The two of them exchanged hugs—not the bro-y backslapping kind of hugs that most men usually engaged in as if they were afraid any display of actual affection was an affront to masculinity, but a close, arms-tight-around-the-shoulders, cheek-to-cheek kind of hug.

“I’m glad you came,” Oliver said.

“Wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Gabe said.

I stood there, my hands clasped, not sure what to do, when Oliver’s gaze swung over to me.

“Hello,” he said.

“This is Chani,” Gabe said. “She’s interviewing me for Broad Sheets.”

“I thought that interview was yesterday,” Oliver said.

Interesting. Gabe and Oliver were close enough that they had spoken about the interview, and Oliver remembered that it was yesterday.

If there was any animosity between the two of them over the Bond role—or any truth to the rumors that Gabe had stolen Jacinda from Oliver—I couldn’t sense it. Then again, they were both actors.

“We’re extending the interview,” Gabe said.

“I can see that,” Oliver said.

The look he gave me was one that I’d given numerous times. It was the kind of look you gave the dirtbag guys your high school friends were dating when you’d heard rumors that they were cheaters.

It was a “watch yourself” kind of look.

Was I the dirtbag in this situation? Did Oliver think he needed to protect Gabe from me?

Maybe he did. Just like waitress Madison had tried yesterday. I was, after all, here because I was chasing a story. But I didn’t like the feeling that I was someone to be wary of.

Especially when it was Oliver Matthias—child star, leading man, teenage crush—essentially telling me that he had his eyes on me.

The lights in the lobby blinked.

“Time for the show,” Oliver said. “I hope you enjoy.”

“Thank you,” I said.

He gave me a nod but then turned back to Gabe.

“You’ll come to the after-party?”

“Will there be beer?”

Oliver rolled his eyes.

“Of course I’ll be there,” Gabe said.

“You can come too,” Oliver said to me, politely but with no real warmth.

“Oh, okay,” I said.

The lobby lights flashed again.

“We’ll see you after,” Gabe said.

We.

I practically floated into the theater alongside Gabe.

As we walked to our seats, people turned and stared.

It wasn’t something I was used to. Especially the confusion and disappointment I could see on their faces when they looked from Gabe to me. It was almost comical how shocked they were. “He’s with her?”

Part of me wanted to correct them—to assure them that no, we weren’t together, that they should believe that the rules of the universe that keep everyday and beautiful people apart were still very much in place—but the other part of me wanted to take his arm and snuggle close to him. Just to fuck with them.