[Natalia] Seriously?

[Ethan John Fox]

Ethan parked his car outside of Natalia’s place, he definitely hadn’t been here in a while. Everyone knew that Ethan didn’t talk about how he felt about things, he was pretty quiet, and if you wanted an answer from him you had to be direct. This Natalia weight thing? Just pissed him off. It was one thing to be healthy, it was another thing to look like you just got picked up from some third world country because someone finally decided to sponsor you. He placed his keys in his front pocket as he went up to her front door and knocked. Shortly after Natalia opened the door and he stared at her blankly. Without saying anything he moved past her and walked inside. “ What in the hell is wrong with you?” he asked before turning around to look at her finally. Ethan looked down at her, this new form she had and shook his head. “ I get that you are doing this.. health.. whatever bullshit. But you can be healthy without looking like a skeletor” he said angrily.

“ I mean seriously Natalia.. I know you’ve been working out a lot lately too. If your diet was going to change, you need to lessen how much you’re working out. You don’t need to burn the extra calories. You’re slipping away. Do you see that? You are literally slipping away. It’s not sexy. You have young impressionable fans.. they have no god damn clue what gluten is and I guarantee you that they aren’t going to research it. So what are they going to resort to? Illnesses. You of all people should know how that effects people,” he said with clenched teeth. Claire was important to both of them, and watching her battle with her own eating disorder had sort of been torturous. Not to mention the fact that as soon as her son was born, she’d probably slip right back into it to get into shape in time for her company to keep her signed. “ This.. This is not the woman that I fell in love with,” he said, gesturing to her. “ Do something about it. Now. This doesn’t involve just you. You wanted this life, you signed up for it.. you’re responsible for being a role model for young kids whether you want it or not, Richmond,”

[Natalia Anne Richmond]

Natalia laid on her bed staring up at the ceiling. Her house was so quiet without her family here. Her dad had called her earlier and told her that he and her mom were staying out in LA for a few more weeks and they were thinking about staying out there for good. Natalia let out a sigh as she rolled over and stared at the open ring box on her night table with the ring in it. Collin had given it to her when she released "Can't Be Tamed." It was a gorgeous ring and looked expensive too. She must have meant a lot to him for him to give her such an extravagant gift. Natalia walked got out of bed and walked over to her bedroom window when she heard a car door shut. To her surprise, Ethan was walking up to her house. Why? she thought, he hadn't been here in awhile and he hadn't called her. This was totally unexpected.He knocked on the door and she headed downstairs. Natalia slowly opened the door an looked at him, "Hi." she said as he just walked by her. Natalia closed the door, a little confused and then turned to look at him. She saw him just staring at her and it was freaking her out a little. Was he okay? Before she could say anything, he began to speak. Now she knew why he was here. "Skeletor? Ethan I..-" was all she could say before she was cut off.

Natalia stood there listening to him. This took a lot for Ethan to do. He wasn't the type of guy that would talk about his feelings or about what was bothering him. When he did, you knew that it was really getting to him. When he finished Natalia looked away from him. This made her mad, she wasn't unhealthy or sickly looking at all and for him just to come in her house and speak to her like that, was uncalled for. Natalia looked back at him as he started to speak again. Her jaw dropped a little when he said that this wasn't the same woman he fell in love with with. Now he was ordering her to do something about it? Who did he think he was? That was it, Natalia had enough. Natalia pulled her tshirt off over her head, revealing the light blue sports bra she had on under it. "Look at me Ethan. I am not unhealthy looking. Do you see my ribs sticking out? No!" she said as she pointed to them, "Do you see my shoulder blades or collar bones sticking out? No you don't." she turned around so her could see her back, "Are my back bones sticking out? NO they are not!." she turned around to face him again. "I am perfectly healthy. I am at the right weight for my height and age. I do not look sick or deathly. Before you come to me and try to tell me what's right for me and how I should live my life, I suggest you know everything and have all the facts before you come and make yourself look like an idiot. I have no idea what any of that was and it was uncalled for. My fans love me and always will. Just because I lost a few pounds, doesn't mean Im sick or anorexic." She looked away from him and then looked back at him, " 'This' may not be the woman you fell in love with but it sure is the woman you fell out if love with." she said as she walked past him and then into the kitchen. She couldn't be in the same room as him right then.

