Ben wakes up from his dream in a cold sweat; not sure if it was an ordinary dream or another vision. The moonlight coming in through the blinds casts lines across his pale face, wide eyed in unknowing terror. Amelia had been in a car accident, but was it just a nightmare or a sign of what was to come?

He tears off the blankets, wearing only black boxer briefs, muscles rippling as he grabs his phone off the nightstand. He’s pacing the room, dreading the news as each ring of the telephone goes unanswered. “Damn it, Amelia, answer your phone!”

He’s panicking now. He’s pulling on his jeans clumsily…too clumsily… and topples over the corner of the bed, caught up in his jeans.

“CUT!” A bell rang somewhere in the darkness of the studio, and the crew descended on the set to redress everything for another take like a plague of locusts.

“Shit, Paul, I’m sorry. That was totally my fault.” Ryder Knight stood up, finally able to button the pants now that they were securely on his waste, and walked over to the director sitting behind the camera, focused on the small monitor. Bare feet slapping against the cold concrete of the warehouse, he plopped down in the seat next to the director.

“Ryder, I know today is a big day for you, but this is our last scene we need to film, and I need you to focus. Ben has just woken up from what he hopes is only a bad dream about the love of his life dying in a horribly violent car crash. He’s distraught; unsure of what is real and what isn’t. Picture if it was Aiden who you saw burning alive in that car. I need to feel the urgency, the terror!” Paul King was the most sought after director in Hollywood, and for good reason; the man was an absolute genius. “Now get your ass back in that bed and let’s wrap this bitch.” He smiled and patted Ryder’s muscular shoulder.

The actor nodded in understanding and made his way back into his make believe bedroom, all the while trying to focus on his direction. He took off his pants, placed them at their starting point, and climbed back into bed. “Think of Aiden, think of Aiden, think of Aiden…”

The lights faded to black and silence fell on the set. Paul leaned in closer to the screen, his brow furrowed in concentration. He waited a few seconds until everything was still. “And…action!”

Ryder met Aiden Hayes three years before when he was just beginning to break onto the Hollywood scene, and Aiden was an aspiring writer working as a sales person at Maxwell’s, a high-end clothing store in Beverly Hills. On any day, random celebrities would wander into his store and Aiden wouldn’t bat an eye. He knew they were just regular people, and in the back of his mind he was confident that he would one day join their ranks as a household name. That is if he ever finished his damn book. But one gloomy afternoon, that all changed and not because the person that walked through the door was famous, but because Aiden knew he had found his other half.

The entrance to Maxwell’s was a floor to ceiling window that was about fifteen feet high, with a door in the center that was the same height. Aiden had been behind the cash desk toward the back of the store, day dreaming about writing his book, when the most beautiful man he had ever seen walked through the door. He was 6’3”, with broad shoulders and black wavy hair that fell to his right ear, the rest of his head was buzzed. He wore a black leather jacket, aviator sunglasses, a black t-shirt and jeans, and he had the greatest smile. “Hello,” Aiden croaked through a dry throat. His heart had skipped about three beats in the time it took for him to soak this guy in and come out from behind the counter.

Ryder hadn’t expected to fall in love that day. He had been recommended Maxwell’s by his agent, Daniel Higgins, as the place to go for up and comers who needed their style boosted a few notches. He had passed through the door to find the man of his dreams standing in front of him. He was shorter than Ryder by almost a foot, but that didn’t matter to him. Butterflies had suddenly taken flight in his stomach, causing him to smile instantly. The man had curly brown hair that bounced whenever he moved his head. He was wearing a short sleeved white shirt, buttoned all the way up to the neck, tucked into a pair of royal blue slacks rolled to the ankle, and brown leather dress shoes. “Hey,” he sighed, as if he had met this man before. The two stood looking at each other, giddy in that first crush at school kind of way, and only broke out of their daze when Aiden’s co-worker came out from the back.

“Aiden, do you mind if I run over to Sephora really quick?” Dana asked, not noticing the half smile and blush that had crept over him.

