Chapter THIRTEEN

C A L E B

"You're what?!"

I winced, pausing from buttoning up my navy dress shirt. "Max! Keep your voice down, will you? Other people live in this condo, too."

"Okay, first of all," Max held up a finger. "All units are soundproof. Plus the ones who live in this building are mostly just old business people who don't really care about us."

"Yeah, but you're ruining the general peace of the place."

"Don't try to change the subject!" I saw Max's reflection at the mirror scoff.

My front door opened without warning and Archer waltzed in, wearing a plain black shirt and gray sweatpants. "What's happening, lads?" Archer greeted, his curly hair tied back into something he usually called a man-bun.

"Caleb's getting ready for the movie premiere," Max said, pushing himself off the wall before facing Archer. "Oh, and he's still in love with Liam."

"He's still in love with Liam?!" Archer tripped over the edge of the carpet in the living room the same time he said those words. He caught himself at the last second, preventing himself from face-planting on my floor.

"Max!" I hissed, turning towards him and glaring. "I am not—"

But Max wasn't even looking at me, he was still looking at Archer who was walking closer to where we were. "Yeah, Arch, he told me himself just a few minutes ago."

"Cal, is he serious?" Archer asked, scanning my face. I opened my mouth, about to deny it, when Max faced me and raised his eyebrow accusingly.

"Okay, fine!" I huffed. "I maybe, sort of, kind of have a stupid crush on Liam, but I'm not in love with the guy!"

"Since when have you known that you have a crush on Liam?" Archer used his fingers to make quotation marks while he rolled his eyes.

"Turn down the sass, alright?" I said. "And it just dawned on me last night."

"How'd you know?" Max asked, uncrossing his arms and looking genuinely curious.

It was quite a horrific revelation while I was lying in bed last night. I spent the whole day in, writing songs, and then as I was listening to some of our old songs, even the ones I specifically wrote about him. All I could think of was Liam, Liam, Liam.

"I just kept thinking about him. And it wasn't just because of what's going to happen today, I really couldn't stop picturing his face in my head and it's the worst thing ever."

"Why?" Max asked. "Why is it the worst thing ever?"

"Because I shouldn't feel this way," I groaned, walking past both of them and heading towards the living room. "Because all I'm trying to do is fix what I did in the past, not try to ruin things again with my goddamn feelings."

Another thing that kept replaying in my head was our talk in the elevator. The way he was so fucking nice and genuine, it really was like a big smack in the face, almost like somebody screaming: You see what you had lost? Do you see who you could've had?

And when we were talking in that elevator and he smiled at me, like genuinely smiled again the way he used to smile at me back when we were 16, it made me feel like I was floating and crashing down at the same time.

"But you guys haven't seen each other for over a week now," Max pointed out, looking both amused and worried. "You mean to tell us that you've been thinking about him since the meeting?"

"Not since the meeting. After I met with Mel and came out to her."

Melanie was right about me missing Liam all these years, but she was apparently right about me still having tiny feelings for him too.

"Wow." Archer plopped down on the couch, looking gobsmacked. "This situation is messed up. I mean, I'm happy that you realized you like him, but man are you in for some shit."

"And he probably doesn't know how Liam feels either." Max said, sitting beside Archer, mirroring the same expression as him. "Liam probably isn't even over what happened between them. No offense though, Caleb, seriously."

"Thanks, really." I flashed a smile, being as obnoxiously sarcastic as I could. "You guys are truly the best friends anyone could wish for, jerks."

"And you're announcing that you two are dating each other tonight!" Archer gasped like he only realized it now, completely ignoring what I just said.

"Well," I sighed, running a hand through my hair and trying to fix it again. "You're right about that."

Max began to chuckle. "If management only waited a few more months, you and Liam probably wouldn't have needed to fake being boyfriends anymore."

"Shut up, Max."

"He's probably right though." Archer smiled at me, then raised his eyebrow. "You nervous for tonight?"

"Maybe." I started folding up my sleeves the way one of our stylist usually did so it looked like I put more effort into it. "Are you two heading somewhere?"

"Arch and I are going down to the studio," Max answered. "We're going to try to write a song."

