.”
Iris sighed and got up just as she got another text to indicate that Ellie was at the door.
“I guess it’s time,” she said, offering Nat her hand.
She pulled Nat up and they walked back inside, leaving Olivia to do her thing.
There wasn't time. The countdown felt like nothing now as Iris made her way, heavily, to the front door.
She pulled the apartment door open and there stood Ellie, holding a guitar case that was more than familiar to her.
“Hey,” Iris greeted.
“Iris, it’s so good to see you.”
Ellie came in and set the guitar case down, pulling Iris into a hug. It went on for far longer than Iris was comfortable with so she started to shift back but Ellie kept a hold on her, rubbing her back. When Ellie did let Iris pull away she stopped to kiss her cheek.
“Ah, this is Nat and Nat this is Ellie,” Iris introduced.
“I know who she is,” Ellie said.
“Hey,” Nat said, not in any way willing to be nice to this person. J
ust the closeness they shared sent a prickling knife point up the full span of Nat's spine.
Seeing them together was unsettling. Ellie was acting like the wounded party and from what Iris told Nat, that did not at all line up.
Ellie focused on Iris again and smiled. “You look really good. How have you been?”
“I’m great. Can I have the guitar now?” Iris asked.
“Um, sure but can we just sit and talk… without her?” Ellie asked.
“Um. I can hear you,” Nat said, bothered.
“No, I’d rather you just give me the guitar and leave,” Iris defended.
“We need to talk though. I want to show you how I’ve been doing better and being better,” Ellie said.
Iris wasn't about to fall victim to another bullshit attempt from this girl to be decent or pretend.
“I’m with Nat now, Ellie. We’re together and even if that wasn’t true I wouldn’t want to be with you."
“No, come on, Iris. We shared so much and I know I messed up but this is just a fling with her. Come on,” Ellie said.
“Again. I can fucking hear you,” Nat said. There was something in Ellie's behavior that really bothered Nat. It was a selfish lilt.
“Fuck off, you tore me up and tortured me for a year,” Iris said.
“No, that wasn’t… I love you, Iris.” Ellie moved to Iris, taking a hold of her arm. “Come on, baby.”
Iris tried to pull away but Ellie kept a grip on her.
“Okay, stop!” Nat said, stepping in and pulling Ellie’s hand away from Iris’s skin.
The energy in the room had completely shifted. It was obvious to Natalie that Ellie was doing things Iris did not at all want.
“Get out,” Iris said.
“No, you don’t really want that,” Ellie tried. “Just come with me. We can go back to my hotel and talk without anyone else around.”
“Leave,” Iris repeated. She backed away and then turned, walking further into the apartment.
When Ellie tried to follow her, Nat quickly got in her way. “I think you should go,” she warned. “I can call security. Not that I need to but I can. She’s too mad to talk to you.”
“You need to chill. You’re nothing but a phase,” Ellie said. “She’s meant to be with me. You need to move so I can talk to my girl.”
Nat laughed. Annoyance bit at her. “Yeah, okay. I don’t need to do anything but if you don’t get out of here in the next thirty seconds we are going to have a real problem.”
Olivia came in from the back once she noticed the yelling. “Nat? Everything okay?”
“Call security for me,” Nat said. It was that easy. “They’ll be up in a second,” Nat warned.
“Iris tell her to back off,” Ellie called.
Iris walked back toward them and pushed past Nat, getting in Ellie’s face and then grabbing her arm and escorting her toward the door and then out of it.
They were in the hall now and Iris let go of Ellie. So much had happened between them that to mend it could take years and Ellie obviously wasn’t able to see how she’d been wrong.
“You ruined my life for a while and I have nothing else to say to you. Just get the fuck away from me. Nat is amazing and I’m in love with her. You never loved me.”
“I did! I do, baby! Please just listen. You know I'm the only one that tells you the truth- like, about your diet. Everyone else lies.” Ellie took Iris’s hands and tugged at her, pulling her toward the elevator.
“Let go of me!” Iris yelled.
“Okay, enough!” Nat said, moving to where they were and pushing Ellie hard in the chest, so hard that she fell back a little. “You’re acting crazy. You can’t just make someone do what you want them to do. That’s fucked up.”
Carefully, Nat led Iris to stand behind her. She didn’t want to fight Ellie but she hated that this seemed normal for them. This was very emotional anger and a tangible violence.
Iris was leaning into Nat’s back with her arm wrapped around Nat’s waist in case she needed to hold her back. But Nat had the energy of a gladiator who’d won many battles. Holding her back wouldn’t be needed.
“This isn’t over,” Ellie said.
“If you fucking touch her again you’re gonna get it and I won’t be fucking gentle. Get the hell out,” Nat bit but her words were level and controlled by her assurance.
“Just answer my calls,” Ellie said, looking past Nat to Iris.
“Leave now, we’ve given you so many chances and you’re going to get wrecked if you don’t leave,” Iris said.
“I love you,” Ellie called. She stepped into the elevator.
