Chapter 10: The Rumor Mill

Zack's morning began with the subtle hum of his phone vibrating on the bedside table.

He rolled over, groaning as he blindly fumbled for the device. When he finally unlocked the screen, his grogginess vanished instantly.

The headline stared back at him, bold and unforgiving:

> "Is Kieran Knight's New Romance Just Another Hollywood Stunt?"

Zack sat up, his heart sinking as he scrolled through the article. It was filled with baseless speculation about their relationship, complete with anonymous sources claiming the whole thing was "too convenient" and "clearly staged."

By the time he finished reading, his stomach was in knots. The comments section was even worse, a mix of fans defending Kieran and others tearing Zack apart.

He tossed the phone onto the bed, running a hand through his hair.

"Great," he muttered. "Just what I needed."

This is exactly what I was afraid of. People picking apart every little thing, calling me a liar, saying I'm using him for clout.

It's fake. Of course, it's fake. But now they're accusing me of doing this for attention?

I didn't ask for any of this.

A knock at the door pulled Zack from his spiraling thoughts.

He looked up just as Kieran poked his head into the room, his hair still slightly messy from sleep.

"Morning," Kieran said, his voice warm. "You hungry?"

Zack hesitated, then shook his head. "Not really."

Kieran frowned, stepping fully into the room. "What's wrong?"

Zack sighed, picking up his phone and holding it out to Kieran. "This."

Kieran took the phone, his expression darkening as he skimmed the article. By the time he finished, his jaw was tight.

"Typical," Kieran muttered, handing the phone back to Zack. "The tabloids love to tear people down, especially when there's no actual story."

Zack crossed his arms, his frustration bubbling over. "I just don't get why people care so much. Why can't they just leave us alone?"

Kieran gave him a small, sympathetic smile. "Welcome to my world."

Zack exhaled sharply, flopping back onto the bed. "I don't know how you deal with this all the time."

"It's not easy," Kieran admitted, sitting on the edge of the bed. "But I've learned not to let it get to me. People are going to say what they want, no matter what you do. You can't control it, so you just… stop trying."

Zack looked at him, the sincerity in Kieran's voice catching him off guard.

For a moment, he wondered how many headlines Kieran had endured over the years, how many times he'd been scrutinized by strangers who thought they knew him.

He makes it sound so simple, but I know it's not. He acts like it doesn't bother him, but there's no way it doesn't get to him sometimes.

And yet, he's here, trying to make me feel better.

Why does he have to be so… kind?

The moment was interrupted by the sharp chime of Kieran's phone. He glanced at the screen and sighed. "Alicia," he said, standing up. "She's probably seen the article already. Let me handle this, okay?"

Zack nodded, watching as Kieran stepped out of the room.

A short while later, Zack wandered into the kitchen, where Kieran was pacing with his phone pressed to his ear.

From the snippets of the conversation Zack overheard, Alicia was already in full damage control mode.

"I know," Kieran was saying, his tone clipped. "But we're not going to engage with them. If we make a statement, it'll just fuel the fire."

There was a pause as Alicia spoke on the other end, and Kieran pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah, I'll talk to Zack. But seriously, this will blow over in a few days. Just let it run its course."

When he hung up, Kieran turned to Zack, his expression softening. "She's on it," he said. "We're going to ignore the article for now. It's the best way to kill the story."

Zack nodded, though the tension in his chest didn't ease. "Okay."

Kieran studied him for a moment, then gestured toward the table. "Sit. You need food."

Zack hesitated, but the commanding look in Kieran's eyes left no room for argument.

He sat down as Kieran rummaged through the fridge, eventually producing a carton of eggs and a loaf of bread.

"Scrambled eggs okay?" Kieran asked, already cracking the eggs into a bowl.

"You cook?" Zack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Barely," Kieran admitted with a grin. "But scrambled eggs are foolproof. Even I can't mess them up."

It's weird seeing him like this. Normal. Casual. Not the polished, perfect version of him that everyone else sees.

It's… kind of nice.

The silence in the kitchen was comfortable as Kieran cooked, the soft sizzle of the eggs filling the air.

When he finally placed a plate in front of Zack, the smell alone was enough to make Zack's stomach growl.

"Thanks," Zack said, picking up his fork.

Kieran sat across from him, resting his chin in his hand as he watched Zack eat. "You're handling this better than I thought you would," Kieran said after a moment.

Zack raised an eyebrow. "You mean the article?"

"Everything," Kieran said, gesturing vaguely. "The attention, the fake-dating thing, living here. I know it's a lot."

Zack shrugged, focusing on his plate. "I'm just trying to get through it without losing my mind."

"Well, you're doing a damn good job," Kieran said, his voice warm.

Zack looked up, meeting Kieran's gaze. For a moment, the weight of the article and the world outside faded, and all he could see was the man sitting across from him.

"Thanks," Zack said quietly.

Why does he have to look at me like that? Like he actually means it?

This is fake. I have to remember that.

But sometimes, it doesn't feel fake. And that scares me.

As the day went on, the noise from the tabloids began to fade into the background, replaced by the steady rhythm of life at Kieran's house.

Zack wasn't sure what the future held, but for now, he was content to focus on the small moments—the quiet conversations, the unexpected laughter, and the way Kieran always seemed to know exactly what Zack needed to hear.

And maybe, just maybe, that was enough.