I took joy in what I did, but I still didn’t like how others looked down on me sometimes. Being in L.A. subjected me to hoards of people that sat down in my chair and pretended like they were better than me. I’d even joked with Scott about naming my chair “The High Horse.”
As I explored the area around the castle, I came upon a beautifully manicured garden. Cast and crew members were hanging out here, taking strolls through the flowers.
My eyes combed the area, searching for anyone I knew. Some faces looked familiar, but no one that I’d interacted with for an extended time.
I could move around with stealth, and have more time to myself to try to untangle this web of drama that was unfolding around me.
As if following some kind of loner instinct, I immediately found the place in the garden that was obscured from view. There was a lonely little park bench tucked away behind a blossoming bush with bright flowers on it, and I knew on some level that this was the place for me.
I sat in it and stretched out, listening to the fountain dribble next to me. Privately, I decided that this spot would be my little refuge for as long as we were at this set; one area where I could be alone, away from all of these extroverts to just think.
As soon as the thought bubbled to the surface of my mind, there was the sound of footsteps approaching.
I let out a small sigh as I knew that I’d have to say hi to whoever entered this little area, and then make conversation with them. Just when I got a moment alone to myself…
But all of my expectations were shattered to pieces as none other than Leo Knight appeared under the archway of flowers.
He saw me and his golden eyes went round with surprise.
“I didn’t think anyone else knew about this spot,” he said, his smooth, slow voice pouring out of him like molasses.
An awkward pause filled the air as I didn’t know what he would end up doing. Was he waiting for me to get up and leave? Why was he standing there staring at me like that?
“If you want this spot, I’ll leave,” I said, standing up.
“N-no, don’t move for me. I’ll find somewhere else…” he trailed off.
Another awkward moment passed as we just stood there, staring at each other.
“You want alone time too, huh?” I asked the golden god standing in front of me. When I first saw him yesterday, there was this edge of haughtiness about him, as if he wouldn’t bother talking to anyone else. It was as if everyone around him was beneath him.
But now that I was alone with him face-to-face, I didn’t get that vibe at all. Maybe he was just shy.
I sat back down on the park bench and scooted over to the side. “You can join me if you want,” I said, letting the offer hang in the air pathetically.
My heart was beating so fast, and it was like I was in the presence of some majestic, legendary beast, hoping he wouldn’t run away. Part of me thought he wasn’t real at all, as if I was looking at a mirage.
“I’ll join, but only if you don’t mind me reading,” he said, showing me the Black Castle book in his hand. “I’ve got to catch up…”
He walked into the little room made of plants, his linebacker form hulking along. Something about that looked so hilariously out of place among all of these delicate flowers. But as I watched the way he moved, it was clear that there was this unmistakable awkwardness to him. It was like he wasn’t used to stardom, and he lacked all of that arrogant swagger that Mason carried with him like a bunch of balloons.
“Sure, go ahead and read. I wanted to get away from everyone to play on my phone anyway…” I said stupidly.
Leo nodded his golden head as he sat next to me, then cracked open his book.
I watched him for a few seconds, eyeing his haircut. Now that I was this close to him, it didn’t seem so bad… it was slicked back with a few strands escaping at the front, dangling down over his face like Nathan Fillion’s hair.
I found myself wondering if we were actually going to do this: Sit here and just be in our own worlds.
Leo hunched over the book and his golden eyes began flickering along the words, tracing them with impressive speed.
I raised an eyebrow at him, blushed, and then turned my attention to my phone.
From an outsider’s perspective, sitting here with him looked like the most boring thing in the world. All anyone could see was that we were two guys — one impossibly beautiful, one average — sitting on a bench.
But what no one could see was what could only be felt, and I had to feel it alone.
There was a prickling in the air, and every fiber of my consciousness was focused on Leo. I pretended to be reading some high-brow New York Times article on my phone, but I was actually watching him carefully out of the corner of my eye.
He was still as a statue, like he was carved from marble. There was no way he was feeling the same about me; he was completely engrossed in his book.
I was afraid to stay quiet, worried that my awkwardness would scare him away. But I was even more afraid that anything I would say would be stupid, so I just kept my mouth shut.
He flipped a page, the sound of the sliding paper slicing through my eardrum.
My pulse quickened, and I was overcome with this strange desire to know everything about him. I wanted to open up his mind and dive inside; learning all of his secrets and his wants and his fears… but mostly, I wanted to know why we had this weird, unspeakable connection.
And if I was the only one that was feeling