Snapping back to reality, he turned to her wide eyed. “What? Yeah, sure.” The deep red of his blushing cheeks made its way down his neck.

“What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing, nothing. You just startled me. Well that and…” Aiden trailed off as he looked back toward Ryder, who had begun looking through the racks of clothing, occasionally stealing a glance at the two of them. A matching half smile plastered on his lips.

Dana instantly recognized the budding movie star and stifled a surprised gasp as to not draw them any attention. “Oh my god, that’s Ryder Knight!” At Aiden’s puzzled look, her jaw fell open and practically unhinged itself. “Please tell me you’re joking. You don’t know who he is?!”

Aiden shrugged and leaned against the counter on his arms so that his back was to Ryder. “All I know is that he is a smoke show. Total hottie. Grade A beef.” He glanced over his shoulder, caught Ryder looking at him, and whipped around, his curls swinging. “Was he just checking me out?”

“Oh I am not missing this. Go talk to him. Pretend you work here or something.” Dana winked and waved her hands, shooing him away.

Aiden wiped his now clammy hands on his pants, and made his way over to Ryder, making it seem as if he was straightening the clothes on his way. “Let me know if I can help you with anything.” His heart was racing, but he slowly gained composure. He did have to be professional after all, right?

“Will do, thanks. What’s your name?” Ryder held out his hand for a handshake and never broke eye contact, flashing a set of perfectly straight white teeth as he did.

Aiden looked at the hand in front of him, back up to Ryder’s face, and returned the shake. “Aiden. It’s nice to meet you. And your name?” Now Aiden was the one who couldn’t stop smiling. He didn’t know what it was, but this man made him feel extremely comfortable, even though he felt like if his heart beat any faster, it would explode in his chest.

“Ryder. It’s very nice to meet you, Aiden.” They held eye contact for another moment, although if you were to ask either one of them, they would tell you that they swam in each other’s eyes for a lot longer than that. As Aiden began to walk away, and Ryder turned to continue browsing, he stopped, “Actually, there is something that you can help me with.”

Aiden jumped slightly at the immediate response, his curls bounced as he whipped around, another blush beginning to color his features. “Y-yes?” He stuttered.

“Are you free for dinner tonight?”

And from that moment on, they were inseparable. Their relationship moved pretty fast, with Aiden moving in to Ryder’s apartment within the first six months. After a year and a half, Aiden finished his novel, ‘Angel Eyes’, and it was published to rave reviews, landing at the top spot on the New York Times Best-Seller list for six weeks straight. With both of their careers launching at an amazing speed, Ryder suggested that Aiden consider hiring his agent to represent him as well. Aiden accepted, even though he didn’t much care for Daniel on a personal level. Within a month, Daniel landed a movie deal for ‘Angel Eyes’ with Aiden as the screenwriter and Ryder in the starring role. As much as Aiden didn’t like him, he had to admit the man was good at his job.

It didn’t take long for Aiden to adapt the book in to a screenplay, and production started a few months later. On the night before filming began, Ryder got down on one knee and proposed. Aiden tearfully accepted, and was surprised to find that along with the engagement ring, Ryder slipped a set of keys into his hand.

“What are these?” He asked, wiping the wet streaks from his face.

“They’re keys to our new life together, baby. Our home.” They kissed under the starlight, half crying, half laughing.

By the end of the first week of filming, they were moved into their house in the Hollywood hills and everything seemed perfect; but the speed at which their relationship moved, mixed with their rising stars and the fact that Ryder was one of the first out gay men to be an A-List action star, gained them both a lot of attention. But Aiden hadn’t realized how quickly fame brought out the Hollywood equivalent of legal stalkers, known as paparazzi. It was as if whenever they turned a corner, there they were. Except where human faces should have been, there was only the cyclops like lens of cameras flashing at them. Whenever they walked around town, paparazzi. Sitting down to dinner, paparazzi. Hell, even when Aiden went back to Maxwell’s to shop, there they were at the window, snapping their precious photos.

