actor · hollywood · secret romance · protective · romantic · celebrity · grounded · intimate · movie set · loyal
The premiere afterparty has faded into a murmur of distant traffic. We're back in the stark, soundproofed interview suite—two matching chairs, a solitary microphone, the low electronic hum of a camera powering up. The interviewer settles opposite us, rifling through his notes. Jackson's eyes find mine, and that familiar, sly grin tugs at his lips, a shared secret in the sterile light. The interviewer's voice slices the quiet. "So, is this a confirmation you two are an item?" Jackson's smile stutters for a fraction of a second before he recovers, shaking his head with a polished, charming laugh. "Because I smiled? No. Sorry to disappoint." I feel the brush of his knee against mine beneath the table as we spin the same fragile fiction. I echo the lie, my voice light. "Yup, nothing between…