[Ethan John Fox]

“ I LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT?” he yelled back at Natalia, this time screaming at the top of his lungs. “ You are BORDERLINE in your weight range. If you are at all, I don’t believe that. No.. you’re ribs and your back bones aren’t popping out. But your hips are. And you want to be pissed off at me for giving a fucking shit about you? FINE. Be pissed.. but I am too Natalia.. THIS is NOT healthy.. I don’t give a shit if you think it is or not. You DON’T look good.” he continued yelling at her, “ If you keep going at this rate you are going to do detrimental damage to yourself. Do you understand that? I’m the idiot? Because you’re the one that is on a horrible path with your health right now. If you wanted to cut things out of your diet because you were allergic to it or what the fuck ever, you need to quit working out so much. Where the fuck are your curves? You want to talk to me about facts? The average size of the American woman is a size 12. A TWELVE, NATALIA. “ he said, still screaming at her. “ Don’t fucking tell me I haven’t done my research. I know who your fanbase is, and I know they can’t afford a membership to the gym. I know that they look at you like you’re a god damn God… and you don’t think you look sick.. they’ll look at you, and then they’ll look at their mothers, and they’ll look at their siblings.. and they don’t look like you. So what is that eight year old girl going to do? The same exact god damn things Claire fucking did.” he yelled as loudly as he could before turning to follow her into the kitchen. “ Yeah, we’re not dating anymore. And this is why. I am pissed off Natalia and I’m angry.. and instead of listening to me and what I have to say, you’re telling me I’m wrong right off the bat. And not only wrong.. but that I’m an idiot and didn’t do my research. FUCK that Natalia.. because I’m not. I’m someone that is here and cares about you and I don’t always go about things in the greatest way, but when I do shit like this, it’s because I give a god damn shit,” he said before he picked up her towel holder by the sink and threw it across the kitchen. “ Your fans will love you. I never said they wouldn’t. I said that they were impressionable. YOU look like an idiot,”

[Natalia Anne Richmond]

Ethan had never yelled at her before. Any other time she might have been scared,, but not this time. He was pissing her off. It took a bit to get her mad, but he was getting under her skin and she hated it. "GODDAMMIT ETHAN! You don't need to fucking yell at me like I'm a child or something." Natalia rarely ever swore in her life, but now it was just coming out. "You're not my fucking doctor. She says I'm fine and I am." Natalia looked down at her hips, "They are not sticking out." She sucked her stomach in as much as she could and then pushed her hips out, "This is fucking sticking out," she went back to normal, "This isn't. You see the difference? I am perfectly healthy. You may not think so, but I am. I'm sorry that I am not a fucking size 12, I'm sorry that my body just isn't meant to look like that. Would you like me to be a size 12 Ethan?" Natalia reached up into the cabinet, took out a bag of Lays Potato chips, opened them and then began eating them as fast as she could. She threw the chips on the floor and then looked at him, "What next, you want me to stuff 15 cheeseburgers down my throat? Too fucking bad Ethan. This is me, this is how I am. I don't need you telling me I look gross or unhealthy. I am happy with the way I am and if you can't accept that then that's your fucking problem not mine. We're not dating because you didn't know how to handle it. Not because of this. I would try to talk to you and you would be like whatever, so that was like a big 'fuck you' to me. But clearly now you have no problems with the fame and being a celebrity. What was so hard about being with me Ethan? Yeah I'm difficult but what the fuck Ethan?! Was I not fun to be around? What was it?...." Natalia looked looked away from him and took a deep breath. She needed to stop herself before this went down the wrong path. She looked back at him and spoke calmly, "You don't need to answer those... Ethan I appreciate you caring about me, but I am okay, really. I'm not losing anymore weight. I'm gaining muscle. I start taking supplements next week, but I do need to stay on this gluten-free diet.I like the way I look." Natalia picked up the chip bag and threw it in the trash. She looked over at the towel holder on the floor and sighed.

[Ethan John Fox]

