Spectrum

63

Natalia's  POV

"Mami and Papi just landed." Nathanial says, reading the text that our mother just sent the group.

"How was their flight?" I ask.

"Good, I'm assuming. They said that they would see us once we get back." He replies. 

"I can't believe we managed to talk them into coming to Mexico with us." I laugh.

"I know. They wanted to go just as badly as we did. Now change the music to something else. Bad Bunny or something." He says, messing with the car radio.

"No, let's listen to Isabela Merced!" I exclaim, switching the radio over to Bluetooth. 

"That's all you ever listen to!" He groans.

"What do you suggest?" I ask.

"I don't know...the radio?" He suggests.

"God, what year is it? Twenty ten?" I laugh.

"Okay, okay." He says, shoving my shoulder playfully. "How about you just focus on the road, yeah?" He suggests.

"Yeah, yeah." I reply. "God, I missed La Quemada." 

"I missed Mexico. God, I have no idea when I'll be back." Nathanial mutters in reply.

"Home sick, si?" I ask.

"Si." He replies with a sigh. "I don't know. I just feel like...I miss Grace. Don't get me wrong. I really miss Grace. But if I'm being honest, I think I miss LA more." He shrugs.

"More than Miami? You always talk about Miami. You practically beg me ever other week to move to Miami." I laugh.

"Yeah, because sometimes it gets lonely. Grace is just so busy with her vlogs and her friends. I thought that once she got pregnant it would slow down a bit, but it hasn't. I don't know. I love Miami. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love the city and the beach. There is so much to love about Miami. I just wish I had all of the people that I loved out there, too." He sighs.

"Have you talked to her about moving to LA? I mean, it's LA. She would absolutely thrive with the vlogs out there." I point out.

"She doesn't want to leave her family or friends." He adds.

"But it's okay for you to leave yours?" I ask.

"I don't know..." He mutters. "Nat, can I tell you something?" 

"Yeah, of course." I reply, glancing over at him with concern. He has a guilty look on his face.

"It's about Grayson." He mutters.

"I don't want to talk about Grayson." I reply quickly, turning the music up in the car.

Nathanial turns it down almost immediately and lets out a groan.

"Promise me that you won't be mad." He says.

"Why would I be mad?" I ask.

"Just...promise, okay?" He says. 

"No. Not until you tell me what all of this is about." I reply. "Now hurry, you're making me anxious." 

"It's just...that night at the bar." He starts.

"You mean the night that he cheated on me and you didn't tell me?" I reply.

"Yeah." He mutters. "I just...listen, I don't like this guy, alright? I don't approve of that relationship. I don't think I ever will. I don't think he's good enough for you. I don't think he is capable of taking care of you when it comes to the things that matter. Yeah, he has money and a good career. But if something happens to you, I don't think he'll be able to handle himself. Let alone handle you in the situation. However, I might have....over reacted a bit?" He says carefully.

"Nathanial, what the hell are you talking about?" I ask, pulling the car over to the side of the road. 

"God, Nat." Nathanial says, looking out the window to see where we're parked. "You're going to fucking kill us like this. At least find a parking lot so we're not just hanging off the side of the road. That's a steep drop-off." He points out.

"I'll move this car when you tell me what the hell is going on." I say.

"Let me start off by saying that I didn't mean for it to escalate like this! I figured that you would just...be mad and leave the guy. I didn't think that you would quit your job over this." He defends.

"Nathanial!" I yell, ushering for him to continue.

"Okay, okay!" He says. "That night at the bar...I didn't know that he was going to be there, okay? He was sitting with Shane and his sister. He wasn't talking to anyone or doing anything." He says.

"Okay..." I say, feeling the anxiety build.

"I approached him. Well, kind of. I kind of placed myself where he was sure to see me. I know he's too polite to ignore me. So of course, he approached me. He was so drunk, though. And he started acting...weird. He started talking about how he was rich and was worthy of you. So I just kind of...I made it so that he would fuck up." He admits.

"You what?" I ask in nearly a whisper.

"I was with Brooke and Marcus. Well, technically it was only me and Marcus. Brooke was there, too. Marcus wanted for us to meet up with her while she was there. I know that Brooke liked to flirt and...I knew that Grayson was super drunk." 

"Oh my God. Nathanial, I'm begging you to tell me that you didn't..." I begin.

"I told Brooke to flirt with him. I continued to give Grayson drinks. His friend and his sister tried getting him to go home. They tried really hard. He just wouldn't leave. I knew that this was because of me. He didn't want to back down and in his mind, I'm sure going home would mean that everything I was saying was right." He sighs.

"What were you saying?" I ask.

"I was saying that he wouldn't ever be enough..." He admits.

"I can't believe this." I reply.

"I'm sorry, Nat." He says.

"You...I can't fucking believe this." I say. "Do you understand how fucking stupid I look right now? I have been standing up for you! I had been defending you whenever they tell me that you're rude. I've been defending you until the end! I believed you over my own boyfriend. Because I never would have imagined that my own brother...my family...would lie to me like this. What if the roles were reversed? What if I had been fed drinks by someone until I had no idea what I was doing?" I yell.

"Nat, I know. Okay? I know. It's shitty. I do feel bad about this. I thought I would have felt good after it but...I didn't. I feel bad. I didn't ever imagine that you would quit your job and feel so bad about this. I didn't think it was that serious." He replies.

"You're a monster. You had some girl take advantage of Grayson. He was drunk, Nathanial! He had no idea what he was doing. I knew how drunk he was when he got home that night. I can't believe this. You're fucking disgusting." I say, getting out of the car.

"Nat! Where are you going?" He asks, opening the passenger side door.

"I'm calling Grayson and working this out. Now stay the fuck away from me." I spit out in reply. 

When I dial Grayson's number, it goes straight to voicemail. 

"Fuck!" I yell, walking a few feet away from the road to try again. It's probably a service thing. It has to be a service thing. Grayson never has his phone off. He never stays more than three feet away from his phone at all times. I press his contact once more and wait for it to ring, only to be greeting with his voice mail once more.

"Nat, watch out!" Nathanial yells. 

Suddenly, I feel my foot slip on the mud that I'm standing on. Unable to catch myself, I slip and begin falling down the steep earth before everything goes dark.