Ward was amuchbetter actor than he gave himself credit for. I knew he thought he was terrible at this, but he was perfect. He’d been the perfect boyfriend all day, even when we were flying here.
“Do I get an introduction?” Matt asked, turning his attention to Ward.
“Sure. Ward, this is Matt Rolander, we worked on half a movie together once before he walked off set,” I said. “Matt, this is—”
“So you’re not telling him we used to be a thing?” Matt raised an eyebrow, tutting. “C’mon Ryder, don’t lie to the man.”
“I knew that,” Ward said. Matt probably wouldn’t hear the way his voice shook. Ward was a terrible liar, so he never so much as tried.
Except for right now, when he was lying to defend me.
I’d always known Ward was perfect, but I felt like I hadn’t reallyunderstoodit before. Right now, though, seeing him in contrast with Matt—the only person I’d slept with more than once in my entire life—it couldn’t have been clearer how much better he was. How much more he cared about me.
That moment of clarity came with another one: I wanted this to be real.
I wanted it so much it hurt.
And I knew I couldn’t have it.
“Aww, you tell each other everything,” Matt mocked. “Cute.”
“As opposed to what?” Ward spoke up.
I couldn’t believe he was doing this. I’d called him brave earlier, but this was outright courageous.
His hand was still curled around my hip, and he had Matt on the back foot—the only time I’d ever seenanyoneaccomplish that.
This was the sexiest thing anyone had ever done for me.
Once Matt recovered from not having a smartass response for maybe the first time in his life, he snorted.
“Oh he’sadorable.” Matt laughed, waving at the two of us with the hand not holding what had to be his fourth or fifth beer. “Look at you with your little down-home-wholesome boy-next-door cutie pie boyfriend. Is everybody seeing this?”
Ward’s fingers tensed on my hip.
This wasn’t fair to him. This was what I’d been afraid of. I hadn’t known Matt would react like I’d personally run over his grandma—if he cared about her at all—but I’d been afraid something like this would happen.
Something that would make Ward the center of attention when he really,reallydidn’t want to be.
He wasn’t cut out for this and I hated myself for putting him through it.
“You think you can just waltz in here with this guy and we’ll all forget about what happenedlast week? C’mon Ryder, no one’s buying your little publicity stunt.”
My blood ran cold.
I’d been nervous about people seeing through the act, too, but I’d told myself no one would bring it up. Not in public, not like this.
“How did that video go?” Matt asked. “Something like…”
He paused to clear his throat, and if anyone hadn’t been paying attention before, they sure as hell were now.
“Yeah, yeah, I want it,” he began in what I wanted to think was a terrible impression of me but was actually pretty good. “You’resobig. No, no, I love it. Come here.”
If you’d asked Ward—or Seth, or anyone who knew me,reallyknew me, they’d tell you I was shameless. That I was never embarrassed about anything, that it was what made me, if not a great actor, then at least a good one. A good one who found it easy.
Right now, though?
I couldn’t keep looking at Matt. Or anyone else.
