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“Years ago, when I was on the promotion tour for a movie Kaid, Spencer, and I were in, I met Spencer and Lee outside a hotel and my heart pounded in my chest to see how happy the two men were. But there was a shroud of sadness as well because I never connected with anyone the way those two had. Spencer must have recognized my emotions and asked me when I would settle down and I told him, even though at the time I’d never thought it would happen, that I hadn’t met my Lee yet.”

Unable to stay away from him, I leaned in and cuddled into his chest, smiling as his arms banded around me and held me close.

“But by an extreme coincidence, you sat next to me. Even then, you never looked at me as an actor or a playboy, and saw through the mask I was way too comfortable wearing. Drawn toyou on the flight became happiness when you came home with me. I’m thrilled I get to be this open with you, allowing you to see the real me.”

The silence stretched between us as I processed the sincerity of his words.

“You are easy to love, Connor. Not to mention how gracious you were bringing me home with you and introducing me to your family. It’s amazing how freeing it is to have the support of people you love and who love you back. I hope they’re all thrilled when you tell them.”

He spluttered. “What do you mean? We’re doing this together. I know I’m throwing a lot at you, but what do you think about kids?”

I laughed. “In a general sense? Or having one of our own?”

“One of our own. We could get a surrogate or adopt. Either way, they’ll be ours.”

A gasp escaped as I pictured Connor reading to a toddler or finger painting and making a mess everywhere on the dining room table while mama looked on with a smile on her face.

“Oh.”

The man’s smile widened, and I caught the shimmering in his eyes. This affected him and, knowing my boyfriend, he’d been thinking about taking this direction in his life for a while.

“You… Yes, I can see it. I think adoption would be the best. While a child, through a surrogate, would share DNA with one of us, it’s a lot of strain to put a woman through, especially considering the number of children already out there without homes.”

Connor laughed and hugged me closer. “You have the biggest heart of anyone I know. But that’s settled. Let’s head home and tomorrow, we plan our wedding.”

14

CONNOR

After four months of my lawyer, Maisie, working to set up a paternity test along with a court date after a judge in Los Angeles County deemed it necessary, I stepped out of the back of the unremarkable SUV in front of the courthouse. A flurry of lights, bright even in the early morning, made me grateful to turn and hold out my hand for Ollie to take.

Over the past several months, I found his constant support essential to me, and I knew no matter how the hearing would turn out, he’d be by my side.

I leaned in close and asked, “Are you ready?”

With a wide smile and a twinkle in his eyes, he leaned closer and bussed my cheek. He slid out and the moment his feet hit the pavement, the reporters and photographers shouted my name. But the crowd grew louder when Ollie linked his fingers through mine and squeezed me in reassurance.

“Let’s go, beautiful.”

Almost a month previous, Ollie and I sat down with Lucy Nakamura for a live TV interview. Although I was used to answering questions; mundane ones about the motivation formy characters or patented answers about how I got along with my costars or the film crew, but this was different.

Studios, other than the one Spencer, Kaid, and I ran, had told my agent I was a liability when the news broke and refused to send over scripts, which I would’ve been a shoe in for before this entire debacle began. In the public eye, the allegations that I left a woman pregnant without support was not the issue. It’s that I’d abandoned a child, and to some fans, my actions were irredeemable. So in order to restore my name and answer all questions the public had, Ollie’s suggestion of an interview was brilliant.

“Have you fathered any children, Mr. Blake?” Lucy Nakamura asked.

While prepared, it took me several seconds before I answered the question with all honesty.

“Please, call me Connor. The answer to your question is no. I’ve never been with a sexual partner without using a condom.” I paused, giving Ollie a questioning look. With his nod, I continued, “But when Ollie and I became boyfriends, we shared test results and have forgone contraceptives because we’ve both tested clean and are in an exclusive relationship.”

Then came the question I dreaded. “Mr. Bright, do you have an issue with your partner’s past? Especially about all the allegations after Ms. Bianca Remington accused Connor of fathering her child.”

As charming as ever, my boyfriend smiled and shook his head. “From the moment I met Connor, he’s been transparent with me. From his past partners to his view on consent and protection. And along with his assurance he’s never been with anyone besides me without protection, he’s shown me in every way he’s true to his word. I’ve never doubted a word Connor has spoken because he’s forthright and honest to a fault.”

The more questions thrown our way, I relaxed because although direct; the questions asked weren’t because she wanted to throw me off or catch me in a lie.

After our interview came the time in which every entertainment blog, vlog, show and anyone on social media with an opinion dissected our words, and accusations came fast and heavy about my reckless behavior throughout the years, especially bringing up the story about the foursome with porn stars in Vegas.

Weeks of the paps taking pictures of Ollie and me together, heading to the studio and a couple of us the night we celebrated my twenty-seventh birthday, and even the picture of our first kiss tamped down any criticism and it soon blew over.