The question takes me by surprise, but before I can answer him, my phone rings. I pull it from my pocket, seeing Shawn’s name.
“One guess,” I say to Ezra.
He groans.
The ringing stops, only to start up again. Ezra plucks the phone from my fingers and answers the call, putting it on speakerphone. Considering the only other person in the shop when we entered was an elderly employee, it seems like a safe bet.
Ezra greets our agent with his usual cheer. “Why hello, my good man.”
There’s a beat of silence on Shawn’s end. “Why am I not surprised you’re picking up Grayson’s phone but not your own?”
Ezra looks nonplussed. “Mine’s off. What can we do for you?”
Shawn huffs. “You can start by telling me where the hell you are. I’m getting inundated with requests for a statement about Grayson being at your home, people are starting to form opinions, as we knew they would, and the two of you are trending across almost every social media platform. There are reporters camped outside your house, for fuck’s sake, but you’re not here. Whereareyou?”
Ezra simply hums. “On vacation.”
Shawn sputters into the phone. “Onvacation? Donottell me you’re getting oiled up by some cabana boy while I’m standing inside your empty fucking house.”
“No cabana boy.” Ezra makes an almost contemplative noise. “Although I am holding a very nice telescope right now. Do you like bird-watching, Shawn?”
I stifle my laughter as our agent sounds as if he might actually explode. I swear I hear ticking. Most likely his molars grinding together. “Ezra, can you take this seriously for one goddamn minute?”
Ezra sighs, handing me back the telescope. “I don’t see what the problem is. Like you said, we knew this wouldn’t stay silent. Grayson and I are just spending a couple days out of dodge.”
“And leaving me to pick up the shrapnel. Hold on, what’s this…”
Ezra’s eyebrows bounce up, barely visible above his sunglasses, but his expression is one I know all too well. Amusement.
I shake my head, silently telling him to behave, but then Shawn is back on the line, letting out a string of curses.
“Who the fuck is Naveen Arya? And why is he telling major news sources that you and he used to be a thing?”
My pulse drops before sprinting ahead, the mention of Ezra’s longtime—and secret—hookup going public a possibility I hadn’t even considered. My friend, however, doesn’t look remotely surprised. He only smiles.
“Ah, good for Naveen. I wondered if he’d do it.”
Shawn sounds as if he’s gritting his teeth. “You’re going to need to start explaining right fucking now. Is this some scorned lover you never warned me about?”
Ezra’s tone is patient. “Naveen’s a friend. Someone I’ve trusted for a long time. I told him if he wanted to cash in on his story, I’d be fine with it. I encouraged it, even. I’m glad he did. He’ll be able to buy that summer cottage he wanted.”
“Ez,” I say, at a loss. “Why?”
My friend’s expression softens, the change visible regardless of the fact that I can’t see his eyes. “Because if peopleknow I was with him, they’ll be less likely to assume we’ve been fucking around all these years.”
I shake my head, my chest in a vise. “It puts the spotlight on you. They’ll dig into your past, try to find other men you’ve been with.”
He shrugs. “Good. I was ready to come out. I have been for a long time. But I won’t have them rake you over the coals. You don’t deserve it, and you didn’t ask for it.”
“But I accepted it.”
“For me. Which is why I’m doing what I can to mitigate the damage.”
I swallow harshly. “For me.”
His lips hitch up at the corner.
Shawn’s voice is dry when he cuts back in. “If you two are done, I need to know what else you’ve orchestrated without telling me.”
