Page 10 of GDL (BBA: Bad Boy Academy)

Three months later…

Kynan

It's a Friday morning, and Sawyer and I are starting the day the way we always do these days, in bed with Ashton crawling around between us, his soft, sweet coos filling the room.

I was so nervous about Sawyer meeting Ashton that night three months ago. It's one thing to say you're cool with a dude who has a baby, it's another thing to be faced with it. I was scared it would all be too much for him. He's already done the dad thing. I wouldn't blame him for not wanting to go there again.

But from the moment they met, they just bonded. By which I mean Ashton threw up all over Sawyer because he was still sick, but Sawyer took it well, laughing it off. We stayed up all night with the little fella, talking and comforting poor Ash as he struggled to sleep.

Three months later, Sawyer has practically moved in. I've been able to tone down my crazy work schedule, and Sawyer has been spending most of his time editing the interview, getting ready for its launch tonight. Every spare moment we have, we spend together.

I told my other brother, Bodhi, and my parents about Ashton and introduced him, as well as Sawyer, to them. I've met and hung out with both of Sawyer's sons. Benji was in the US on a book signing tour with his partner, Darren, and Finch is in town, still doggedly trying to land that exclusive interview. I can see why Sawyer is so proud of them. They're great guys.

Both of our families have been so accepting of us as a couple, which has been a huge relief. I was nervous meeting Benji and Finch since I'm younger than them, but they've both told me that as long as Sawyer is happy and I treat him well, that's all they care about.

"How are you feeling about tonight?" I ask as Sawyer blows raspberries on Ashton's belly.

He looks up. "I'm excited. You?"

"Excited, too. But also a little scared."

"It'll be amazing. You're happy with the final cut, right?"

"I am." It's not the first public screening of the interview I'm nervous about, it's the surprise I have planned for afterward.

Sawyer and Grayson's original plan was the traditional approach: to shop the interview around the major networks. They received plenty of interest, but every outlet had the same condition—they wanted final approval.

That was a deal-breaker for Sawyer because, true to what he'd been saying all along, he didn't want to exploit me by doing a cheap, headline-grabbing interview. He wanted to give me the opportunity to tell my story my way.

Getting nowhere, I put Grayson in touch with my management team and, together, they came up with DELVE , a YouTube channel—and podcast—where Sawyer interviews people and tells their stories by delving into their lives.

His way. Direct to the public. No corporate networks. No compromising on values and integrity. Just good old fashioned in-depth interviews and storytelling.

Over the past few months, I've been helping him build up his social media presence even more. My interview, which will launch his new platforms, goes live on YouTube at midnight tonight. It already has close to three million people registered to watch it as soon as it releases, which is a record, apparently.

"I'm really proud of you," I say as Ashton crawls along the bed from Sawyer to me.

"For what?"

"For doing things your way. For staying true to your principles. You could have easily sold this interview, made bank, and been done with it."

"That's not why I'm doing this."

"I know. And your sons are going to be even more proud of you than they already are," I say, knowing that's his driving motivation for this comeback.

A faint smile tugs at his mouth. "I hope so."

It's so moving that Sawyer wants his kids to see their dad return to his peak, and it totally sucks that we live in a world where people get shoved aside just because they're in their forties. Why does everyone make such a big deal about age?

I was shocked when Sawyer told me about the ageism he'd experienced in the industry. I knew women experienced it—which is wrong and needs to change—but I had no idea it affected men, too. I assumed him stepping out of the spotlight was his choice, not something imposed on him because job offers started drying up. I really hope his comeback is a huge success for not only him but all the people out there who have a dream, whatever age they may be. And also because I've seen Sawyer dance, and he would be terrible on Dancing with the Stars .

"Uh-oh." Sawyer looks down at Ashton and waves his hand in front of his nose. "Someone needs to have their nappy changed. You happy for me to do it?"

"Always," I reply with a smile.

"Back in five." Sawyer says, scooping Ashton up and taking him into the nursery.

I'm much better with the whole diaper situation, but I'll never pass up an offer for someone to do it for me. I get up and make myself useful by putting on a fresh jug of coffee. As I wait for the water to boil, I think about the term settling down . It's what my brothers said on our video call last night, ribbing me that Sawyer and I are doing just that, settling down. But why is it called that? Why not settling up? Because if this is what a settled life looks like, then sign me up forever.

