This is the last chapter! Thank-you for reading, your support means the world to me. Remember to drop a vote or comment, I would love to hear any comments about the book as a whole or it's ending. Much love x

‘If I knew that you had so much crap, I wouldn’t have asked you to move in with me’ Max complained as he carried a large box through his front door.

‘Don’t be a sissy Max!’ Aria yelled from behind him, carrying two boxes in her arms.

‘Get out of the doorway!’ Cameron called out from behind them and the two of them moved, placing the boxes next to my feet, where I had just added another one to the large pile.

‘Do you really have an entire box labelled sunglasses?’ Colton laughed, placing another box on the floor.

‘You guys didn’t need to help if you’re going to be so annoying,’ I joked, opening a box.

‘Too bad,’ Max whispered in my ear, kissing my neck and holding me close.

A flash went off and Max let go of me, walked over to Aria and slapped her arm playfully.

‘If you take one more photo for your website I will kill you’ he threatened and she hid the camera behind her back.

‘She has a website?’ Cameron asked.

‘Yep, dedicated to us. It’s called ‘The Adventures of Ryan and Max’ and it is awful.’

‘I don’t know, it sounds cute, I’d love to see it,’ Colton commented happily and I slapped his arm.

‘Not again! She makes us read the comments and stuff all the time!’ I complained, slapping his arm again for the stupid idea.

‘Hands off,’ Cameron joked, pulling Colton into a hug from behind, the blonde smiled and leaned into him.

‘He’s right, it is cute,’ Aria defended her precious website.

‘Alright, I call pizza time!’ Max called out, pulling out his keys.

‘I’ll help,’ Aria told him, grabbing her purse.

Max kissed my cheek as he and Aria walked out.

‘So Ryan, I heard your new song, love it.’

‘Thanks Cole,’ I smiled at him.

These past months had been crazy. After going public I cut all contact with Claudia and fired Robert. Aria became my manager and publicist, and she did a fantastic job.

The press covered the story well, none of them believing Claudia’s lies and only positive things we published. Max and I received amazing support from the public and Max was even offered new roles and I was approached by a different label who wanted me to sing the stuff I wanted too. I joined them and I had just released my first alternative song in years, written entirely by me.

Things with Max had been amazing and I was finally moving in with him. We were even planning at trip for me to meet his parents in Florida. We did end up going to his premiere together and it was an amazing night.

Cameron and Colton had fast become a part of our group, and the five of us now spent most of our time together.

Soon enough Max and Aria returned, pizzas in hand and we sat at the table, talking happily and stuffing our faces with food, and I realised that even if my career had been over, even if the world had hated me, I couldn’t have cared less.

I was happy and it had nothing to do with what other people thought, and everything to do with the man next to me and the people at this table.

The doorbell rang and Max got up, but I put a hand on his arm, ‘My apartment too now, I’ll get it.’

I walked to the door and was surprised to open the door to see Zach. He looked good, clean.

‘Zach?’ I hadn’t seen the boy in months, I had assumed that Claudia still had him wrapped around her little finger, but seeing him now, looking healthy, made me think otherwise.

‘Hey Ryan, can we talk?’

‘Uh yeah’ I let him into the apartment and he followed me into the hallway.

‘What’s up Zach?’

‘I- uh I just wanted to say thank-you,’ he spoke nervously but I could tell that his words were true.

‘For what?’

‘For ending your engagement with Claudia, I’ve been getting clean and I broke it off with her. I got a lawyer and when the baby is born I am going to fight for full custody, I probably won’t get it, but I will settle for 50%. My lawyer thinks I have a really good chance.’

‘Wow, Zach, that’s fantastic.’

‘I know. It was because of you that I realised that I would never be as important to her as her career, and that I needed to change. I’ve moved into a better apartment and I’m getting my life together. I am going to be the best father I can be. I even got a job.’

‘I am really proud of you Zach. If you ever need help, Max and I are right here, ok?’

‘That means a lot Ryan. Thank-you.’

I was so proud of Zach. He was getting himself together. He needs support and friends who are stable, so I decided that I would try to help him.

‘I have some friends over, want to join us? We are having pizza?’

‘I wouldn’t want to intrude,’ Zach shook his head.

‘Zach, you’re going to need friends to help you through this, and I would really like to help you,’ I told him, putting my hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

‘Really? You don’t have to do that Ryan, I haven’t exactly been nice to you.’

‘You’re a good kid Zach, I know what you’ve been though with Claudia and it takes some real strength to get out of that woman’s grasp, and I’d like to see you stay that way.’

He gave me a thank-full smile, ‘Come on’ I grabbed his arm and gently lead him into the dining room where four sets of confused eyes looked at us.

‘So guys, this is Zach, he’s going to hang out with us’ they all knew his story, but I hoped that they would accept him. Our group of friends would be really great for him.

‘Hi’ Zach smiled hesitantly and Aria stood up a fierce look on her face.

‘Are you still dating Claudia?’ She demanded to know.

‘No,’ Zach shook his head firmly.

‘Are you still using?’

‘Nope, clean and sober.’

‘You going to raise that baby?’

‘Yes.’

She smiled proudly, ‘Welcome to the group, have some pizza.’

Max laughed and pulled me into his lap as Zach took a seat. He wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on my shoulder.

‘That’s a nice thing you’re doing for Zach.’

I nodded and filled my mouth with pizza.

Mmmm Pizza.

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_

‘So, we live together now, huh? Where am I going to go when you annoy me?’ Max teased as we sat on our bed.

Notice that?

OUR BED!

‘Oh hardy ha-ha’ I mock laughed and slapped Max’s arm.

He pulled me towards him and we ended up lying face to face on the bed.

‘So, is this what you imagined when you asked me to go public with you?’

‘Nope, it’s so much more.’

He threaded his arms around me and brought me as close to him as possible, our lips a hairs width apart.

‘Can we stay like this forever?’ I asked and he smiled, a sweet, true smile, filled with love.

‘Forever and ever.’

He finally brought our lips together and I felt like my life was complete in that moment. There would be fights and challenges, but we would get through it.

Hell, we survived Hollywood politics, we could survive anything.

Through all the things we’ve faced, the secrets, the hardships, the fights, the laughs, the friendships, the loss. We found something beautiful in the face of it all.

Love.

And that’s more important than the fame and fortune.

Hi There! I know, a bit of a sappy ending, but you guys saw how complicated and dramatic their lives can be, I figured they deserved a nice happy ending :)

Thank-you so much for reading my story! I truly hope that you have enjoyed Max and Ryan's journey. If you’re saying to yourself, ‘Oh no! I have nothing to read now!’, then fear not! I have many other stories for you to read. Just go to my profile and you’ll be able to find my other works! Remember to Follow/Fan to get updates when I start new stories you might be interested in!

Have a good day and Happy Reading! xx