“You’re not outing me, Will.” He roars past the mailbox at the end of the lane and keeps going. “I don’t care what you say. I’ve got too much to lose.”

“But think about it for a minute,” I respond, taking a diplomatic approach. “You’re going to be leaving town in a matter of months. You’ll be away from these small-minded people. Their opinions won’t matter anymore. And besides, you’re not admitting you’re gay to the whole town—just to Lauren.”

“Yeah, who just so happens to have the power to ruin me,” Ben laughs cruelly. “Are you out of your mind?”

“She’d rather die than expose Ryan and you know it.” I hate throwing his previous relationship back in his face, but he’s not giving me any choice. “We have to hit her where it counts. Threaten her. Scare her into thinking that you’re going to go public with all of the details and that the whole town’s gonna find out that Ryan was your boyfriend.”

“Ryan gutted me, Will, okay? I didn’t think I’d ever get over him. He was it for me.” He takes his hand off the steering wheel to run it over the stubble on his face.

It’s one of his nervous gestures that I find so endearing, but I can’t let his cuteness distract me from the mission at hand. He needs to cooperate, and he’s going to. I admire his spirit, but it’s misdirected. He’s the hottest guy I’ve ever been with, but I’m all about self-preservation. And I’m not about to let everything fall apart just because he’s expected to bang every cheerleader on the squad. Life is more complicated than that.

“So Lauren’s dad caught you fooling around with his son, and he took it out on your brother to keep you quiet. Don’t you think Lauren’s already figured it out? She might be a crazy bitch, but she’s not dumb.” I take it as a good omen when Ben pulls over. We’re out in the open, and it’s not exactly private if someone happens to drive by, but it’ll do. At least I know what I’m saying is starting to penetrate his thick skull.

“My brother lost his job because of me, and he doesn’t even know it.” He stares at the barren trees out the windshield. “Ryan was taking a lot of heat from the guys at school. They knew what he was even if they couldn’t prove it. He hated the idea of them harassing him. So he’d do stupid shit to try and prove his manhood. He could never accept himself for who he is. I loved him so much but it wasn’t enough for him. I tried to keep him safe, but I failed.”

“You tried,” I reassure him, stroking the back of his head as he lowers it against the wheel.

“He was always so careful, but I got him drunk at his dad’s lodge to loosen him up. I wanted to enjoy our weekend together, but he’d only ever touch me after he’d had a few beers. It’s like he was repulsed by what we were doing, but he still wanted it. We had the music on pretty loud and we didn’t hear the garage door go up. His father caught us in the act and all hell broke lose. I never touched him again.” Ben stops and I lean forward to wrap him in my arms.

“Did his father threaten you?” I ask, somewhat afraid to hear the whole story.

“No, but I can’t help but think he set my brother up,” Ben continues, lifting his head. “Ryan went off the rails after that, doing messed-up shit. He was backing girls up against lockers to cop a feel. He was making suggestive comments while standing in the lunch line. He was texting naked pictures of himself to the prom committee. It was like he was trying to prove a point or something. Well, during his testosterone-fueled rampage, my brother caught him spying on the girls’ swim team. He had no idea what had happened between us and he reported him. Ryan didn’t get punished, but my brother got fired.”

“Why didn’t you speak up then?” I hover over him, wishing he had done the right thing when it counted but also understanding the shame that went into making such a confession.

“Because I was in the process of applying to college. I needed recommendations from my teachers and coaches. I was up for a free ride. Why would I throw that all away? Besides, what college team has an openly gay quarterback? Name one,” he challenges me, his beautiful face distorted in anger.

“I can’t,” I admit freely. “But by protecting yourself, you let others get hurt.”

“And you’re suddenly the morality police?” he huffs.

“No, but I will be one of the people Lauren destroys if you don’t speak up.” I have to convince him to stand up to her. He’s on the fence. All he needs is a little push. “I came back here with nothing. I’m living in a woodshed for fuck’s sake. She destroyed my love life and severely damaged my reputation in Hollywood, all in one fell swoop. The one thing I had going for me was the screenplay, and she even managed to take that away from me too. Trust me, I know what it feels like to lose everything.”

“So you’d put me in the same predicament?” he asks, flabbergasted. “Sorry, Will, but I’m not a loser. I’m a winner.”

“If you threaten Lauren by going after Ryan, you could be more than a winner. You could be a savior.” I let the word linger in the air. In the world of sports, what player doesn’t have a hero complex? “You could save me. You could save Ivy. You could save that unborn baby.”

“And if I confront Lauren about Ryan and she refuses to cooperate, what then?” Ben is considering my proposal. He’s not dead set against it. I can see the gears turning in his mind.

“We call her bluff and I get my screenplay back.” I rub my hands together, giddy with anticipation.

“What do you have on her?” He looks at me expectantly.

“That your brother didn’t sleep with Cassidy.” I wait for the other shoe to drop.

“Wait a minute! What?” Ben mutters, scrambling to recover from his initial shock over my announcement. “But you’ve never even talked to Tim. How do you know he—?”

“Actually fucked Lauren instead?” I interrupt, running my hand down his chest, feeling his muscles tense beneath my fingers. “Let’s just say that when someone gives me an assignment, I do my homework. You knew, but you were never going to tell me, were you?”

“Will, I—” he starts, but I don’t want to hear his excuses.

“You were going to hang me out to dry. I get it. Family comes first.” I withdraw my hand and sit back in the seat. “Your brother must be enjoying the high life, living as a kept man. I bet he’s charging Lauren an exorbitant amount to play the dude who came between Eric and Cassidy, America’s favorite couple. Silence doesn’t come cheap—on either end. He fulfills the role she created for him and she doesn’t ruin your potentially lucrative future as a football star. Tim is probably looking at the big picture, hoping to reap the financial rewards if you do ever make it to the NFL. Fat chance, but don’t tell him that. But then again, I’m not a fan of mutually destructive blackmail.”

“Shut up. You don’t know anything about Tim,” Ben asserts.

“But I have a pretty good idea that he doesn’t like to work for a living and he knows a good thing when he sees it. Lauren would do anything to avoid a scandal with Ryan, and you’re Tim’s meal ticket so there’s no way he was going to let you take the fall. I give him credit for playing the seduction card. Lauren is a sucker for chiseled abs. I mean, what woman can resist a swimmer’s body?” I laugh, but Ben doesn’t join in. “Now don’t be mad. I’m impressed with the gig your brother has going here. She gets him to lie about Cassidy and satisfy her sexual cravings. He preserves your good name and gets her to support him until you hit the big time. Masterfully played. But it can’t feel good to have all of your brother’s expectations heaped onto your shoulders like that. Talk about a ball and chain. I feel sorry for you, my man.”

“I’m not your man,” he remarks snidely.

“I know. You’re still in love with Ryan, even though you can’t have him.” I reach for Ben, but he pushes my hand away. “I’m glad we had some fun together though.”