Jordan received non-stop calls from news outlets, asking for interviews and comments.
And to add the perfect fucking cherry on top, of course Johnathan Bennett had to chime in about it whenever he was on TV or on his socials.
As with any celebrity scandal, Dean knew it would blow over as soon as the next big scandal took the spotlight. But he needed it to happen sooner rather than later as he was concerned about Colton, and what the whole ordeal could mean for him. The music industry was accepting and forgiving, but the NFL? A large part of the fan base was ultra conservative, and bat-shit crazy!
As much as it hurt, he knew what needed to be done. He grabbed his phone…
Dean: Maybe we shouldn’t hang out for a while, until this blows over…for your sake.
No sooner than Dean had sent the message, and Colton was calling. He was not having it.
“Are you fucking kidding me? We're not letting some assholes win and you're not shutting me out!”
“I’m not shutting you out, Colton. I’m trying to protect you from this mess I created.”
Colton huffed into the phone. “Youdidn’t create this mess. Those fuckers in the media did.”
“Yes, but they did it because of my actions. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have been so careless.”
“You weren’t careless! We were celebrating and it was fun. I'll be damned if I let the media ruin it for us.”
Dean’s heart was racing. Why did this feel like a breakup? He struggled to keep his breath steady. He just needed to stay calm and talk Colton down off the ledge. He took a calming breath and continued…
“I’m getting nasty comments on my socials, on any photos with you. Jordan has been fielding calls all day from media outlets asking for statements. And you can’t tell me that you aren’t getting calls too.”
“Of course I’m getting calls. And there were reporters at the facility this morning. But it’s no big deal. Just ignore it.”
Dean sighed and went on, “Look, we can still talk or text every day. I just think we shouldn’t be seen together for a while. Maybe a month, until all this blows over.”
Dean heard something between a whimper and a growl from Colton.
“I can’t go a month without seeing you, man! Let's just hang out at the loft?”
“And what if someone follows you from the facility to my loft? And then the media will know where I live? That would be a real shitshow!”
Colton let out a long sigh.
“You’re right. I hadn’t thought about that”
“Look, neither of us wants this, but I think it’s the best way to handle this situation. A month will be over before you know it and we’ll be drinking beer and grilling by the pool again in no time. Deal?”
“Deal.” Colton sighed again.
After a day of reflection, a fitful sleep, and yes, a few tears, Dean posted a new video to his followers on Instagram.
“Hello, my Little Devils. You all know what’s happening, so I’m not going to go into any details but…” Dean let out a huge sigh and did his best to ignore the dark, puffy bags under his eyes. “I try to live my life as a positive person, and to make the world around me a better place. It’s no secret that the world can be a hateful, fucked up place, but we can all make an effort to make it better. We can communicate with one another from a place of empathy and understanding, instead of from hate. I’m using this recent unpleasant experience as inspiration for new music…making lemonade out of lemons, you might say.”
Dean reached down and placed a guitar around his neck.
“I wanted to take a quick minute to say thank you. Thank you to everyone that has defended me, come to my rescue, and clapped back at the haters that invaded my social media. Your love and support mean the world to me, and you outshine all the negativity coming at me right now. For that, I am eternally grateful.”
Dean positioned himself to play the guitar.
“I wanted to say thank you the best way I know how…by singing you a song”
Dean began strumming his guitar, singing the first verse and chorus of 'Imagine'.
He finished the song with a grateful smile to the camera.
