"Where the hell do you think you're going?"

Noah didn't bother to turn around to address Naomi, the assistant director. He was too busy fumbling for his keys in his jacket, the sweltering heat of the trailer enclosing him. He felt like he was running on pure adrenalin, battery acid pumping through his veins and only one, solitary thought on his mind: he needed to catch up with Luke.

"Finish the scene," he said to his assistant director. "We'll pick up on the rest tomorrow."

"Are you kidding me?" Naomi cried. "You think you can just walk out whenever you feel like it? We've got two weeks until shooting is suppose to wrap—"

"We'll finish by then," Noah said, walking past Naomi to the door. He exited the trailer and walked quickly towards his car in the next lot, his assistant director following him. "This is an emergency," he continued, eyes focused out ahead.

"Did I hear you just socked Andrew Sullivan in the face?" When Noah didn't respond, Naomi grabbed his arm and swung him around. "This is serious, Noah! Andrew could sue."

Noah pulled his arm away and turned to keep walking, his heart in his throat. "I don't care," he said. He climbed into his truck and looked at Naomi. "I'm sorry, but I have to do this.

Naomi sighed, pursed her lips, then nodded. "Go."

Noah didn't need her blessing, but he tipped his head anyway and started the truck, peeling out of the parking lot like a man on a mission.

0000000

When he got to the house, Noah closed the front door louder than he intended, scared out of his mind and hoping the worst wasn't about to happen. "Luke?" he called out. He walked down the hall and saw Luke coming from the bedroom with a scowl on his face. "Luke, I—"

Luke brushed past him and entered the kitchen. "Save it," he said.

Noah followed him, forgetting the words he had practiced in his mind on the way home, opting instead to speak from the heart.

"Luke, it's not what you think, let me explain—"

Luke whirled around, the island counter separating them. "Oh really?" he said. His voice was as sharp as an angry dog. "So what was it, then? Just a quick peck in between takes for good luck? 'Break a leg, Andrew, here's a kiss!'"

"Luke, stop that!" Noah cried. "You didn't see everything—"

"Oh, I saw plenty, Noah." Luke said, moving to the pantry and pulling something from the top shelf. "I saw your lips on his and I saw his hands around you. That was enough."

Noah went closer to Luke and turned him around by his shoulder, shocked to see a bottle of wine reserved for guests in his boyfriend's hand. "What are you doing with that?"

Luke jerked away and moved around the counter, separating them again. "What's it look like?" he said, opening a drawer and rummaging for a corkscrew.

"Would you stop and talk to me?"

"Sorry, don't feel like it," Luke said. He popped the cork out of the bottle and Noah reached out and grabbed the wine by the neck out of Luke's grasp.

"You didn't see the whole thing," Noah said. "He came on to me!"

"Are you sleeping with him?" Luke asked.

The question literally threw Noah back. He stepped away and set the wine bottle down. "How can you ask that?"

"How can I not ask that?!" Luke cried. "I saw you that day you had lunch with him, I saw you holding his hand—"

"And did you see me pull away about five seconds later?"

"Why didn't you tell me about it?" Luke asked, his voice softer.

Noah's face slackened and he tilted his head down. "What?"

"Why didn't you tell me that day, why didn't you say, 'by the way, Luke, Andrew made a pass at me—'"

"Because . . ." Noah paused, searching for the right words. "Because I didn't want to worry you! I didn't think it mattered!"

Luke threw his head back and let out a laugh, slamming his hand down on the marble top of the island counter. "Didn't matter?"

Noah took a brave step forward. "You can't think—"

"Okay, so maybe he made a pass at you that day, fine," Luke said, putting up his hands. "But then there's all this talk about you not wanting kids anymore, and then I see you and him kissing in your trailer . . . what the hell am I supposed to think, Noah?"

Noah stared at him, his face a mixture of disgust and shock. "I can't believe you don't trust me."

Luke stepped closer to him, close enough to feel Noah's quick, hot breath on his face. "And I can't believe you didn't trust me enough to tell me he was interested in you."

Noah stared in Luke's eyes, lost for words and reeling from everything that was happening. It felt like a nightmare, one where everyone misunderstood him and nothing went right. He flinched when Luke reached his hand out and snaked it beyond his waist, grabbing the bottle of wine back. Luke looked at him up and down as though challenging him to say something else, then turned away with the wine.

"If you're so ready to accept what you think happened without my side of the story," Noah said, "then maybe we shouldn't be together."

Luke stopped in the doorway that led to the dining room. H hadn't expected this, hadn't expected Noah to give up so easily. "Maybe you're right," he said, not turning around. He wanted to believe his own words, but instantly regretted saying them. Luke stayed in the doorway, waiting for Noah's retort.

"I got this for you," Noah said. His voice was low, almost a whisper.

Luke didn't bother to turn around to see what it was. He heard Noah take something out of his jacket pocket and place it on the counter.

"It's still yours, if you want it."

Luke heard as Noah moved to the door leading out to the hallway. "Where are you going?" he asked, his back still turned. He realized then that he didn't want to see the pain or sadness or, God forbid, anger, on his lover's face.

"Out," Noah said.

Luke heard the door of the kitchen close, then moments later the front door opening and closing. He finally turned and Noah was gone. He looked at the spot where Noah left the item, and saw a velvet box perched on the corner of the counter. Luke walked over and set the wine bottle down, opening the black velvet box with trembling hands. Inside, a gold ring was cushioned on more black velvet, and when Luke picked up the ring and examined it, he found an inscription on the inside of the gold band:

To Luke, I'll always love you.

To be continued