"That sounds more fun," I sighed. "I wrote a song, finished it yesterday."

"We'll be sure to hear it," Max mumbled, eyeing me up and down. He looked concerned. "You sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," I shook my head. "It's just that if I confirm that my boyfriend's Liam, then I basically came out to all our fans, huh?"

"Well, yeah. But I've seen what our fans say when pictures of Liam and you are released. Trust me, they love you guys." Archer said.

Max looked thoughtful then. "You know what's ironic? People thought you were homophobic but now here you are, bisexual and proud."

"By the way," I said. "Thanks guys, again. For, you know, supporting and whatever."

"Love you too." They chorused in-sync. Fucking weird.

"Okay, now you guys are going overboard." I laughed. "Oh, and Max, Channing Tatum's going to be at the movie premiere."

"Seriously?" Max gasped.

"Uh-huh. He's Liam's co-star."

"Goddammit," Max cursed. "I want your boyfriend's job."

"Pretend boyfriend, Maxey." I reminded him.

"For now." Archer mumbled under his breath.

#

I got in the limo and felt my eyes widen once I saw Liam. He was wearing a black embroidered blazer over a white button-down shirt and black skinny jeans with silver shiny ankle boots. His hair was styled to fall softly over his forehead.

"I like the boots, Walker." I said, smirking.

"I like them too!" He grinned. "They remind me of a disco ball."

I felt the limo start to move. "I don't like being in limousines." I thought out loud.

"Why not?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "Maybe it's because they remind me of funerals."

"Or weddings." Liam countered.

"True," I nodded, looking out the tinted window. "How far away is the movie premiere?"

"Minimum half an hour," Liam said. "Meredith wanted to be there, but she had to work tonight. She was excited to see all the actors." He chuckled.

"She and Max would get along." I turned my head towards Liam, my breath catching again at how good he looked. "How long have you known Meredith and Jake?"

"Almost since I came back here to Australia for my first ever movie," Liam replied. "Meredith was my stylist."

"And Jake?"

"Met him the same time I met Meredith. He's a personal trainer. When I need to get in shape for a movie, I usually go to him."

He continued to tell a few anecdotes about their friendship. It made me happy to know that someone was watching over Liam when I couldn't.

The thought made me quiet. Liam tilted his head. "You alright, Cal?"

"I am," I nodded and cleared my throat. "Liam, I'm sorry."

"For what?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

"That I posted that tweet," I said. "And it lead to you being forced to date me, especially after everything I did to you."

"Hey," He said just as I felt the limo stop at a red light. "I already forgave you for that. And yeah, maybe I was forced into this, but I agreed to it nevertheless. Having fans and messing up big time sucks. Still, there were positive sides to this, right?"

"Yeah, publicity and all that."

"Not just that," Liam laughed lightheartedly. "I mean, at least we're not acting like the other person doesn't exist anymore?"

"Right," I nodded, smiling. "And it helped me have the courage to own up to my sexuality." I tilted my head slightly. "Hey, have you always known you were gay?"

"Yup," Liam nodded, popping the 'p' at the end. "Always known I was. Girls never appealed to me."

"A lot of your fans are girls, though." I chuckled.

"I love them," Liam smiled. "I do. But I've never been able to imagine myself with a girl. Well, that's not true, I tried to, but I didn't like it."

"How'd you control yourself around Channing Tatum?" I joked, making Liam laugh.

"He is very handsome," Liam grinned.

"Do you actually have an actor or actress friend? Like an actual person you hang out and go to malls with or something?”

"A few," Liam shrugged. "So far, the movies I've starred in have very different casts each time."

"You know how actors sometimes act in front of green screens?"

"Yeah," Liam nodded, scrunching his nose. "You don't know how awkward it actually is."

"It looks great though!" I laughed.

"Yeah, the final product does, but it's very awkward to pretend to talk to, like, a dragon or something, when in reality it's an oddly shaped thing with green fabric over it."

And for the rest of the ride, we talked about his acting career and the movies he starred in. Liam had starred in romance, comedy, horror, and even sci-fi movies. He then asked me about my new album and if 3N.E were going on tour. I told him all about our upcoming tour and everything was great, because for a while we were just two people catching up and not two celebrities that were in a fake relationship.