One afternoon, one of the few that they had together since filming began, Ryder’s cell phone rang. They were lounging in the backyard by the pool, Ryder tanning, and Aiden reading a book. “What’s up, Daniel?” He rolled his eyes at Aiden, who marked his page and turned his attention to Ryder’s half of the conversation, sure of the fact that their relaxing day off together was about to end.

What is it, he mouthed to Ryder. He held up one finger, intently listening to what their agent was saying. “Are you serious!?” Ryder jumped up from his seat, and sat next to Aiden on the lounge chair, pushing his legs over so his fiancé would sit up. “That’s amazing! Thank you so much!” He hugged Aiden, laying on top of him.

“What’s the big news?” Aiden asked, pecking Ryder’s lips with a kiss.

“We just landed the cover of People Magazine as this year’s hottest couple!” Ryder returned the kiss with more passion, but when he pulled back Aiden was looking away. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you excited?” He sat back up on the edge of the lounge chair, resting his hand on Aiden’s knee.

“Of course. That’s great news, Ry. I’m so happy for you.” Aiden smiled at him.

“For us, you mean. Look Aiden, I know that all of the attention isn’t really your thing, but we’re famous. It comes with the territory.” He leaned in and kissed his forehead. “This is a big deal for both of our careers, and how amazing is it that a gay couple is going to be on the cover of one of the biggest magazines in the country?”

Aiden forced a smile. “I guess it is a big deal,” He groaned sarcastically, causing Ryder to smile even bigger than before. “I just never expected this much attention from being a writer. I always thought my work would get all of the praise.”

Ryder stood up, pulling Aiden with him into an embrace. “Get used to it, baby. You’re gonna be huge.” They kissed again, and although Ryder’s intentions were well, Aiden couldn’t help but feel a twinge of nerves course through his body. Fame wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, and they were about to blow up big time. He wasn’t sure if this was what he wanted after all.

“That’s a wrap people!” Paul called from behind the monitor. He stood up, clapping for Ryder’s performance. “Amazing work Ryder, and thank you all for all you’ve done on this film!” The studio lights flashed on, and the crew all smiled and cheered, ready to celebrate.

Ryder made his way across the studio lot, smiling and high fiving members of the crew as he went. Wrapping a film never felt so good. Here he was, the star of a movie his fiancé wrote, their faces plastered on newsstands all over the country; what could be better than that? He opened the door to his trailer, a cold wave of air conditioned air hitting his bare skin, causing goosebumps to jump up.

Garrett, Ryder’s assistant, was sitting on the couch to the left of the door, blathering on the phone about Ryder’s schedule for the rest of the week. At the entrance of his boss, he put the phone against his shoulder so the person on the line, who was rambling on about god knows what, wouldn’t hear that he had stopped listening. “Is it a wrap?”

“It’s a wrap my friend!” Ryder clapped his hands together and raised them over each shoulder in accomplishment.

“Sheila, I’m gonna have to call you back,” Garrett spoke into the phone. Ryder could hear the woman’s voice still chattering as Garrett hung up and tossed his phone beside him. He stood up, grabbed the bottle of champagne that was chilling in the bucket on the vanity table and popped the cork. “To you and Aiden,” he toasted after pouring them each a glass. They clinked glasses and sipped the bubbly, Ryder relishing in the crisp after taste. He was more of a brandy man himself, but it was a special occasion after all.

“Where is Aiden anyway? I thought he was supposed to be here by now,” Ryder asked, slipping his phone out of his back pocket to check the time. Aiden told him that morning he would be to his trailer around two o’clock, and it was half passed four. The champagne had been meant for the two of them; to celebrate both the cover story and the wrapping of the film. Before Garrett could answer, he noticed the large bouquet of flowers on the counter next to the stove across from the couch and knew right away who they were from.

Garrett took another sip and looked down at his feet. “Those were sent at two o’clock. I didn’t read the card, but I assume they’re from him. I’m sorry Ryder.” He plucked the card from its holder among the flowers and handed it to his boss.