I turn around to see Sawyer carrying Ashton into the kitchen, and my heart swoops. I love seeing the man I love with my son. There are literally no words to describe what it does to me.

Speaking of words, despite Sawyer practically moving in and us spending all our free time together and being very domesticated, we still haven't said those three little words to each other.

But I'm as sure of my love for Sawyer as I am of my love for Ashton. Sawyer is the best person I've ever met, and my plan is to tell him I love him tonight, right after the screening.

That night…

Sawyer

"I can't get over how cute he is," Benji says, gushing over Ashton for the millionth time tonight.

"Don't go getting any ideas," Darren says, lifting a finger. "I am not ready to be a father."

I clap him on the shoulder. "I'll let you boys in on a little secret." They come in closer. "You never feel ready. You just have to take the plunge and do it."

"And is that what you're doing?" Finch asks. "Taking the plunge?"

"I sure am."

In more ways than one. I'm huddled away in a quiet corner of The Aero Theatre in Santa Monica with Finch, Benji, Darren, and baby Ash. Tonight's the big night. The first public viewing of the interview before it gets released online at midnight.

We've been teasing it on social media for about a month now, and the interest is huge. Doesn't mean I'm not nervous as hell, though. It feels a little strange to be doing it this way. I'm used to having a network behind me, having them handle the marketing and PR blitz. But I wasn't prepared to cave in to their demands since it meant I wouldn't be able to keep my promise to Kynan, so the indie path it is. It's proven successful for others, so I'm hoping it works for me, too.

"There you guys are," Kynan says, approaching us. "I was starting to get worried someone had kidnapped Ashton."

"Why did you look at me when you said that?" Benji asks in mock surprise.

"Makes the most sense," Kynan and I respond at the same time.

"Ughh, I love you both, but you two are too much." Finch groans with an eye roll and a smile.

The guys proceed to tease me and Kynan the way they always do whenever we get together, but my heart is so happy hearing Finch say he loves both of us. It's wonderful how he and Benji have been so welcoming of Kynan and Ashton.

Kynan and I have faced a number of barriers these past few months. Some I was confident we could overcome easily. Like, say, me moving to the US. I have several homes in Australia, but nothing was tying me there. Relocating to LA was a relatively simple decision.

Others, like me meeting his parents for the first time, or Kynan meeting my boys were downright terrifying because that's when the age gap between us became impossible to ignore. When it's just him and me—or him and me and Ashton as is more often the case—I don't feel the age difference at all. He's smart and mature way beyond his years. But in the presence of his father, who is only two years older than me, or my kids, who are both older than him, it's a glaring truth that can't be avoided. Thankfully, everyone has been great about it and not made a big deal out of it, except for the occasional teasing, which is to be expected.

"Hate to break up this big happy messed-up family." Grayson breaks through the crowd to reach us. "But, mate, we gotta get you out there. Need to schmooze with some bigwigs and all that."

I sigh. "Fine. Can I take Ashton as a buffer?"

Kynan takes him from Benji. "No using my son as a shield. Go. You'll be fine. I'll join you in a moment."

"Fine." I plant a kiss on Ashton's head then one on Kynan's cheek before pressing the flesh with a who's-who of the media elite. Like always, Grayson takes the lead, and like always, I'm grateful for it. When we finally get a break, we head straight for the bar.

"So," he says, once we've placed our drinks order. "Was I right?"

"About what?"

"About you not being able to last the two weeks before things with you and Kynan progressed?"

Grayson had to return to Australia right after we shot the interview, and this is the first time he's been back to the States.

"I can neither confirm nor deny anything."

He chuckles, taking the drinks from the bartender, and raises his glass. "You deserve to be happy, mate. I'm stoked for you. This interview is going to be a smash hit, and you've somehow managed to convince a hot, young, successful guy to take a chance on a decrepit old fart like yourself. Cheers."

"I am not cheersing to that," I say, moving my glass away and taking a sip of vodka. "How do you think people are going to react when it comes out about Kynan and me?"

So far, we've managed to keep our romance under wraps, but once the interview goes live, we'll be releasing a joint statement to hopefully get ahead of things before anyone else beats us to it and twists our relationship into something it's not. Despite our massive age difference and the fact we met in a work capacity, there's nothing inappropriate or lewd or twisted about what we've done. This isn't some cheap and tawdry work fling; it's the real fucking deal.

