— @fan9923: "Am I the only one thinking it's weird that Madelyn suddenly popped out with a GIRL??"

— @fan6734: "I thought Madison Bailey was the only lesbian on OBX. Lmao."

— @user4873: "Did she just OUT HERSELF???"

My stomach twisted. I swallowed hard, setting my phone down, rubbing my hands over my face.

This was a lot. Too much. I had barely even processed being with Madelyn publicly, and now the entire world was running with it like it was some kind of investigative true crime case.

A soft hum pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Mmm, babe?" Madelyn's voice was thick with sleep as she stretched beside me, her arm tightening around my waist before she finally blinked her eyes open. "What time is it?"

I barely heard her.

She must've sensed something was off because she sat up too, her brows furrowing as she looked at me. "Hey," she murmured, voice still raspy. "What's wrong?"

I hesitated. "Have you checked your phone?"

Madelyn frowned, reaching for it on the nightstand. She unlocked it, her sleepiness quickly evaporating as her screen flooded with notifications. I watched as her eyes darted over the messages, her lips parting slightly as realization set in.

She exhaled sharply. "Oh."

Yeah. Oh.

I studied her carefully, watching as she processed it all. "Madz... it's everywhere."

She ran a hand through her messy hair, shaking her head slightly. "I figured people would talk, but—this is a lot." She scrolled for a moment before letting out a dry laugh. "They're acting like I got a press conference lined up."

I didn't laugh. "They're saying you outed yourself."

Madelyn's face fell slightly. She sighed, tossing her phone onto the bed before turning to me. "I mean... technically, yeah, this is the first time it's ever been a thing. But I didn't exactly announce it."

I swallowed hard. "Are you okay?"

She studied me for a long moment before reaching out, lacing her fingers through mine. "I should be asking you that," she murmured. "I know this is... a lot."

I let out a slow breath. "Yeah. It is."

She gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "Do you regret it?"

I blinked. "What?"

She bit her lip, hesitating. "Being with me. Knowing this is what comes with it."

I frowned. "Madelyn—"

"I just..." she exhaled, her thumb brushing over my knuckles. "I don't want you to feel like you have to deal with this just because of who I am."

My chest tightened. I shifted, leaning in, pressing a lingering kiss to her temple before pulling back to look her in the eyes. "I'm with you because I want to be. Not because of who you are, not because of anything else—just you."

She softened, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Yeah?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

A small smile tugged at her lips. "Even if the internet thinks I suddenly became gay overnight?"

I let out a dry chuckle. "Even then."

Madelyn sighed, leaning her forehead against mine. "I love you, you know."

I smiled softly. "I love you too."

We sat in silence for a moment, just breathing, just existing in the quiet together. But I knew this was only the beginning.

This wasn't just speculation anymore. This was public scrutiny, media coverage, people digging into every part of my life.

And I had no idea what was coming next.

.  .  .

𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐲𝐧'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

I hated this part.

The uncertainty, the tension, the way my brain kept running in circles, predicting all the ways this could go sideways. I had been here before—not in this exact situation, not with someone I loved, but in the world of speculation, of headlines, of people picking apart my life like it belonged to them.

I had seen it happen with my castmates. I had seen it happen with Madison and Rudy when people decided to inject themselves into something that was none of their business. And now it was happening to me. To us.

And I didn't know how to stop it.

Y/n sat on the couch, scrolling through her phone, her jaw tight as she read through whatever fresh chaos the internet had come up with in the past hour. I watched her carefully from the kitchen, fingers gripping my mug a little too tightly, debating whether or not I should even bring this up.

She was handling it well so far—better than I expected, honestly. But this was only the beginning. And I didn't know if she understood how relentless this could be.

I exhaled slowly, setting my mug down and walking over to her. "Hey," I murmured, sitting beside her.

She glanced up, her face softening when she saw me. "Hey."

I hesitated before reaching for her hand, lacing my fingers through hers. "Can we talk for a sec?"

Her brows furrowed slightly, but she nodded. "Of course."

I swallowed hard, trying to find the right words. "I just... I want to make sure you're okay. With all of this."

She tilted her head, studying me. "We already talked about this, Madz."

"I know," I admitted. "But I also know that this is new for you. And I don't think it's really hit yet—what this means, what this is going to look like going forward."

Y/n sat up a little straighter, giving me her full attention. "Okay... so tell me."

I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. "People are going to keep talking. This isn't just going to die down in a day or two. It's going to pick up. And once they really find out who you are, once they start pulling up details about your life, your job, your family... it's going to get more intense."

She nodded slowly. "I figured."

I frowned. "I don't think you really get how messy it can be."

Y/n stayed quiet, letting me talk.

I sighed, shifting to face her fully. "Fans think they know us. They think they have a say in everything we do. And the second they feel like they don't, they start turning on you. On us."

Her jaw clenched slightly, but she didn't say anything.

I licked my lips, debating how much to say. "You've seen what happened with Madison and Rudy, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Then you know how quickly things can go south." I swallowed hard. "And I just... I need you to know that it's not always going to be easy. People are going to dig into your past. They're going to make assumptions. They're going to spin stories that aren't true. And I can handle it. I've been handling it for years. But you... you didn't sign up for this."

Y/n exhaled through her nose, setting her phone down. "But I did, Madelyn."

I blinked, caught off guard by how firm her voice was.

She shifted closer, her hand squeezing mine. "I knew what I was getting into when I fell for you. I knew what it would mean to be with you publicly. And yeah, I don't know everything, I don't know how bad it'll get, but I do know one thing."

I swallowed, waiting.

"I want to be with you. That's not changing," she said, her voice steady. "So if this is what comes with it, then so be it."

I felt my chest tighten. "You say that now, but—"

She cut me off, her thumb rubbing over my knuckles. "Madelyn. I mean it."

I exhaled sharply, my eyes searching hers. "I don't want you to regret this."

Her gaze softened. "I won't."

A small, shaky breath escaped my lips. "I just... I love you. And I don't want this to ruin things."

Y/n let go of my hand only to cup my face, her fingers resting gently along my jaw. "You're not going to lose me, Madz."

I swallowed hard, letting myself lean into her touch. "Promise?"

She smiled, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. "Promise."

I exhaled against her mouth, my shoulders finally relaxing as I let her words sink in. I wasn't alone in this. She wasn't running.

We were in this together.