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 wearingYard Lineshirts 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 fansloveseeing 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. OnYard LineI 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.