"I have a feeling it'll be just fine." And with an unnerving smirk, he claps me on the back and walks away.

I make my way back to the boys as a timer on the big screen starts counting down from ten. I snuggle up with Ashton on my lap and Kynan next to me. Grayson, my boys, and Kynan's brothers are seated all around us.

Five, four, three, two, one!

The interview opens with a montage of the footage we shot and my voiceover. "To the world, Kynan Parker-Gillis is…."

Everyone is watching the screen, but I've seen this package so many times during the editing process I can recite it off by heart.

Instead, my focus is split between the little man I'm holding and the incredible man next to me. My heart is filled with so much love and joy and excitement about the future. Yes, I want this interview to be a huge smash and make my sons proud of me, but I'm also really excited about the prospect of starting a new chapter of my life with Kynan and Ashton.

The interview segment begins. Kynan was so nervous on the day, changing his shirt at least half a dozen times. He looks great on the big screen in a tight-fitting navy-blue Ralph Lauren polo, his hair swept loosely into a ponytail.

I go through a few of the usual standard questions, and then we get to the part I suspect is going to be the thing people talk about. The key takeaway from the interview. The headline-generating story.

It was Kynan's idea.

On the big screen, I say, "I believe you've recently experienced a major change in your personal life."

"That's right." Kynan smiles through his nerves. "I recently found out I'm a father to the most beautiful little boy in the world, Ashton Parker-Gillis." As he talks, a photo montage of Ashton plays on the screen. There are no face shots, just touching images of father and son, taken in a way to protect the bub's identity.

The crowd murmurs, and Kynan looks at me expectantly. "It's all good," I assure him, running one hand over his knee while keeping Ashton secure on my lap with the other. "It's all good."

I have no way of predicting how this audience, or the global audience who will watch this online in a few hours, will react, but no matter the response we get, we will be good because we'll get through anything together.

The interview ends shortly after. When the screen goes black, there's silence in the room. Deathly silence. One of the bartenders slides a glass across the counter, and we can all hear it. It's that quiet.

The silence seems to stretch on forever, and then…applause.

People push to their feet and start clapping, whistling, hollering. Kynan sags in relief beside me, and I'm about to tell him we should probably go up front to say a few words when the screen flickers back to life.

People stop clapping and sit back down. I have no idea what's happening. The package is over.

I look over at Grayson and mouth, "What's going on?"

"It was all his idea," he mouths back, pointing at Kynan.

I turn to Kynan. "Care to fill me in?"

"Watch." He tips his head toward the screen. "And all will be revealed."

Kynan appears on the screen again, shirtless and standing in front of a clothesline. "Thank you for watching my interview with the incredible Sawyer Banister. You've heard my story, and you've met my son… but there's one thing I haven't shared with you. Yet."

My heart starts racing. What is he doing?

"You see, while filming this interview and spending a few weeks with Sawyer, something happened that's never happened to me before. I fell in love." A pause. "With a man." Another pause. "With Sawyer Bannister."

The shot changes to a montage of clips and photos of me and Kynan taken during our two weeks together.

Then Kynan's voice carries on in a voiceover. "I agreed to do this interview to let people see a different side to me than what you get on social media. I thought it might even be fun. But I got something much better than just that. I got to see the moment I met the man I would fall in love with."

The screen freezes on the very first photo Grayson took of me and Kynan, the day we met for the first time at the shoot at the retro house. I've never seen these shots before. Truth be told, I'd forgotten we'd even taken them.

I glance over at Kynan, and there's nothing but love in his eyes.

The video cuts back to Kynan by the clothesline. He puts on a black T-shirt that says, "Yep, I'm bi," a throwback to the Australian magazine cover I did when I came out in the noughties. "Oh, and one more thing…" He spins around and reveals what's written on the back of his shirt: I love you, SB .

I hand Ashton over to Benji and cup Kynan's face in my hands. "I love you, too."

He says it back, but it's a little hard to hear him with all the cheering and whooping going on around us. But in this moment, all I see is the man I'm in love with and the incredible life I can't wait to have with him and his son.

I hope you enjoyed Sawyer and Kynan!

You met some characters in this book who have their own stories, too.