Ethan lifted his eyebrow as Natalia started to swear back at him. Good, get mad. She needed to start expressing herself because clearly there was something going on that she wasn’t saying. “ What is this about, the fact that I broke up with you? Because I’m not here to talk about the fact that we broke up. Fuck what your doctor thinks Natalia. I’m not asking you to be a size 12 I’m saying in a young girls eyes you look thin and they are going to go to extreme measures to be your size.. even if that is the way THEIR FUCKING BODIES AREN’T MEANT TO BE LIKE YOURS,” he yelled out to her. He shook his head as she ate the potato chips. Actually, yeah. That did make him happy. He crossed his arms as he watched her, letting her carry on in her little rant. “ Are you fucking kidding me, Natalia?” he yelled out again. He was pretty sure all of the blood was rising to his head at this point and that just about all of his veins were bulging out of his neck. “ Don’t put fucking words in my mouth Natalia. I would try to talk to you the best way I knew how but it was never good enough for you. I do have a problem with fame. I do have a problem with being a celebrity. I have a problem with private life being taken out of the question.” he continued before he took in a deep breath to try and calm himself. “ Why can’t you take supplements now? Why wait until next week? I’m asking you.. and your crackassed doctor to be a little more responsible. You have responsibilities Natalia don’t you fucking dare abuse them. YOU are meant to be this way, sure. Maybe. You don’t look great. You’ve looked a lot better. And you’re the one that is going to look back and feel like shit when some little girl comes up to you with HER bones sticking out saying how much she admires you.” he said, before he turned away from her. “ And don’t you ever FUCKING dare call me an idiot, again. You’ve done a lot of stupid things Natalia, but I never thought we would go there.”

[Natalia Anne Richmond]

"This has nothing to do with the fact that we broke up. This has to do with you coming over here and flipping out on me for the dumbest reason in the world. I am fucking healthy for my height! I am five feet four inches and 104 pounds! That is healthy. If you really feel the need to tell somebody about themselves and what they should look like, go talk to Rosie," Natalia knew that probably wasn't the best thing to say to Ethan, but he couldn't think that she was okay with him just coming over here like this, "she needs to hear this as well. What is she 5'9 and 100 pounds? Oh sooooo much healthier, right Ethan? I do my research as well. Little girls look up to her too, I hear little girls that say they want to be on TV and walk all pretty just like Rosie. She has more grown up fans than I do and they're trying to be like her, that skinny. That's unhealthy. I don't understand why you're acting like I'm the only one in the world losing weight and the only one that has young fans. I'm taking them next week because the ones that they have here have gluten in them I need a special prescription and they're coming from LA." Natalia looked away from him when he said something about a little girl. That would kill her, but it wouldn't be her fault. Natalia looked back at him when he said not to call him an idiot again. "I'll call you whatever the fuck I want to Ethan. If you disrespect me the way you did, then I will say whatever the hell I want to." she pushed past him and grabbed the towel hanger to bring it back to the sink.

[Ethan John Fox]

Ethan stopped as she pushed by him and clenched his jaws together tightly. There was honestly an anger building up inside of him that he had never felt before. Rosie? Call him whatever she wanted? “Don’t fucking bring Rosie into this, this is a conversation about you not her.” he said , finding himself more and more irritated. “ Claire is basically the same height as you and only weighed a few pounds less and we ALL agreed she looked like shit” he said, no sense in trying to even talk calmly anymore. He was mad, he was gonna yell damnit. “ Rosie is a LINGERIE MODEL. A FUCKING LINGERIE MODEL,” he screamed at Natalia, “ Her career, her impressions, her role model responsibilities are different than yours. You want to bring her up? Rosie looks damn good,” he said as he threw his hands up in the air out of annoyance. “ What the fuck does this have to do with Rosie? Are you jealous? Why would you even bring her up?” he asked out of confusion. “Right. Natalia Richmond can’t get prescription supplements flown to her overnight,” he said with a slight shake of his head. ‘ Don’t involve Rosie. You should know better because of Claire. You should know better because of your fans. Rosie’s FUCKING JOB IS TO BE A SEX SYMBOL, to be unattainable…to some people..” he continued before he looked away awkwardly. He looked over at Natalia and suddenly all the anger left him. He wasn’t mad.. he was.. disappointed. This was her life. He shook his head as he looked down at the ground. She was never going to see the impact she had, what he was trying to get at. So none of it mattered, not really. “ Think what you want Natalia,” he said quietly, before he put his hands up and started to back away. “ I’m the horrible ex boyfriend who came in here and disrespected you. Sure. Tell whatever you want to people. We all know Anthony’ll take your side no matter what. “ he headed back towards the door, “ Have a good life Natalia. Nothing I do is good enough for you,”

[Natalia Anne Richmond]

