[Jack's house]
Jack stretched across the couch, one leg draped over the armrest while Haley leaned against him with her head on his chest. The sunlight spilled through the blinds, casting a warm glow over the living room. "You're seriously going to sleep through the whole day again?" Haley asked, tugging lightly at the blanket covering him.
Jack opened one eye and smirked lazily. "I don't see the problem. It's quality rest. Necessary maintenance for extreme boyfriend performance."
They had sex five times yesterday. And both of them were spent and slept like babies.
Haley laughed and rolled her eyes. "Extreme boyfriend performance, huh? Is that what we're calling last night now?" She wiggled a little and pressed closer. "Because I think you owe me breakfast for that performance." She did some extreme deepthroat, cowgirl, reverse cowgirl, and swallowing at the end. She had milked him dry despite his high stamina.
'Can't argue with that,' Jack chuckled and sat up just enough to brush a strand of hair from her face. "Breakfast, got it. Anything specific?"
"Pancakes," she said immediately. "With strawberries. And coffee. You know how I like it."
"Strawberries? You're not making me cook for love points again, are you?"
"Maybe," she admitted, grinning. "You're already getting some for free."
Jack swung his legs off the couch and grabbed his robe, standing with exaggerated effort. "Fine, fine. But I'm still taking credit for all the other mornings when I didn't make anything."
Haley nudged him playfully and followed him into the kitchen.
A few minutes later...
The smell of fresh coffee filled the kitchen, and Jack hummed while mixing batter, occasionally stealing glances at her. Haley was sitting on the kitchen island with her legs wide open and she wasn't wearing any panties under that robe. She loved the way he was looking at her.
"You're one naughty girl. We had sex five times yesterday, yet you're still horny," He said with a little laugh.
"Aren't you?" Haley said with a knowing smirk. She knew the effect she had on Jack. 'I'm gonna tease the hell out of you.'
"First of all, am I horny? Yes. Second of all, do I want to just push you down and fuck you right there? You bet your ass I do," Jack said with a nod. "Third of all, am I ready to shoot blanks and embarrass myself before my hot girl? Nope. So, we're gonna eat breakfast, lots of fruit juice, and we'll hydrate properly. After that, I'm gonna take you doggy style."
"In the tub?" She raised an eyebrow.
He nodded, "Oh yeah."
Once breakfast was done, they settled back on the couch, plates in hand, and started scrolling through a video game on the big screen. Laughter and groans alternated with the occasional playful argument over who was winning. Halfway through, Haley leaned against him, her head on his shoulder, and sighed. "I could get used to this," she murmured.
Jack kissed the top of her head. "Me too. Two months of just us? Heaven."
For the rest of January, Jack's schedule was gloriously empty. They went on long, lazy brunch dates, wandered through shopping malls and boutiques, played endless video games at home, and whenever they were alone, the time slipped effortlessly into hours of sex, laughter, and more sex. And they might have watched porno together.
Jack often fell asleep mid-game, controller slipping from his hands, and Haley would just shake her head fondly, cover him with a blanket, and nuzzle back into his chest.
Sometimes, evenings were for cooking together, experimenting with new recipes and eating far too much dessert. Jack lounged on the couch afterward, full and content, while Haley rested against him, her fingers tracing absent patterns across his arm. Sometimes they talked about the future in soft tones, sometimes they just stared at the ceiling, letting the silence stretch comfortably between them.
Also, sometimes, she stayed the night with him, which once again involved too much sex. Haley was like a nymphomaniac on crack. She rocked Jack's world.
Two months stretched on like a small eternity of perfect normalcy.
...
February 1
Jack was alone in the backyard pool, enjoying his last week of break before getting back into the pre-production of Zombieland, when the first comment caught his attention.
He had one arm folded over the pool edge, sunglasses sliding low on his nose, and his phone resting dangerously close to the water on the stone ledge. The morning had been quiet until then. Just sunlight, warm water, and the rare pleasure of doing absolutely nothing.
Then Twitter ruined it.
He blinked at the screen as one reply under his latest harmless post kept getting liked.
@prestonupdates:
wait is nobody talking about those jack and emma pics??? where's haley???
Jack frowned, tapped the replies, and immediately regretted it.
@cinemagirl_94:
Jack Preston and Emma Stone were looking WAY too cozy in Miami. Haley girl stand up.
@haleydefender:
no because if he cheated on Haley after 3 years I'm actually done with men.
@filmtea_daily:
Sources say Jack Preston has been "distant" from longtime girlfriend Haley Dunphy since his Miami trip. More soon.
Jack sat up a little, water dripping from his shoulders as his expression hardened.
"Sources?" he muttered. "What sources?"
He switched apps and opened Instagram. That was worse.
A gossip account had posted a grainy beach photo of him and Emma laughing near the resort café. Haley had been cropped out of the frame completely, even though Jack remembered her sitting right beside him five seconds before the picture was taken.
