‘And what’s so wrong with that?’ She laughed, her bloodshot eyes staring into mine, challenging me. She wanted more information on my I hadn’t told her who my ‘mystery girlfriend’ was, but there was no way I was going to tell a pothead and my probably delusional fake girlfriend about Max so I just huffed and took a deep breath.

I decided that I wasn’t going to deal with this. I wasn’t her real boyfriend.

I got the phone attached to the wall and asked the housekeeper to get a trusted doctor to come see them. She complied and I looked over to make sure that they were both still breathing, and surprise Zach was fast asleep.

Probably dead.

Yeah, I’m going to say dead.

Seeing Zach reminded me of the conversation I had a few months ago with Karly Grayson which first made her suspicious of my relationship with Claudia.

I walked into the crowded club, the base of the music loud in my ears. I walked past the dancing people, taking a seat in the back, where it was moderately quiet.

All of my normal thoughts were pushed to the side as I waited impatiently, tapping my foot against the table leg every few seconds.

I waited for a few minutes when a woman came over to me, long straight hair falling over her shoulders and a folder in her hand.

‘Mr Connors, I’m so glad you came.’

‘Well, when someone tells me that they have information I should know, it makes me curious,’ I told her, motioning for her to sit at the chair next to mine.

I had gotten a call that morning from a woman claiming to be a reporter with important information and photos I needed to see. When she told me that I instantly though that she had gotten her hands on photos of Max and I, freaking out, I told her a time and place, not telling anyone where I was going.

I hadn’t been able to think straight since that phone call.

‘I have some photos that I stopped from getting released today. I thought you deserved to see them before they are released.’

Her eyes were kind and I sensed that she was being genuine. It surprised me, this young woman actually cared, a woman who I had never met in my life.

She opened the folder and handed me a couple of photos that I definatley wasn’t expecting to see.

‘I’m so sorry,’ she told me, placing her hand on my arm.

I tried, I really did, but laughter escaped my mouth. She pulled her hand away harshly and looked at me with confused eyes.

The photos had nothing to do with Max and I, and all to do with Claudia and Zach. In the photos a very drunk looking Claudia, wearing the same dark blue dress she wore a week ago, was making out with Zach against a car, her hands threaded through his blond hair, and in the next photo they were getting into a car.

To the public, not only were we dating, but Claudia was clean and sober after winning her battle with addiction.

‘What’s funny about that?’ the woman asked and I handed the photos back to her, leaning forward and staring into her eyes, harshly saying the exact words which Robert had told me to say in this situation.

‘These photos get published, we will deny each and every one, say they were from a dark time in her life, and make you out to be the big bad reporter out to destroy our prefect relationship. Make the right choice,’ I stood up and walked away.

I had seen the shock in her eyes at my words, but I just kept walking, my head held high to the exit and drove to Robert, ready to start damage control.

The reporter did end up publishing those photos and we did exactly what we told her we would do. It only made people love us more, we had overcome adversity, we were the love that those bad reporters were trying to break apart. We became a story of strength in the face of the media and the next week my song hit number one.

Since that night she had suspected that the relationship was fake-

*Bring* *Bring* *Bring*

I was pulled from my thoughts when my phone rang in my pocket and I left the room, while checking the caller ID. The name was ‘Maxxie’ and I frowned at the phone. I hate to cancel on him, especially on our anniversary.

I kept my voice low in case he pot heads behind the door could hear me.

‘Hey,’ I quietly answered the phone.

‘Oh god, you’ve been kidnapped, where are you?’

‘Huh?’ what is my boyfriend on?

‘Where are you? I’m going to kill whoever did this!’

‘Ryan Honey, where are you?’ Claudia yelled from inside the room.

‘Shut-up!’ I yelled at the annoying woman.

‘Claudia’s there?’ Max sounded alarmed, ‘She kidnapped you didn’t she! I wanted an excuse to murder that bitch!’

‘Max!’ I yelled and it seemed to pull him from his thoughts of a murderous rampage long enough for me to speak.

‘What?’

‘I haven’t been kidnapped!’ I laughed into the phone.

‘What?’ he asked, his voice calmer than before.

‘I am just at Claudia’s house. I am fine,’ I reassured my boyfriend and I heard him let out a sigh.

He was supposed to be the sane one between us, but he is a protective person, and it warmed my heart to think he would commit murder for me.

Is that bad?

Eh, who cares?

Not me, I’m not the one getting murdered, I’m the one who’s saved!

Price charming Max, oh he would look so hot-

‘Ryan?’

‘Oh, sorry, what?’

‘So now that I have had an anxiety attack thinking you were about to be murdered, please tell me why you called.’

I laughed at him and his absurdness, I wasn’t being kidnapped. Well, just followed by a psychopath reporter and her photographer. Yeah that’s pretty bad too. I should dull that down for Max, to prevent further stress to that glorious body of his.

‘I am just being followed a bit more by paparazzi than usual today, I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to come over tonight.’

‘Can we meet at all?’ He asked gently and I felt awful.

‘Probably not.’

He took a pause and I was worried for a second but he started talking, and I felt like passing out after hearing what he said.

‘Well, I was going to wait until tonight to talk about this, but since there won’t be a tonight, can we talk about something?’

‘Yeah, what’s up?’

‘I- I-‘

‘Hey, Max, you can tell me anything,’ I tried to reassure him. He was usually the relaxed one, he never stuttered, so I knew whatever it was must have been important.

I decided I was going home, the doctor would deal with Claudia and Zach, so I was halfway down the stairs when he said something that made me almost faint with surprise.

‘I want us to come out,’ he spoke quickly but clearly, yet I couldn’t help but want to clarify this words. He what now?

‘What?’

‘Come out to the public, as a couple.'

Oh god. Oh no. Not this. We are going so great then he just turns on me like this?

We had such a good thing going, and now what? We throw away our careers, our image, everything we worked so hard on?

I don’t think so.

I wanted to be out with him in public, of course, but it wasn’t the same for me as it was for him. Max’s family had money, he grew up in big houses, in fancy neighbourhoods, with love and affection. He followed his dream of acting for the love of it, not the money.

It was so different for me, I grew up with nothing, and when my parents died I was only thirteen and was raised by my brother. I loved singing, but the pay check was what allowed me to put my brother through college and to make sure that I could have a stable life. I couldn’t throw all that away.

Robert told me that my image and dating Claudia was what kept my songs at the top, I couldn’t let that just slip through my fingers.

I owed Claudia so much, how could I just let her down like that? And to leave her? She was sure to hate me.

I loved Max, with everything I was, but I couldn’t do it.

How do I tell him that?

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