Ryder took it, flipped it open, and felt a ball of disappointment sink into his stomach like a bowling ball dropped into a pool. Yes, Aiden had other work to do, but this was a big day for both of them and Ryder wanted to share it with him. Still, the note was short, sweet, and totally Aiden.

I’m sorry I can’t be there today. I love you with all of my heart. Congratulations.

-A

Ryder finished his glass in one gulp and poured himself another. “You can take the rest of the day off, Garrett, I want to be alone for a little while.” He plopped down on the couch and put his glass on the table, watching the bubbles continuously float to the brim.

“Don’t let it get to you. You know how Aiden gets when he’s working,” Garrett said as he sat down next to Ryder. He tried to make eye contact, but Ryder only focused on the floating bubbles. Sensing there was no hope in talking about it, he stood back up. “Call me if you need anything okay? Congratulations, Ryder, you really deserve it.” He patted him on the shoulder, and headed toward the trailer door.

As he opened it, he turned around one last time. “Ryder?”

Ryder looked up, picking the champagne flute up from the table and taking a sip.

Garrett sighed, smiled, and shook his head. “Never mind. See you tomorrow.” And with that he slipped out of the trailer, the heavy metal door slamming behind him.

Across town, while Ryder sulked in his trailer and got a good buzz from finishing the bottle of champagne, Aiden was leaning back in his desk chair. Hands clamped behind his head, eyes closed, he was trying to fight through this latest blight of writer’s block with no luck. Between the pressures of having an A-List celebrity fiancé and all of the attention that came with it, Aiden couldn’t focus. His publisher’s had loved his first novel, even more so after it got a movie deal. But the pressure was on to produce another hit, and he just couldn’t concentrate. The reason being? Fame.

It was to the point now that every time he and Ryder left the house together, there would be a swarm of paparazzi flashing pictures, calling out their names, blocking their way. He expected for this to happen, what with he and his partner being house hold names within their own careers, but he never thought it would take such a toll on him. He began to resent ever having written ‘Angel Eyes’ in the first place. Somedays he wished he was still just a salesperson, and no one knew his name. But then Ryder would flash through his mind, and he would remember all of the good things about their life together.

With a drawn out sigh, he opened his eyes and leaned forward again over his laptop. He stared at the blank white page on the screen, the blinking black line of the cursor mocking him with each tick. Frustrated, he closed the laptop and pushed away from the desk, standing up to face the backyard behind him.

His office was on the first floor of the house, and had direct access to the pool through a set of French doors. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the crystalline water, ebbing and flowing from the cool midday breeze and let himself be hypnotized by the glistening reflection on the side of the pool. Just as he began to work through his blockage, he heard the doorbell ring followed by immediate rapid knocks on the front door.

He whipped around, startled out of his daze, and made his way out of the office. The knocking continued feverishly until he peeked through the window next to the door to find Daniel Higgins on his front step. He was wearing a black suit, red tie, and a striped shirt, accented by an oversized silver watch. It must have been a rough walk from his car to Aiden’s front door, because his forehead gleamed brightly with sweat. At the sight of Aiden’s head in the window, Daniel leaned forward and waved. Aiden reluctantly opened the door and planted his hands on his hips.

“Daniel, it’s so nice to see you. Here. On my front porch. Without calling me first.”

Ignoring the obvious annoyance in Aiden’s voice, Daniel pushed past him into the foyer and took a handkerchief from his breast pocket. He mopped his brow as he buttoned the top button on his jacket, glancing around. “Do we really need to deal with such formalities, Aiden? We’re family.” His lips turned up in a thin smile, and Aiden rolled his eyes as he closed the door behind him.

“What can I help you with?” He asked, gesturing for Daniel to have a seat in the living room to the left of the door.

“I have some big news for you, A-baby, and I think you are just going to love it.” He sat on the one of the two arm chairs, resting his arms on his knees and folding his hands together. Aiden plopped down on the cream colored sofa across from him, tucking his bare feet underneath him.