“I hate you,” Iris said back.
Ellie frowned. The words had no time to hit. Just before the doors closed on her, she yelled out.
“No you don’t. You love me!”
The doors shut and there was nothing else that could be said.
“Jesus Christ,” Nat sighed. Drama was never her thing. She could handle it but she avoided it when it was real.
“I’m so sorry guys. She’s insane,” Iris said, petting Nat’s stomach from behind.
“What an absolute cunt,” Olivia said, coming closer and staring at the closed elevator doors like a storm had just passed her. “Iris, that was insane. Do you two always fight like that?”
The way Olivia looked a hurricane level gust of wind could’ve blown swaths of debris down the hall and she’d look just the same.
“Toward the end we did,” Iris explained. “She was so good at tricking me into thinking she was so sweet for the first six months but she showed her true colors eventually. I think she’s obsessed with getting me back in that cycle.”
“Yikes,” Olivia said.
Nat turned and cradled Iris carefully. “I’m sorry baby.”
“No, I’m sorry. She said some messed up things and none of it was true. I love you and I don’t give a shit about her.”
“Are you okay?” Nat asked, shakily. The thought that Iris couldn’t give a shit about someone she used to love was somehow not very comforting.
Iris nodded and let go of Nat. She walked around to face her. “I’m okay but are you? I know she said some things.”
She’d told Natalie and Ellie, for that matter, that she loved Nat. It wasn’t the ideal first time for that to fully come out but she was glad that it did. Ellie’s manipulation could stick in her mind.
“I'm more concerned with how you were just treated, sweetie.” To say it made Nat angry was an understatement. The only reason she didn't draw blood was because she feared a negative reaction from Iris. And perhaps a leak to the TMZ with a recording attached or some god-awful fall out. Life was different when people knew who you were.
“She’s got a lot of issues,” Iris said. “I’m glad she left the guitar. That was what I was afraid of, that she would refuse to let me have it. I guess I should check it, to make sure.”
Iris didn’t want Nat upset about how Ellie treated her because it was just what she expected. She’d briefly considered, that by some miracle, Ellie could have changed but that wasn’t the case. Iris never would have gone back to her in any situation but it made it harder that Nat had to witness it.
“Ah, thank you both for what you did. I’m really glad you were here,” Iris said.
“No problem,” Nat muttered, kissing Iris's hair. It was still a hard to swallow pill. That anyone could treat Iris like that burned a fire up in Nat.
“Guess it's a good thing Avery wasn't here,” Olivia joked.
“Really?” Iris laughed. “Why? What would have happened?”
“It would not have been good,” Nat laughed.
“We all get a little touchy when it comes to stuff like that,” Olivia explained.
“She probably would've slammed her against a wall,” Nat explained.
“She sounds tough. I hope she never gets mad at me.” Iris led the way back into the apartment and shut the door.
“She wouldn't just attack someone,” Olivia smiled
. “Ellie attacked you though so Avery would've jumped to defend.”
“I’m just glad it’s over. Now, we can have some fun,” Iris said. She reached out and took Nat’s hands, spinning her in a circle. A huge weight was lifted from her.
“Wait, did you really call security? I mean, are dudes going to come storming in here any second?” Iris asked.
“Well, yeah. I'm sure we'll get a knock on the door soon,” Olivia said. “I'll call down and let them know the danger left.”
“Thanks sweetie,” Nat said.
Olivia walked off to use the phone.
“She didn't hurt you, right?” Nat wondered, checking the bare places of Iris's skin.
“Not really. She more scared me with how she grabbed my arm but I’m cool,” Iris said.
“Okay,” Nat said, rubbing her hands up and down Iris's forearms. “I'm not even sure what she was trying to do.”
“Make my life even more confusing, but she didn’t win. I feel so much better now. She used to be so good at getting under my skin but I called her out and stood my ground,” Iris said.
“Do you think you'll ever see her again?”
“Not if she has any self-respect, which is looking less and less likely,” Iris said.
She let go of Nat and sat down on the couch.
“I don’t care if she does come around. I’ve got you,” Iris assured.
“Yeah but…” Nat thought about talking about it more but then she stopped.
Olivia came back from the other room, rubbed Nat's lower back, and handed her a glass of wine.
“Thank you, Olivia. I’m sorry you had to get mixed up in this on your vacation,” Iris said.
From the couch, Iris could see that Nat’s face still showed some concern. It broke her heart a little. They had both stood by her and they deserved to know there was no more danger.
“What’s wrong, Nat?” Iris asked.
“I just hate that,” Nat said, drinking some wine. “That she could treat you that way. It's upsetting.”
“It is. It’s over though,” Iris said. She got up and walked over to the guitar case and took it back to the couch. She opened it and sighed. The guitar was there and it was in perfect condition.
“She didn’t fuck it up,” Iris said.
“Woooow,” Olivia said, admiring it.
Nat sat down in a chair and Olivia hovered close to her, touching her skin while staring at Iris and the guitar.