Page 29 of Double Standard

“When did things begin to fracture with your family? When you took this job? Or were cracks showing before?”

“I’m not here to talk about that.”

My face wants to twist into a grimace at how he shut down the question—he sounded defensive—but I can’t let it. Instead, I squeeze his thigh and add a cheerful lilt to my voice. “What I see in Levi is a man who’s committed to achieving his goals. We’re similar in that way. I’m so grateful to our wonderful director, Francesca Stella, for seeing this trait in both of us when it came time for final casting.”

“And of course, Levi’s resemblance to Colt Haggerty must’ve been a key part of the decision,” Monica says as she angles her body toward me and drapes a hand over her knee, like we’re all sharing a secret. “This resemblance got you in trouble before filming had even started.”

I keep my smile soft and my voice upbeat, but my blood is boiling. “It’s an interesting phrase,‘Got you in trouble.’Something was reported that was untrue, but that’s nothing new. I’m not dwelling on it.”

My words are emphatic, definitive. My intention is to give her nothing, to shut down the line of questioning.

“My issue,” Levi says, and my heartbeat picks up.Oh,God, please no.“Is that only Ana, quote,got in trouble. She was the one reduced to her looks in all the coverage. She’s the one who gets blamed when a rumor like that surfaces.”

My fingers dig into the flesh of his thigh, willing him to stop talking before his words get twisted around and spit out in print with a different meaning.

Ignoring my plea, he continues. “Listen, this sort of reporting—there’s a double standard.”

“You mean how the vitriol came down on Ana and not Colt, in this instance?”

No. No, no, no. Don’t answer that.

“Exactly.”

Cold air rushes through my nostrils as I inhale a centering breath.

Monica nods, and her eyes bore into mine, waiting for a response, but I wait her out.

“Your relationship went public after this. What’s it been like since?”

Levi turns toward me and runs a thumb over the back of my hand. The comfort of it brings me back down into my body. “It’s been a privilege to get to know a side of Ana the public doesn’t see.”

He’s right—he knows me and sees me like so few people do. Like maybe no one else does. But that’s a gift I’ve given him, and it’s one I’m not giving toPeople. They don’t deserve my vulnerability.

Monica turns her attention to me, waiting for myresponse to her question. I inhale and refocus. “For all the moments we’ve been in front of cameras—both on set and off—we’ve also had plenty of time to ourselves. Filming on location has given us opportunities to connect away from the fishbowl that is Los Angeles. There’s something special about that.”

“Would you say it’s getting serious between you?”

“No, there’s no rush to put a label on this,” I reply. I feel the heat of Levi’s gaze on my face but don’t turn toward him. “We’re just having fun and enjoying each other’s company.”

The pulse in his wrist picks up at the phrasehaving fun. His hand flexes under mine.

Telling this reporter is one thing, butisthat what we’re doing here? Yes and no.I know there’s more to it than that, and judging by the way his body responded, he does too.

“And afterAthena’s War, what’s next for you both?”

Levi jumps in. “My hope is to have a long career in stunt work, but for now, all my focus is onAthena’s War. Thinking beyond that would be a distraction.”

Even though I know what he’s saying is true, and even though I downplayed our relationship—or whatever this is—less than a minute before, his words still twist in my gut.

“What about you, Ana? What’s next?”

I hope my face, with a soft smile that feels plastered on, doesn’t betray me as I answer. “I’ll echo Levi—my focus ison doing my best work on this film, giving it the attention it deserves at release, and enjoying myself in the process, both professionally”—I turn to face him—“and personally.”

Monica returns my smile as she turns off her mic. As I count down to when I can call Emily to start damage control for this disaster of an interview.

XIX

Levi