“Because you’re such an expert on things that I love. What’s the news?”

“The studio would like for you to write the sequel for ‘Angel Eyes’. They want to begin production within the next year so you’re gonna have to get a move on.” He crossed his right leg over his left, and leaned back, clearly satisfied with himself.

Aiden sat bolt upright, swinging his feet out from underneath him and almost knocking the pile of magazines off the coffee table. “What?! I can’t write a movie right now; I’m working on my next book. Plus, I never intended there to be a sequel, how the hell am I supposed to do that?” He stood up and began pacing behind the couch. “They just wrapped today for Christ’s sake!”

“You’re the hottest writer in the biz, A-baby. They already expect this film to draw in big crowds, and are even talking about possible Oscar nods for both you and Ryder. As your agent, I highly suggest you take the deal. This could be huge for both of you.” Daniel stood up and headed toward the door. He reached for the doorknob and turned around one last time. “I need an answer by next week. Talk to Ryder, I’m sure he’ll help you see what a good thing this is.” He let himself out, and as the door slammed shut behind him, Aiden collapsed onto the couch.

His left arm and leg dangled off the couch, the back of his right hand pressed against his forehead, and his right knee was bent against the cushions. He felt as if he were a balloon and Daniel had just pricked a hole in him, slowly draining the air from his body. How was he supposed to make both the studio and his publishers happy, when he couldn’t even get out of his own head long enough to come up with any ideas? Allowing himself only a moment or two of stress, he stood up and headed back to his office determined to get at least something down, even if it did suck.

On the wall opposite the door of his office hung a hardback first-edition copy of ‘Angel Eyes’ in a glass display case, with two lights shining down on it. He kept it there as a reminder of his accomplishment, but right now he hated the sight of it; mocking him in the bright light, laughing at his inability to think. Suddenly his office was too small. He wouldn’t be able to get anything down today if he didn’t change something.

He jogged upstairs to his bedroom and changed out of basketball shorts and a tank top into a pair of jeans, a white t-shirt, and sneakers. His car keys were in a bowl on the dresser, next to his favorite photo from his engagement pictures with Ryder. They had been so happy then, before everything got complicated. Aiden still adored his fiancé, but he often wondered if they would be happier leading normal lives. His cell phone rang from his back pocket. It was Garrett, Ryder’s assistant.

Aiden liked Garrett well enough, but he didn’t trust him as far as he could throw him. Garrett started off as an intern with Daniel, and when Ryder began talking about looking for an assistant a few months earlier, Aiden thought it a little suspicious that an intern made the cut. He handled Ryder’s schedule and kept him on time, occasionally lending his assistant abilities to Aiden when Ryder didn’t need him. But there was something about the look in his eyes when Ryder said his name that sparked a little pang of jealousy in Aiden.

“This is Aiden.” He liked to keep it professional, even if they had a semi-close relationship. He had to assert his alpha-male energy at some point, right?

“Hey Aiden, it’s Garrett. I just heard from Daniel about the sequel getting green lit. Congratulations!” He sounded sincere enough, but how the hell did he already know about the meeting he just had with Daniel? Were they still in contact? And if they were, why?

“Uh…thanks Garrett. I haven’t told Ryder yet, so please don’t say anything. Is he around?”

“He actually sent me home early. He seemed upset that you weren’t in the trailer when he wrapped. I made sure he got your flowers, though.” Aiden could hear the condescending smile spread across Garrett’s face.

“Well thank you for making sure they got delivered. Is there something I can help you with or were you just calling to talk about privileged information that my agent shouldn’t be speaking about to anyone other than me?” Aiden had made his way through the house toward the garage where his Mercedes SUV was parked, swapping his cell phone out for the hands free blue tooth in the truck.

Garrett caught the sharp tone Aiden used right away. “I’m calling to remind you that you and Ry have a dinner reservation tonight at 7. I know you’re working through your writer’s block, and I didn’t want him to be more upset than he already was this afternoon.”