@starspillofficial
Jack Preston and Emma Stone spotted sharing a private laugh in Miami. Friendly co-stars or something more? 👀
The comments were already a mess.
@laurenlovesmovies:
Emma nooooo not messy like this.
@dunphycloset:
Haley was literally there that day. Why is she cropped out?
@jacknation:
This looks edited as hell.
@celebriteaaddict:
Famous men always disappoint.
Jack stared at the post for a long second, then screenshotted everything and sent it to his lawyer.
A reply came less than two minutes later.
Martin Graves:
Do not respond publicly. Send every post, article, and image. I'll handle it.
Jack looked at the message, then at the comments still flooding in, and forced himself not to type a single word.
...
February 2
By the next morning, the story had grown teeth.
Small celebrity blogs started stitching together Miami photos like they had uncovered an international conspiracy.
Jack Preston and Emma Stone Spark Romance Rumors After Miami Birthday Weekend
Rising superstar Jack Preston may be facing trouble in paradise. The actor was photographed laughing closely with Emma Stone during what insiders describe as an "intimate beachside moment." Preston has been publicly linked to fashion assistant Haley Dunphy for three years, but recent sightings have fans wondering whether the relationship is on shaky ground.
Jack read the article at his kitchen island with a cup of coffee going cold beside him. The "intimate beachside moment" was Emma telling a story so funny that Haley had nearly spilled lemonade onto Willa.
He sent the article to Martin.
Martin replied almost instantly.
Martin Graves:
Good. Keep collecting. This is moving from gossip into defamation.
Over the next few hours, Jack talked with his lawyer and his parents about the situation. They told him not to worry since things like this are common in Hollywood; they will take care of it.
Jack leaned back in his chair and rubbed his thumb over the edge of his phone. He wanted to call Haley immediately, but he knew she was probably already seeing it. Still, he called.
She answered on the third ring. "Before you say anything, I know."
Jack closed his eyes. "Are you okay?"
"No," Haley said, voice tight but controlled. "But I'm mad at these liars."
That helped more than she probably realized.
"They cropped you out," Jack said.
"I saw," Haley replied. "Which is insane because I looked amazing that day."
Jack laughed despite himself. "You did."
"I'm serious. If they're going to drag me into a fake cheating scandal, they could at least use one where my hair looked bad."
Jack smiled faintly, then softened. "I'm getting my lawyer involved."
"Good," Haley said. "Because I'm not making a statement and giving those people more attention."
"You don't have to. I'll get you a lawyer too."
There was a pause.
"Jack," Haley said carefully.
"You're part of this now because they made you part of it," Jack replied, already reaching for his laptop. "You're not dealing with it alone."
Haley was quiet for a moment before she sighed. "I hate that I love when you get responsible."
"I'll try to be less attractive next time."
"Don't push it."
--
February 3
The Emma rumor barely lasted a day before the story mutated again.
This time, it was Willa.
A tabloid site called The Velvet Wire posted a heavily edited photo from Miami. In the original, Jack, Haley, Emma, Willa, and Dakota had all been walking together along the beach path. In the published version, everyone except Jack and Willa had been blurred, cropped, or darkened until the image looked like a secret romantic stroll.
Exclusive: Jack Preston's Secret Relationship With Willa Holland? Inside the Alleged Romance Hidden Behind Haley Dunphy "Showmance"
Multiple insiders claim Preston's public relationship with Haley Dunphy may be more strategic than romantic. New photos from Miami appear to show Preston and Holland enjoying a private moment away from the cameras.
Jack stared at the words "showmance" for almost ten seconds.
Then he laughed once, coldly.
"Oh, you stupid bastards."
His phone buzzed.
Willa Holland:
Please tell me you saw this bullshit.
Jack typed back.
Jack:
Unfortunately.
Willa:
They blurred Haley out. She was literally between us.
Jack:
Martin's already moving.
Willa:
Good. My team is joining. I'm not letting them use me to hurt Haley.
A second later, Emma texted too.
Emma Stone:
My publicist just called me before coffee. I hate everyone.
Jack:
Lawyer up. Don't post.
Emma:
Already done. Also, for the record, I was laughing because Haley called you emotionally constipated.
Jack:
That sounds accurate.
Emma:
It was.
By noon, Twitter had split into factions.
@willaarchive:
The Willa pics are obviously edited. Haley was in the original fan photo. I remember seeing it in December.
@gossipgarage:
Jack Preston being exposed in real time is crazy.
@fashionbyhaley:
Calling Haley a fake girlfriend when she's been with him for 3 years is disgusting.
@filmfactsnow:
Emma Stone, Willa Holland, and Haley Dunphy all getting dragged because tabloids want clicks. Embarrassing.
@scandalszn:
where there's smoke there's fire.
@prestonlegalwatch:
or maybe where there's Photoshop there's a lawsuit.
Jack saw that last one and almost smiled.
Almost.
---
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