Zack's phone buzzed incessantly on the nightstand, the screen lighting up with an endless stream of notifications.
It had barely been 12 hours since the dinner with Kieran, and already, the internet was ablaze with new headlines and fan theories.
He sat up reluctantly, reaching for his phone. The first notification he saw was a tag on a gossip site's post:
> "Kieran Knight's Romantic Dinner! Who is the mysterious Zack?"
Zack groaned, swiping through the other notifications. His social media mentions were flooded with comments, ranging from flattering to outright invasive.
> "Omg, they're so cute together!"
"Zack is punching WAY above his weight."
"This relationship is 100% fake."
Zack set the phone down, burying his face in his hands.
He'd known the dinner would attract attention, but this level of scrutiny was suffocating.
I should've seen this coming. Of course, the media was going to go wild over last night.
But why do people care so much? It's not like this is even real.
And the comments—God, the comments. People dissecting every little thing about me, about us.
I don't know how Kieran deals with this.
The sound of footsteps pulled Zack from his thoughts. He looked up just as Kieran walked into the room, holding two mugs of coffee.
"Morning," Kieran said, handing one to Zack with a small smile. "Rough start?"
"You could say that," Zack muttered, taking a sip of the coffee. "Have you seen the headlines?"
Kieran shrugged, settling into the chair across from him. "Not yet, but I can guess. Let me guess—they're analyzing everything from the way I held your hand to the way you looked at the dessert."
Zack snorted despite himself. "Pretty much."
Kieran leaned back, his expression thoughtful. "It's always like this after a big public event. The media needs something to talk about, and right now, we're it. It'll die down eventually."
"Eventually," Zack echoed, his voice flat.
Easy for him to say. He's used to this.
Me? I'm just trying to survive without having a meltdown every time my phone buzzes.
Kieran seemed to sense Zack's frustration because he leaned forward, his tone softening.
"Hey, I know this isn't easy. But you're doing better than you think."
Zack glanced at him, the sincerity in Kieran's voice catching him off guard. "Am I? Because it feels like I'm one wrong move away from screwing everything up."
Kieran's smile was warm, reassuring. "Trust me, you're not. And if anyone gives you a hard time, I'll handle it."
Zack studied him for a moment, his chest tightening. Kieran always seemed so calm, so confident, like nothing could faze him. But Zack couldn't help wondering if it was all just an act.
"Kieran," Zack said hesitantly. "How do you do it? Deal with all of this—the headlines, the comments, the constant attention? Doesn't it ever… get to you?"
Kieran's smile faltered slightly, and for a moment, he looked almost vulnerable.
"Yeah," Kieran admitted, his voice quieter. "It gets to me sometimes.
But I've learned to tune most of it out. The only opinions that matter are the ones from people I actually care about."
There it is. The real Kieran.
He makes it look so effortless, but I can see it now—the cracks in the armor.
Maybe we're more alike than I thought.
The room fell quiet for a moment, the weight of Kieran's words hanging in the air.
Zack wasn't sure what to say, so he simply nodded, letting the silence stretch between them.
Eventually, Kieran stood, setting his empty mug on the counter. "Come on," he said, offering Zack a hand. "Let's get out of here for a bit."
"Out? As in outside?" Zack asked, raising an eyebrow. "You realize the paparazzi are probably camped outside your gate, right?"
Kieran smirked. "Relax. I've got a plan."
Twenty minutes later, Zack found himself in Kieran's car, the windows tinted to keep prying eyes away.
Kieran had swapped his usual polished look for a hoodie and sunglasses, doing his best to look unrecognizable.
"Where are we going?" Zack asked as they pulled out of the driveway.
"You'll see," Kieran said, a playful smile tugging at his lips.
They drove for a while, eventually reaching a secluded park tucked away in the hills.
Kieran parked the car and led Zack to a small clearing surrounded by trees, the city skyline visible in the distance.
"Wow," Zack said, taking in the view. "This is… beautiful."
Kieran grinned, shoving his hands into his pockets. "It's my favorite spot. No cameras, no crowds—just peace and quiet."
Zack glanced at him, surprised by the admission. "I didn't think you'd be the kind of guy to go looking for peace and quiet."
"Everyone needs it sometimes," Kieran said, his voice soft. "Even me."
Every time I think I've figured him out, he does something like this.
He's not just the confident, charming movie star. There's more to him than that.
And I think… I want to know more.
They sat in the clearing for a while, talking about everything and nothing.
For the first time in weeks, Zack felt like he could breathe.
"Thanks for this," Zack said eventually, glancing at Kieran. "I needed it."
Kieran smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Anytime."
The moment lingered, the air between them charged with something unspoken.
Zack's heart raced as Kieran's gaze held his, the intensity in those gray eyes making it impossible to look away.
But just as quickly as it started, Kieran leaned back, breaking the spell.
"We should head back before Alicia sends out a search party," he said lightly.
Zack nodded, though his thoughts were far from light.
What the hell was that?
Is this still part of the act, or… was it something else?
I don't know anymore. And that terrifies me.
As they drove back to Kieran's house, Zack stared out the window, his mind racing.
The line between fake and real was growing blurrier by the day, and Zack wasn't sure how much longer he could keep pretending it didn't matter.