That was great, Carter texts him. You’re already up on the Daily Mail, TMZ and @DukesLewks, the latter referencing his official superfan account that has almost as many followers as his official page. Carter has attached some links, but Duke isn’t interested in clicking through. He’s tired.

Daphne says she couldn’t help falling in love with Brad, and she’s sorry, but Duke can see plain as day that Brad won’t ever leave his wife, a woman Duke has never met and who has kept a dignified silence through all of this. But, despite what he said for the cameras, Duke had fallen for Daphne. He’s hurting, and he’s at the edges of a thought that he’s been used, somehow, that Daphne played make-believe for the sake of her own profile. (Urgh, that word again!) He pushes down the notion, afraid that if he thinks too hard on it, he’ll never trust a soul again. He doesn’t feel safe to be himself in business meetings or at industry lunches, doesn’t take phone calls in cars or in the make-up chair – there’s so much to keep his guard up against. But with Daphne, he let her in.

He thought she got it, understood how solitary this life is because she lives it too, and together they could form their own little world, just the two of them, an escape from being Daphne Diamond and Duke Carlisle. Together they could just be Daph and Duke, walking the dogs and getting coffee and playing records and board games at home, maybe learning to finally cook instead of having staff do it. But then, now he’s thought about it, she did want to walk the red carpet together, and she did confirm their romance in an interview about her last movie, even though they’d barely been together a few weeks. They shared the same management, but surely if it was a ruse Duke would have been asked up front to be in on it – he’s not so desperate for affection that he could be manipulated by a whole team of people. They work for him. Don’t they?