Arriving at the cafe with Donovan, I couldn't help but feel like everyone was watching us.

Being famous had its perks of course, but when you're standing next to a man such as Donovan Steele, that alone makes people wonder if an event was happening, since being who I was, was a rising actor, on an instant hit TV show, and Donovan being who he was...

...We stood out.

There were roughly ten people inside the cafe, in groups, and I didn't even need to look hard to figure out who was Donovan's ex-wife and son, as they also stuck out amongst the people inside.

Ex-wife and son... I still can't believe it, and that he told me in such a trap way, in a car I couldn't run away from.

I'm really in it now, there's no running, and even if I could... I wouldn't, it terrifies me but being next to Donovan makes me feel invincible, just standing next to him makes me feel bulletproof, even in moments like this, where I should be terrified.

His wife was beautiful, with dark skin and long hair in a braided knot, wearing casual clothes with boots, yet she looked flawless, everything about her stood out in this small cafe, that and the handsome younger boy she sat with.

The boy I could only guess was Donovan's son, notices us as we walk up, a smile forming on his lips when he sees Donovan.

"That's them." He tells me, yet all I could think of is how much his son looked like him.

I follow behind Donovan, moving past people to the table they were sitting at, watching as the boy stood up to come over to Donovan, a happy boisterous grin on his face once

Donovan wraps his arm around his son.

"Hey, kid." He says, looking down at his son. "Did you both have to wait long?"

Pulling back, his son shakes his head. "No, mum and I just got here, I already ordered the drinks, same as usual." He tells Donovan, before looking behind him at me, his eyes going wide in the process.

"You're Even Beckett." He says, pointing out the obvious, almost not believing what he's looking at as his eyes grow wide.

I force a smile and extend my hand out to him, noticing the smile on Donovan's ex-wife's face.

"Hello." I say, shaking his hand, as his mom walks over to us. "Nice to meet you."

Emily, Donovan's ex-wife hugs Donovan with a kiss on his cheek as he hugs her back, making me feel more uncomfortable at how weird and new this is to me, especially since this is his ex-wife, and I'm Donovan's.... boyfriend.

Boyfriend. fucking hell, I can't even say the word without feeling a weird feeling in my stomach.

"Jamie already ordered your usual." She tells Donovan, before looking at me. "I hope you like coffee, Evan right?" She smiles sweetly, coming over to shake my hand. "It's lovely to finally meet you, I'm Emily."

I accept her hand and smile. "Yes, and thank you, it's nice to meet you too." I say politely.

Donovan pulls out a seat for me, before sitting down at the one next to me at their table, and I sit down, my hands sweating with how sudden this all feels, especially since I just heard about them not just 20 minutes ago.

Everyone sits down, and our drinks are brought to the table almost instantly after we get comfortable, Donovan tips the waiter who smiles politely, before walking away to take another order.

"I'm sure you know already, but I'm Emily, Donovan's ex." Emily says, holding her coffee. "I'm sure Donovan dragged you here, so feel free to slip out the back when he's not looking." She says, grinning cheekily at Donovan.

I laugh awkwardly, seeing Donovan frown at her as he takes a drink of what looks like pure black coffee. "Behave." He scolds her, a small smile on his lips.

"He came willingly, I'm not a monster Em." He joked back as his hand landed on my leg under the table.

I swallowed hard, trying my best to not focus on his finger, smiling as I look at Emily.

"I came willingly, this time." I joke back, shifting in my seat as his son has never stopped looking at me.

Emily laughs. "This time?" She says. "I know what you mean, he hasn't changed much, has he Jammy?"

Jamie, who was sitting near me, rolls his eyes. "Don't call me that." He says, before biting into his chocolate muffin.

"He's a double of his dad, isn't he?" She says to me, as I smile, looking at Jamie, seeing him blush as he groans at his mom, whose clearly embarrassing the young boy.

Donovan's hand rests on my leg as we all fall into casual conversation. "So, are you satisfied now?" Donovan says, making me look up curiously at him and Emily.

Grinning, she sits back in her seat. "I still can't believe it, I thought you were yanking my chain, I take back what I said."

Confused at what they're talking about, Jamie taps my arm, making me look at him.

"Mom thought dad was lying about having a boyfriend." He said, making me almost choke on air.

His eyes widen. "You are right? His boyfriend that is."

I'm speechless, I look at Donovan and he just sits back in his seat, watching me with amusement in his eyes as Emily mimics Donovan in her own seat.

"Yes, I guess I am." I stutter out, embarrassed.

With a serious expression, Jamie looks at me, with grey eyes lighting his dad's.

"My girlfriend is gonna be so pissed I met you without her."

"Language." Donovan and Emily say at the same time, making Jamie roll his eyes.

"Why's that?" I ask, laughing.

"Jamie's girlfriend has a little crush on you." Emily says, making Jamie sulk with his arms crossed.

"We've all seen your show on Netflix, we loved it didn't we Jammy?" Emily nudges her son. "I loved when you did that scene with Amanda when she lost her virginity, I thought you were brilliant!"