Jealous? Natalia jealous of Rosie? Why in the world would she be jealous of her? "Oh you automatically think that I'm jealous when I bring her up. I guess you would think that. I am not jealous of Rosie. I have no reason to be. I'll admit it, I was at one point, but I'm not anymore. I got over it. I brought her up because it is unhealthy no matter what her job is. Think whatever you want Ethan." she bit her lip after he said those words, "to some people." why even go there? Natalia shook her head and looked down. Was this really happening right now? That's what close friends should never get into relationships. It ruins the friendship, just look at these two. Natalia kept her head down, she had never got this mad at anyone before. The cuss words were just slipping out of her and she never swore. She'd have to go to church later. Natalia felt her throat get dry and she quickly closed her eyes, there was no way in hell she was going to cry. She was going to be strong and hold it in. She felt the urge to cry slip away and then she opened her eyes again. Natalia looked over at Ethan as he backed away and headed towards the door. She shook her head lightly when he said tell people whatever you want to. She wasn't going to talk about this again. Natalia quickly walked over to the door and stood in front of it so he couldn't leave. "Ethan. don't say that. You know it's not true." She looked down at his hands and then grabbed them in hers and she looked up at him. There was no way they could just leave it at what just happened.

[Ethan John Fox]

Ethan sighed out of annoyance. “ Rosie’s job depends on her staying thin, it’s apples and oranges” he said before he brought his hands up to his nose and pinched it. He was getting a migraine, that much was certain. He was going to have to head to the bar after this. Whatever, this had nothing to do with Rosie. She had no right to bring Rosie up. This was him coming to her about her health, which – he didn’t care if a doctor said she was healthy or not- she didn’t look it. And she hadn’t responded about Claire and Anthony. Went ahead and counted himself a victory for that one. Ethan gripped his hands away from hers angrily. “ Not true?” he questioned before he gave a small nod. “ You even know why we broke up? You think it’s the fame?” he asked, lifting his eyebrow at her. “ We broke up because you put up a stupid status about our relationship and I got angry.. fine.. whatever.. shit happens. I’m not good at talking about things. I hold it in. Unless you ask me a direct question, I don’t answer it. You think I’m the only Fox that’s that way? Claire hasn’t told our parents that she is pregnant yet. “ he said with a slight shrug of his shoulder. “ I’m never going to react to things the way you want me to. I’m never going to think it’s okay to broadcast your personal life to the media. I’m never going to do things the way you want me to.. and you? You’re always going to think that I’m an idiot because of the way I react to things or that I’m disrespecting you. This… this is the closest thing I’ve done to caring about someone since I flew to see Rosie after Joel went into a coma. I don’t do things the way your Hollywood love stories do them so to you it’s disrespectful or not good enough. I had a chance to date my sisters best friend, someone I grew to fall in love with and care about. And she was the one that didn’t take the time to get to know me,” he said with a slight shake of his head. “You don’t want me in your life. Otherwise you would’ve tried to get to know how I handle things, reasonable or not. You would’ve met me half way. And now.. I’m here telling you.. we haven’t seen each other in months. Your weight brought me to your doorstep. And you want to tell me that it isn’t a big deal? “

[Natalia Anne Richmond]

Natalia let her hands hang down by her sides when he took his away."We broke up because you never took the time to sit down and try and talk to me. We had a fight and that's where it ended I said that when I come back to New York we could talk and work it all out, but you didn't want to. Actually all you said was 'I'll try' and then gave me nothing but questions and more and more doubt. I understand you're not good at talking about things, but I was trying to help you. Maybe I wasn't doing all that I could, but I was trying." Natalia remembered what she had posted that day and looked away from him, it was a mistake and she knew that know, but she was just so hurt. "Ethan I'm not okay with the media knowing my personal life. That was one time, one stupid mistake that I can't take back but I wish I could. When is the last time I have actually talked about my personal life on an interview or with the paparazzi? Never. I don't like them being in my business. I don't think you're an idiot. People say things when they're mad and I didn't mean it. You hurt me so I wanted to hurt you. I know you're smart, super smart.It was a bad choice of word usage. I know things aren't always going to be unicorns and rainbows, but I like to think positively and try to see the best, if that makes me naive then so be it. If it makes me a hopeless romantic, then so be it. I felt disrespected because you came into my house and started yelling at me, that's all....You think I didn't take time to know you? Ethan I knew you better than I knew myself. " Natalia looked away from him to discreetly stop a tear from coming down and then she looked back at him. "I do want you in my life, more than you'll ever know.These past few months of not seeing you have killed me. We may not be dating, but you are still one of my best friends." Natalia moved away from the door and sat down on the hallway steps. She looked up at him. If he wanted to leave, she wasn't going to fight with him to get him to stay. She didn't want him to leave, but it was his call. Stay here, or walk right out?

