Secrets and Camera Flashes

Chapter 23

Garth gasps so dramatically, Dean almost thinks he's going to pass out. He sounds like a bad actor, except the only one acting here is Dean.

"Oh my god, I am so, so, so sorry," Garth says quickly. "I should've asked or emailed you to see if there was anything you didn't want to talk about —"

"Garth, it's fine," Dean says. "People were gonna find out in a few hours, anyway." With a humorless laugh, he adds, "Just makes me wish I chose a different song to put out today, but can't change that now."

Garth really seems to feel bad, though, which Dean hasn't anticipated when he'd agreed to do this interview. He knew there was a good chance Jo would come up, and that his team would be thrilled if it did, but he hasn't accounted for how Garth would feel about it — not into accidentally bringing up a breakup to the broken up with party, but also announcing it to the whole world.

So it looks like it's time to do damage control.

"But, you know what? That's just life,' Dean says, trying to sound as though he's just trying to sound peppy and is actually still a bit upset, even though he's really not upset and he is trying to sound peppy. That's a sentence that made no sense, just like most of his life, and he's come to accept it. "You know what I think we should do, though, is play some music, and what better way to make you feel better than listening to Halsey?"

Garth seems to know what he's trying to do, because he snaps back into DJ mode — which isn't much different than normal Garth, but at least he doesn't look as guilty anymore.

"That is a phenomenal idea," he says. "What song do you want to play today, DJ Dean?"

All the songs he's allowed to play were pre-chosen — by himself, fortunately, but pre-chosen nonetheless. Fortunately, he was prepared for a situation like this.

"Okay, I know this isn't, like, the hot new song anymore," Dean says, "but with an artist like Halsey, you know damn well that those songs aren't gonna age, so I don't think anyone would complain if we put on Halsey's incredible song 'Graveyard.'"

That gives them the length of the song to talk. They kill the mics and take off their headsets, and Garth is immediately back to his sympathetic self.

"I didn't know you guys broke up!" Garth says. "When was this? What happened? Do you need a hug?"

"A few days ago, long story, no thanks," Dean says simply. He doesn't have to play it up when he's off air, and he's decently sure Garth won't care that his answers are short because in Garth's mind, nothing can stop Dean from needing a hug.

"It's only been a few days?" Garth repeats, sounding even more sympathetic. "Oh, no, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to put salt in a fresh wound."

And then Garth pulls him into a hug, and Dean has no choice but to let him.

"Are you okay?" Garth asks when their hug is finally over. "Is there anything I can do? I don't have ice cream here, which would obviously be the go-to, but —"

"Garth, buddy, it's fine," Dean says. "Yeah, it sucks, but it's been a long time coming."

"What? But you guys always seemed so happy!"

"Well, she found someone new to be happy with," Dean says.

"What? No way," Garth says, enthralled. "Who could she possibly like more than she likes you?"

"It's..." Dean looks around at the few other people in the room, workers to make sure everything goes smoothly, and leans in closer to him. "I want to keep this on the DL until she's ready to admit it, okay?"

"Of course," he says immediately. "My lips are sealed."

Dean makes a show of glancing around again, then leans in even closer, despite knowing that everyone's going to hear it anyway. "Castiel Novak."

Garth gapes at him. "No way."

Dean just nods.

"No flipping way!" he says. "Her costar? She picked her costar —"

"Shh,"

"Right, right, sorry," Garth says, then repeats in a lower voice, "She picked her costar over you?"

"Pretty much."

"I can't believe them," he says. "Guess who's not watching their new movie as a punishment?"

"Honestly, you'd be punishing yourself more than you'd be punishing them," Dean says. "As much as I hate to admit it, it was a cute movie, and one ticket sale or DVD isn't going to make any type of impact on their lives."

"Really?" Garth says hesitantly. "That wouldn't be against the bro code?"

Dean doesn't feel compelled to point out that he only ever sees Garth when he's promoting a lead single or new album, and that the bro code doesn't necessarily apply here.

"No, not really," Dean says. "It's just a movie. Don't let my relationship problems disrupt your cinema time."

"Okay, cool, because I actually kinda wanted to see it, and if you think it's good..."

Look at that clutch. He's promoting his album, low-key milking his breakup, and getting Jo some new viewers. He didn't even know he could do all three.

Maybe this breakup was worth it, after all.