Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 109038 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109038 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
I looked at his profile again when I had a short break for lunch. And again in the limo on the way to this premiere.
My mind feels like it’s spinning on a hamster wheel.
Fold up the box.
Put it away again.
Slide it next to the others, in the dark.
“Okay,” Emily says, jarring me out of my thoughts. “Let’s get out there, if you’re ready.”
I pull in a quick breath, adjusting my suit jacket. “I’m the master of putting on a happy face. Tonight will be easy.”
She pushes open the limo door again and steps out ahead of me into the chaos of the premiere. Fans are waiting right there, pressed up against the barriers that seem to barely hold them back. The walkway leading out of the limo is a sea of phone cameras pointed at me and there are some girls wearing Yard Line shirts with my face printed on them, even though this premiere has nothing to do with me.
I smile softly and wave.
I try to make eye contact with as many fans as possible. I’m getting a lot better at that, now, too. A rush of screams moves through the crowd and dozens of cameras turn toward me, the flashing beginning instantly.
I surrender to the current.
These days, I feel like I’m sliding on a mask when I attend big events. My team taught me how to pose for pictures a bit better, and I do some where I’m smiling, and some where I’m not.
Luckily, I’m one of the last celebrities to walk the carpet.
“Looking absolutely dapper as always, Logan,” a TV show host tells me at the end of the carpet, immediately holding a microphone beneath my chin. “How does it feel to be here in New York again?”
“It feels amazing,” I tell her. “I love this city.”
“What’s your favorite thing to do while you’re in the Big Apple?”
I shift on my feet.
Well, I didn’t exactly get out and see the city much, last time.
“I love the food. I also love the people.”
“New York has lots to offer. Do you have any plans for the evening after the premiere?”
“Ah, yes, actually,” I say into the microphone. “My co-star Charlie is hosting an afterparty. I’m excited for that.”
“We know that fans love seeing you and Charlie Maccan becoming such good friends, especially after some of the events on the show.”
I give her a polite laugh. “Yes, on the show, we can be at each other’s necks. But in real life, he’s one of my besties.”
Besties.
Is that even a word I’d ever use outside of quick little interviews? No.
But I’ve been told that quippy lines and language make for the best soundbites and short-form content.
We make it into the premiere quickly. Inside, I’m seated by Charlie, and at least a dozen people come by to ask for photos of the two of us before the screening begins. On Yard Line I play a quarterback and he plays a linebacker, and in the show, we’re frenemies on a good day and complete rivals on the next. People love taking pictures of us playing nicey-nice in real life.
The movie is a period drama about a shipwreck. Despite Oscar-worthy performances, I struggle to pay attention the whole way through.
Caitlyn’s sitting in the row in front of me, and right as the lights dim in the theater, I see the man beside her lean in and press a kiss to her lips.
My stomach twists.
It’s not that I’m jealous. I’m very happy for her.
But I instantly know what this means for the next few weeks of my life. The moment somebody sees that she’s dating someone new, all of social media is going to blow up about how she’s moved on before Logan has.
I can write these goddamn headlines in my mind, now.
I tap Charlie on the arm, leaning over to whisper to him. “Is it better to have gossip spreading about me fucking Cait, or about me getting ditched by Cait?”
He glances in front of us, seeing her getting cozy with the new guy. “Oh, you are screwed, Logan.”
I scrub my palms over my face. “How bad could it be?”
He gives me a look. “You know how bad it can be. Want me to kiss you out on the streets so that they have something else to talk about?”
He snorts and I give him a little shove, shaking my head. “I think a lot of people would kill for that, but no.”
Charlie shrugs. “I’d do it. You let me know, bud.”
He’s suppressing a cackle, now, right at a part where the movie is at an emotional scene after a storm. Charlie knows I’ve been with men, but he’s straight and apparently finds it hilarious to think about kissing me for the headlines.
Charlie is so much better at fame than I am. It’s like he was born for it, and everything that gets published about him just slides off his back.