That moment ended when the limo stopped.

We could already hear people screaming outside, and there were what seemed to be more than fifty photographers trying to take pictures of us inside the limo.

"Okay," Liam breathed out, turning towards me. "How do I look?"

"You look... like yourself." He was in his element.

Liam frowned. "You suck."

"Hey, if someone said that I looked like Liam Walker, I would take it as a compliment." I said, trying to make him feel confident. The sentence made Liam blush the tiniest bit.

"Okay, okay," He shook his head, taking in a deep breath. "Let's do this."

And when he opened the door, cheers erupted. He got out first, waving to the fans and photographers. He then turned back towards me and gestured for me to get out.

Once I did, madness ensued.

The people behind the barricades were screaming so loud and the flashes from the cameras felt like they doubled, even the camera men were screaming questions.

I was obviously overwhelmed, although I did experience this often. Liam was able to keep a calm face, like he was ready for this. He acted and smiled at me as if we weren't the center of attention at that very moment.

Which we very much were.

We walked down the red carpet, Liam keeping a hand on my back and leading me towards the place where most of the interviewers seemed to be migrating in order to talk with the different actors and actresses.

I, again, was overwhelmed by the amount of famous people around me. They were all either talking to other co-stars, directors, writers, or they were being interviewed.

The sky was dark since it was already night, it didn't feel like nighttime though as there were giant lights stationed everywhere. Faint music was playing in the background, mixing with the sounds and chatter of people buzzing for the new movie. We were still outside the movie theatre, and Liam mentioned that we'd be here until after we actually posed for pictures.

Liam started greeting some of his co-stars and I tried not to make it obvious that I was an idiot who was completely star-struck. In less than five minutes, I have met and chatted with three of the most famous people in television. Liam was so casual and charming, as expected, and all throughout our conversations with various people, he kept a hand on my lower back.

He'd introduce me every time, and it was shocking to hear that some of these people actually knew who I was. "You're from 3 New Efforts right? Huge fan!" I thanked them with a giant grin on my face, telling them how I was a fan of them as well.

After what felt like an hour—but in reality was probably around twenty minutes—Liam and I managed to walk towards a quieter section. He still greeted and hugged the people who passed by us, but at least we could hear ourselves more clearly.

"You okay?" He asked.

"I just met so many of my favorite actors and actresses," I was pretty sure I looked stupid because I was still wearing a giant grin. "And they knew my band!"

"Glad to see you're so happy." He laughed. He then looked around and his eyes landed on something.

I followed his gaze and saw that he was looking at an interviewer with a camera man close by her. She was obviously trying to get Liam to come closer.

"You ready to do this?" I asked, looking back at Liam and lowering my voice.

"Are you ready?" He asked also lowering his voice so only we could hear.

My palms were sweaty, and my heart started beating faster just thinking about what will happen. I stared at Liam's eyes once again, and I found myself nodding. "Yeah, yeah I am."

He nodded once and gently placed his hand around my waist. I was thankful for the touch, it was grounding more than anything.

"Hey!" Liam grinned at the interviewer once we were near enough. I smiled at her as well, following Liam's lead. "Hi!"

"Hello, Liam!" The girl smiled at him and then she turned towards me. "And Caleb Novak, from 3 New Efforts!"

The girl looked to be in her early twenties, with blonde hair and a dark green cocktail dress. We were standing a few feet away from the barricades, which meant I could hear the people nearby freaking out. Liam noticed as well, waving towards them. It only made them freak out even more.

"Are you excited about the premiere?" The interviewer spoke into a microphone before pointing it towards Liam.

"Of course!" Another one of Liam's dazzling smiles. "All the people here have worked so hard on it and I'm very, very proud of what we have accomplished."

"And you have a new movie coming up co-starring Cara Delevingne, correct?" Liam nodded, his smile not wearing down. "Yes, yes I do! We've just finished filming everything a few days ago, actually."

"And how was working with her?"

"She's an amazing girl, very talented too."