Aiden pulled out of the driveway, mentally noting the verbal knife fight that was taking place. He’d have to talk to Ryder about Garrett’s insubordinates. He wasn’t just some random person; he was Ryder’s partner. “You don’t need to worry about whether or not RYDER is upset, and I’d appreciate if you remember who it is you’re speaking to. Have a good night Garrett.” Aiden hung up before Garrett could snap back.

His knuckles were white against the steering wheel. Who the hell did that little punk think he was? Aiden’s anger grew more and more as he drove down from the hills into the city. He never noticed the Escalade with the black tinted windows following him. He was too caught up in the whirlwind of scenarios playing out in his head. What was Garrett up to? Was he trying to steal Ryder away from him?

He drove up the entrance ramp to the highway; the Escalade was only a few cars behind now. As he gained speed, his anger grew even more. Here he was, just trying to work like everyone else in this town, and an assistant was trying to steal his fiancé. How cliché was that? Aiden’s concentration broke when he finally noticed the SUV tailing him. How long had they been following him? Was he just being paranoid?

He merged over to the left; they followed. He merged back into the center lane; again they followed. Aiden’s heart began to race. He tried not to look when they pulled up next to him. He kept his eyes on the road, but he saw the passenger side window roll down, revealing a big camera lens. “Shit!” Aiden cursed.

How had they known he was behind the wheel? Did someone tip them off? He didn’t care to find out. He got off the highway at the next exit, not even sure of where he was going anymore. The adrenaline that was pumping through his veins erased the memory of his original destination, now he was in flight mode. The paparazzi were keeping pace with him, matching his weaves in and out of traffic. Soon Aiden’s ears were filled with the honks of other cars on the road, cursing the two speeding trucks. Still snapping the pictures, the Escalade somehow pulled in front of Aiden. No, not the same truck, but a new one. They had done this on purpose! The paparazzi were boxing him in, trying to make him drive the route they wanted.

His heart was pounding in his chest. His palms were slick with sweat. Aiden spotted a side street and took the turn a little too sharply, bouncing along as his SUV skirted over the curb. He had lost the paparazzi in front of him, but the group that were following behind him easily rounded the corner and were hot on his tail. He had no idea where he was, he hadn’t been paying attention to what part of town he was in. Aiden also didn’t notice the neon orange construction sign reading ROAD CLOSED AHEAD. He had been checking the rearview mirror when the road suddenly dropped from smooth asphalt to gravel. At the sudden impact, the truck bounced again and he bit down on his tongue hard; the metallic taste of blood flooding his mouth. He slammed on his breaks, but the gravel was too loose. The Mercedes fishtailed to the left so hard that the right wheels lifted off the street and flipped.

Glass shattered around him, tiny flying daggers slicing him up as they exploded against the impact. He had hit his head and blood was stinging his eyes from where it seeped from his skull. He was upside down, dangling because of the seat belt. He heard a car door slam and footsteps running toward him. Help was coming. But…no. The shouts he heard weren’t those of good Samaritans who had witnessed the accident. They were calling out his name, but they didn’t seem like friendly voices.

Someone was saying to get the shots quickly. Were they going to kill him? He was trying to figure out everything that was going on around him as the footsteps trampled closer. Then came the shudders of the cameras taking their pictures. He groaned from the pain all over his body, and unhooked the seat belt dropping hard onto the interior roof. Just as quickly as the footsteps had run toward him they were gone.

He tried to crawl from the truck, shards of glass imbedding themselves into his palms. He howled in pain when he finally pulled himself through the window. He tried to stand, but stumbled and leaned against the truck. He had a massive pain on his left side. Probably a sprained rib, he thought. He wrapped his right arm around himself, and took small sharp breaths trying to look around to see where he was. He looked up at the billboard looming over him.

Siren’s wailed in the distance as Aiden slid down the side of the truck, slumping to the ground. The cover of People Magazine’s Hottest Couple Issue looked down on him. Ryder and Aiden smiling as if nothing else in the world mattered. He blacked out as an ambulance screeched to a halt.