Jamie almost gags, his cheeks flushed. "You're unbelievable, he's right in front of us, you know."

"But yeah, my girlfriend should have me as her phone background, but instead has a picture of you." He cringes out, clearing his throat. 

Wait, what?

It doesn't hit me until I realise what he meant... the nude scenes on the show, and especially the scenes I did with Amanda, where I was almost nude in many of the episodes we were together in.

Oh... now I feel even more embarrassed and want nothing more than to punch Donovan in the face for real, simply for putting me in this situation.

"I forgot to mention, they're both big fans of yours."

Donovan says to me, a ghost smile on his face.

That bastard, and here I thought I was walking into a situation where I would have to explain who I am, what I do, and what we both are, but they already knew, fuck- they're fans.

"I'm cool with her liking you." Donovan's son shrugs out. "As long as you stay away from my girlfriend that is" He says, frowning at me as he looks me over, intimidated.

I snort out as Emily laughs. "I'm sure Evan has his hands full with your dad, babe."

Donovan's phone rings, making Emily stop laughing. "I need to take this." He tells us before looking at me.

"I'll be right back."

I nod my head and watch him get up and walk past me, touching me on the shoulder before he leaves and walks out of the coffee shop, with his phone to his ear.

And so there were three...

Jamie opens his phone and starts texting, leaving me and Emily to ourselves.

"I was worried at first when he told me about you." She starts by saying, looking directly at me. "And who you were."

"Seeing you now, I understand."

Furrowing my brows, I sit back in my seat. "What do you mean?" Did Donovan tell her how we met?

Shrugging, Emily smiles. "Donovan has always had this wall up, you know? But lately, he's happier, so I knew he found someone special to him, it was only a matter of time before he told us."

"He's kissed you didn't he?" She whispers, leaning forward, resting her chin on her palm as she grins at me.

My eyes almost pop out of my head at how brutally blunt she is. "I know everything about him, Evan, we've been friends since we were five, he's a great guy if you get past that attitude of his of course." She said with a chuckle.

"Did he... tell you?" I ask, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. 

"Nope." She shakes her head. "Seeing you both walk into the shop, I knew right away."

"He's never looked at me like how he looks at you, I knew it was serious."

I don't know what to say, I feel like I've already invaded their privacy just from sitting here, but now it feels like I'm intruding on something special, private.

"Do you love him?" She asks me, as Jamie beside me looks up at me from his phone.

I know she's asking because she's obviously protective of Donovan, and so is his son, and they have a right to ask me that, but what do I say to that? I like Donovan, but love?

Did I love Donovan? "Yes." I say honestly, sitting up straight, this being the first time I've told anyone other than Donovan that I loved him, it made me embarrassed.

"I've never dated a man before, so it's all still new to me."

She slowly nods her head and I can't help but wonder.

"Does it bother you?" I ask, a sinking feeling in my gut forming. "That I'm a man... and younger?"

The table falls silent before Jamie puts his phone on the table, breaking the silence.

"I don't really care." Jamie says. "Dad has never introduced anyone to us before, so if he's happy, so am I."

My chest tightens at his words as his son smiles at me, making me feel less like I'm an intruder.

"He's right." Emily says, making me look at her, to see she was smiling warmly between me and her son.

"I remarried two years later after Donovan and he never even mentioned a lover until now, I know this must be overwhelming for you Evan, given who Donovan is, and what kind of people his family are." She says, a serious expression on her face.

"Donovan is a fierce love Evan, when he's serious, he's protective, and something tells me you are too."

"So no." She tells me smiling. "I love you already, and Donovan deserves some happiness in his life, and I think you are just what he needs, I can tell you're already so special to him and he's special to you too."

My chest is beating against my ribs as the words left her mouth, and I had to wonder what the fuck I was so worried about meeting them for, they're good people.

A hand suddenly touches my shoulder, making me almost jump out of my skin and turn and look at who it was.

Donovan, he's back from his call.

"Sorry, that took longer than I thought." He said, sitting back in his seat. "What did I miss?" He asks, looking at me.

I wanted to laugh, because, for the first time since I met Donovan, Emily was right, looking at him, he looks laid back and happy, with a relaxed and carefree look on his face, and for some reason, I wanted to cry.

I knew how he grew up, in that house with Alex and his parents, it's no wonder Emily and Jamie are protective of Donovan, and vice-versa with Donovan being protective of them, hiding their identities from public knowledge.

"Nothing much." I tell him as he sits down next to me, looking at Emily and Jamie suspiciously.

Emily grins at me. "I and Evan were just talking about how lucky you are to land such a stud like him." She says, sending me a wink.

"Right, Evan?"

"Mom." Jamie warns her, cringing.

Donovan's eyes meet mine, confused, and I just mouth 'later', to which he just shakes his head, a small smile on his lips as picks up his coffee and with his hand back to my leg, and just like that, everything feels like it's falling into place, for the first time in my life after a long time.