"Okay, so can we talk about you two for a minute?" You could tell she had tried to contain her excitement. "What is going on between you two?" She asked, gesturing between Liam and me.

Liam's hand squeezed where it was holding my waist.

"Whatever do you mean?" Liam joked, feigning confusion. I snorted, making both Liam and the interviewer laugh.

"Are you two dating?" She asked, getting right down to business. "Caleb, what is Liam to you?"

"Oh, Liam?" I looked at the man beside me. He raised his eyebrows playfully, but I could tell by the way he squeezed my waist again that he was just as nervous as I was. I smiled at him though, just to reassure him that I was fine. I turned back towards the interviewer who looked like she was about to pass out from waiting.

"He's my boyfriend."

"Really?" The girl gasped, and I think some of the fans heard us because there were a bunch of screams after that.

"Yes, really. Can't believe it either." Liam nodded, even laughing.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so happy for you two!" She grinned, and it was a big relief that she looked genuinely happy. "Do your fans know that you two are a couple?"

"I think they've figured it out," I said, staring at Liam again. It was the only thing keeping me from vomiting from nerves. "A lot of people have asked about us."

"What about the tweet that became, like, this big issue? If you don't mind me asking," I liked the interviewer. She didn't sound condescending or accusing, she was actually pretty enthusiastic and seemed to genuinely listen to what we said. That was quite rare these days.

"I was actually trying to hint everybody. I already liked Liam back then."

"Oh, the tweet was a hint? Well, how'd you two meet?"

"We actually started talking through Twitter," Liam spoke up this time.

"Which one of you asked the other one out?"

"Caleb asked me out," Liam answered. "And he was the one who asked me to be his boyfriend."

I ignored the tiny pang of guilt, pushing it to the back of my head as I plastered a smile on my face.

The interviewer asked a few more questions about the movie, asking my opinions on a few things. After that, we said goodbye and she thanked both of us.

I haven't even had time to process what just happened when suddenly Liam was leading me towards the place where you pose in front of photographers.

"Still okay?" Liam leaned in just as we stepped up towards the spot. There was a white background with the title of the movie all over it.

I nodded, unable to speak.

Before we even stopped walking the photographers were already clicking away. Liam had an arm around my waist again and I did the same to him. We were smiling for about thirty different cameras.

"Liam, Caleb, over here!"

"Could you please look here!"

"How about a kiss?"

The last one caught me by surprise and I prayed to every deity that it wasn't obvious how my face was heating up.

I thought Liam would be all embarrassed as well, but all he did was chuckle and pull me even closer to him, planting a kiss on my cheek. He then leaned towards my ear as the people in front of us got even more excited. "Sorry," Was what he whispered before he squeezed my waist.

If I wasn't blushing before, I was definitely blushing now.

A few more poses and we were finally allowed to head inside. Liam and I waved goodbye to everyone and we were escorted by security towards the entrance of the movie theatre.

Once we were far from the noise and blinding lights and security were busy trying to make a path, I looked at Liam who was staring straight ahead.

"You've been awfully nice tonight."

"I am nice," Liam argued. He glanced at me and sighed. "You looked like you could use the help."

"You didn't need to—" My voice didn't sound angry or frustrated, but Liam still cut me off before I finished.

"Hey, it's not a big deal. We're in this together now." He whispered.

I licked my lips, nodded, and then looked forward.

I let myself process the interview.

I felt my stomach drop and I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat.

Before I could start panicking about how I had basically just come out to the world, Liam's hands were suddenly in mine. He gently intertwined our fingers. I could see from the corner of my eye that he was still looking straight ahead.

He gave my hand a squeeze and slowly released his grip.

Before I could mourn the loss of Liam's hand in mine, he intertwined our pinkies.

My breath hitched. Because this wasn't just some gesture. I understood what he meant, what he was trying to say but couldn't because of the people that surrounded us.

Back when we were kids, he and I always did this when one of us was going through a tough time, when we knew words weren't going to do much difference.

It wasn't a romantic gesture, although for others it could be taken as such. For us, it was a gesture that meant that you didn't need to worry, that it was alright, that everything would be okay.

It meant that we were there for one another.