seemingly out of nowhere and caught him around the waist, sending them both sprawling to the patio. Danny laughed and shook his head as the cameramen swooped in to film Tate and Reece as they grappled on the ground. That was going to leave some bruises.
“ S O , TODAY was interesting,” he said to Elliot when they were in their room at the end of the night. They weren’t filmed as much as he thought they’d be. There were lots of breaks, and they even had some days off blocked into their schedule. Still, it was a lot. And it would be hard to get used to.
Elliot turned over in his bed and smiled sleepily. “Yeah. I’m sure it’ll be different tomorrow.”
Danny nodded and opened his mouth to say something else, but the buzzing of Elliot’s phone made him pause.
Elliot grabbed it from the table beside his bed and glanced at the screen, his smile widening when he read whatever message had just come through.
“What is it?” Danny asked, curious despite himself. Elliot had never mentioned having anyone special back home, but Danny didn’t want to assume.
Elliot looked up from his phone. “My friend Sara. She’s asking how everything is going.”
“Oh, she’s the one you mentioned before, right? The one who talked you into auditioning?”
Elliot nodded. He had the phone gripped in both hands as he used his thumbs to type back a message. “Yeah. I was worried she might be kind of jealous, you know? I went with her for moral support, and now I’m here and she’s still back home.”
“And is she?”
Elliot shook his head. “Nah, I don’t think so. We’ve been texting the last few days. She just seems happy for me, really.”
“That’s good,” Danny said. Katie seemed happy for him too when they talked. It was too bad that at the end of their conversation that morning, he’d realized he spent nearly the entire time talking about Elliot and, to a lesser degree, the other guys. Only belatedly had he remembered to ask her what she had planned for the day.
He’d felt awful after they hung up. He loved Katie. He knew he did. But the butterflies that overwhelmed his stomach whenever Elliot was close, the way he constantly needed to touch Elliot—his lips, his skin, his hair. That crazy smile he couldn’t seem to control whenever Elliot was near. He’d never felt any of that with Katie. Not even at the start, when they’d been kids.
Danny wasn’t sure what to think about any of it. What he did know was that he loved to be around Elliot, loved to make Elliot laugh. That sound was quickly becoming one of Danny’s favorite things. He wanted to hear it all the time. Because it was warm and irresistible and it made him feel—
“Hey, Danny?”
Danny blinked, coming out of his thoughts. Elliot had put his phone down and was facing him again. His brown eyes looked huge in the semidarkness of the room. “Yeah?”
“I’m glad you’re here,” Elliot said softly. “I never knew how much my life would change when I went to that audition. I’m glad you’re a part of it now.” He paused, looking abruptly self-conscious. “I mean,” he added in a rush, “I’m happy to have all the guys. We all get along, and it’s great. But I… well, especially you.”
Danny smiled. Elliot had gotten a little awkward and rambly at the end there, but Danny understood. He felt the exact same way. “Me too, El. I’m happy to have you too.”
Chapter 5
“O KAY , guys, just act natural. Be yourselves… well, yeah. Just be yourselves. This one can be nice and short. Just introductions, maybe one or two little facts per guy, and we can be done, cool?” The cameraman swiveled his camera around on a tripod and aimed it at the couch where all five boys were piled.
“We’re ready,” Danny said confidently.
Ready? Elliot wasn’t so sure. He fidgeted in the corner of the couch while Webb and Reece flicked each other on the ears, Tate tried to keep order, and Danny laughed. I can do this. There
“ S O , TODAY was interesting,” he said to Elliot when they were in their room at the end of the night. They weren’t filmed as much as he thought they’d be. There were lots of breaks, and they even had some days off blocked into their schedule. Still, it was a lot. And it would be hard to get used to.
Elliot turned over in his bed and smiled sleepily. “Yeah. I’m sure it’ll be different tomorrow.”
Danny nodded and opened his mouth to say something else, but the buzzing of Elliot’s phone made him pause.
Elliot grabbed it from the table beside his bed and glanced at the screen, his smile widening when he read whatever message had just come through.
“What is it?” Danny asked, curious despite himself. Elliot had never mentioned having anyone special back home, but Danny didn’t want to assume.
Elliot looked up from his phone. “My friend Sara. She’s asking how everything is going.”
“Oh, she’s the one you mentioned before, right? The one who talked you into auditioning?”
Elliot nodded. He had the phone gripped in both hands as he used his thumbs to type back a message. “Yeah. I was worried she might be kind of jealous, you know? I went with her for moral support, and now I’m here and she’s still back home.”
“And is she?”
Elliot shook his head. “Nah, I don’t think so. We’ve been texting the last few days. She just seems happy for me, really.”
“That’s good,” Danny said. Katie seemed happy for him too when they talked. It was too bad that at the end of their conversation that morning, he’d realized he spent nearly the entire time talking about Elliot and, to a lesser degree, the other guys. Only belatedly had he remembered to ask her what she had planned for the day.
He’d felt awful after they hung up. He loved Katie. He knew he did. But the butterflies that overwhelmed his stomach whenever Elliot was close, the way he constantly needed to touch Elliot—his lips, his skin, his hair. That crazy smile he couldn’t seem to control whenever Elliot was near. He’d never felt any of that with Katie. Not even at the start, when they’d been kids.
Danny wasn’t sure what to think about any of it. What he did know was that he loved to be around Elliot, loved to make Elliot laugh. That sound was quickly becoming one of Danny’s favorite things. He wanted to hear it all the time. Because it was warm and irresistible and it made him feel—
“Hey, Danny?”
Danny blinked, coming out of his thoughts. Elliot had put his phone down and was facing him again. His brown eyes looked huge in the semidarkness of the room. “Yeah?”
“I’m glad you’re here,” Elliot said softly. “I never knew how much my life would change when I went to that audition. I’m glad you’re a part of it now.” He paused, looking abruptly self-conscious. “I mean,” he added in a rush, “I’m happy to have all the guys. We all get along, and it’s great. But I… well, especially you.”
Danny smiled. Elliot had gotten a little awkward and rambly at the end there, but Danny understood. He felt the exact same way. “Me too, El. I’m happy to have you too.”
Chapter 5
“O KAY , guys, just act natural. Be yourselves… well, yeah. Just be yourselves. This one can be nice and short. Just introductions, maybe one or two little facts per guy, and we can be done, cool?” The cameraman swiveled his camera around on a tripod and aimed it at the couch where all five boys were piled.
“We’re ready,” Danny said confidently.
Ready? Elliot wasn’t so sure. He fidgeted in the corner of the couch while Webb and Reece flicked each other on the ears, Tate tried to keep order, and Danny laughed. I can do this. There
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