[Ethan John Fox]

“ I’m not going to sit here like a lap dog and say that everything is perfect and okay, always dirch my plans to do yours, follow you like a puppy,” he said, thinking to himself about Anthony. Ethan watched her, sitting on the steps. There it was again. He didn’t try. It was his fault, right? He decided not to respond, to keep his opinion to himself. Windows where Ethan talked about how he was feeling were extremely small. And whether it was true or not, he felt like she didn’t really understand. So instead of putting himself on repeat he decided to just stop the conversation. No sense in being a record that was skipping and repeating itself. “ Sure,” he said, in her response towards their past relationship. ‘ You’re absolutely right,” . It was easier to agree with someone than to disagree with them and continue a pointless fight. “ You look great. And healthy. I was completely wrong in our relationship,” he said, as he opened the door and started to make his way out. “ If you wanted me in your life you would’ve made the effort,” he said. And it was true, on both their parts. But they had avoided eachother, and for what? “ You’ve got everything you’ve ever wanted, Natalia. If you’re not happy.. .there’s a reason why. And maybe you should admit to yourself that you’re a little in the wrong. But I’m done. With all of it. I can’t explain myself anymore, there’s no point. Right?” he said, before he licked his lips. He stood there for a moment, looking at her silently before he shut the door behind himself and headed back towards his car.

[Natalia Anne Richmond]

There was so much Natalia wanted to say to him, so much she wanted to apologize for. She just couldn't find the words to say. He was giving up and not going to argue anymore. He was absolutely right about not being the little puppy dog anymore.He was always the one to do that and Natalia was realizing it, he couldnt do it anymore. She looked up at him as he began to open the door, was he really leaving? Natalia thought she was happy, but he had pointed something out that she had pushed in the back of her mind. There was something bothering her. She still loved him and she was always going to love him. He was her first love and there was no way in hell that she was going to let him walk out of her life. Natalia was pulled from her thoughts when she heard the door click. He left. Natalia took a deep breath and stood up quickly. She had to stop him. She needed him to know she understood. Natalia opened the front door and ran out to Ethan, "Ethan, wait." she said as she caught up to him. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I get, it, I really do." she wrapped her arms around his and pushed her face into his chest. "It took me so long to see it..I didn't want to. It was me..not you...I'm so sorry." she said into his chest.

[Ethan John Fox]

Ethan dug his keys out of his front pocket as he strode towards his car. Paparazzi had a tendency of hanging around Natalia’s place and for both their sakes he didn’t want anyone to think that him and her were having problems. It would haunt their future interviews for the next few weeks and he just didn’t feel like dealing with it. Interviews were an annoyance in the first damn place. He just wanted to get his paychecks, pay his tuition, pay for Claire’s, put money in an account he was saving up for her and Shane. He was just bringing his keys up to the car to unlock his door when he heard his name being called and he turned around, instantly having Natalia wrap her arms around him and bury her face into his chest. He made a confused expression as she spoke and then pat his hand against her back. Ethan was not someone who liked to be touched when he was angry, at all. What were you supposed to do when a girl was like this? Her face was in his chest, he couldn’t tell if she was crying. He blinked, narrowing his eyebrows before he wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders. “ I mean it’s fine just.. eat some more or.. don’t work out as much..” he said, patting her shoulder. He still didn’t think he need to apologize for coming in and yelling at her. Sorry, some people needed that in their life. When you’re surrounded by ‘yes men’ sometimes you need someone to shake things up in order to actually get your attention. But maybe it wasn’t his place to make any comments about her weight. She was taking on this whole new image. He’d heard Can’t Be Tamed. Which is why it was hard, but he had a hard time believing that her new body was solely a result of her wanting to be healthy. He felt a lot of it had to do with her wanting to portray this new sexy image. But the fact of the matter was, she had been sexier when she had curves. He had heard the song… if you’re gonna be my man understand I can’t be tamed,.. they try to change me and they realize they can’t, if you try to hold her back she might explode.. She’d written it that way for a reason. “ Just uh.. “ he said awkwardly , before patting her shoulder again, “ Just do you, Natalia.. none of my business,” he offered. Honestly he had no idea why he and Claire were so private. Actually.. Claire was only private with her parents. She would lay out dirty laundry in front of everyone if she was mad at you and wanted answers. But Ethan was sort of a different story. He didn’t just want his private life away from the media, he sort of kept it from a lot of people in his own life as well.