𝗜𝗡 𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗡, m thames.

thirty two

chapter THIRTY TWO

we're fucked .

they had decided to take advantage of being in a new city, away from the constant eyes of LA, to sneak in a quiet date. the press tour for regretting you had brought them to chicago, and with the limited time they had in between interviews and appearances, mason and starr had ventured out to explore. both of them had been craving some sense of normalcy, something that didn't feel like it was scripted or monitored.

their disguises—though simple—were doing the job. mason's cap and hoodie, paired with sunglasses, made him blend in easily with the city crowd, while starr's beanie and oversized coat hid her just enough to pass as any other tourist. it felt like freedom, like a chance to finally breathe.

"you ever been to chicago before?" mason asked as they walked side by side down the streets, the cold wind ruffling his hoodie.

"not since i was a kid," starr replied, glancing up at the towering buildings. "i barely remember anything except eating too much pizza and getting lost in millennium park."

mason grinned. "well, good thing i'm here to make sure you don't get lost again."

"oh, please. you get lost all the time," starr teased, bumping his shoulder. "i'm surprised you haven't walked us into traffic yet."

mason chuckled, giving her a playful nudge back. "i'm not that bad."

as they wandered through the city streets, mason suggested they grab dinner at a small, tucked-away italian place he'd heard about. the kind of spot where they wouldn't be recognised, where they could sit down and just enjoy each other's company. after a quiet word with the host, they were led to a cosy back room, well out of sight from the main dining area.

starr settled into her seat, peeling off her beanie and sunglasses, finally able to relax. "this is perfect," she sighed, leaning back. "no cameras, no pr team breathing down our necks. just... us."

mason pulled off his cap, setting it on the table with a nod. "yeah, this feels good. like we're not being watched for once."

they ordered their food, falling into easy conversation. their banter came naturally—light-hearted jabs, stories from the press tour, and joking about their wired interview with ahliya. for the first time in what felt like forever, they were able to forget about the fake relationships, the rumours, and the pr circus surrounding them. it was just mason and starr, two people who cared about each other more than they were willing to admit out loud.

starr's phone buzzed on the table, and she glanced at it out of instinct, but quickly dismissed it, not wanting to interrupt their rare moment of peace. a few seconds later, mason's phone buzzed too. he shot her a look but ignored it as well, choosing to stay in the moment with her instead. but then the buzzing started again. her phone. his phone. again and again, in rapid succession—texts, missed calls, notifications from social media.

starr frowned, picking up her phone as the screen lit up with message after message.

"mason thames and starr akai: caught in the act!"

mason's phone buzzed with the same alerts, and he quickly unlocked it, his stomach sinking as he saw the headline.

"mason thames and starr akai caught getting close in secret photos from the wrap party—romantic drama unfolds!"

there it was. the photo. the one they had been so careful to avoid. they were standing outside at the wrap party, inches away from each other, mason's hand on starr's waist, their faces too close to be anything other than intimate. they hadn't even realised anyone had been watching, but now, it was plastered all over the internet for everyone to see.

"oh, fuck." starr whispered, her heart pounding in her chest. she scrolled through the endless texts from kairi, friends, and the pr team, all telling her the same thing. you've been caught.

mason's face hardened as he read the headlines. "shit," he muttered, his voice low. his phone kept buzzing, calls from his manager, ahliya, even his family.

"this is bad, isn't it?" starr asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she glanced up at him. her eyes were wide, her expression a mix of fear and shock.

mason stared at the photo for a moment longer before tossing his phone onto the table. "really bad."

they sat in silence, the weight of what had just happened pressing down on them like a heavy blanket. the picture was out there now, and it was real. no more hiding, no more pretending. their secret was exposed, and there was no way to undo it.

"what do we do?" starr asked, her voice shaking.

mason took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. his mind was racing, trying to figure out how to handle this without everything spiraling out of control. but when he looked at starr, the fear in her eyes, the vulnerability on her face, he knew what mattered most.

"we'll deal with it, together," he said firmly, his voice steady but soft. "i'm not running from this, and i'm not running from you."

starr blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in his words. "you mean that?"

"yeah," he nodded, leaning forward. "i do. i know things are messy right now, but i'm not letting this ruin what we have. i've been pretending for so long, playing this stupid game with ahliya, but you... you're real. and i don't want to lose that."

his words hung in the air between them, heavy with meaning. starr's heart thudded in her chest as she looked at him, really looked at him, and realised how much she wanted to believe him. but there was still that small part of her, that voice in the back of her mind reminding her of how complicated things were.

"what about ahliya?" she asked quietly, her voice tinged with doubt. "the world thinks you're with her, mason. what happens when this blows up even more? are you really ready for that?"

mason's jaw clenched, his eyes hardening. "i'll deal with ahliya. i'll deal with the fallout. but i'm done pretending. done lying to everyone, especially to myself."

starr's breath caught in her throat at the intensity of his gaze, the raw emotion in his voice. for a moment, it felt like the world had faded away, leaving just the two of them in that dimly lit restaurant, holding on to the fragile hope that maybe, just maybe, they could make it through this.

but then mason's phone buzzed again. this time, he didn't ignore it. he glanced down at the screen, and his face paled. starr's heart sank as she saw the name flash across the screen: ahliya.

"she knows," mason muttered, his voice tight with frustration. he turned the phone around so starr could see the message: "we need to talk. now."

naya's notes

HERE TAKE A DOUBLE UPDATE AS AN APOLOGY FOR NOT UPDATING IN WEEKS <3