The Beard
Alexis Paige

Wyatt Carson has always known he's different. As he rises to fame in college football, he faces a reality that threatens to shatter his he's gay, and in a world that demands conformity, his truth could cost him everything. When the NFL comes calling, Wyatt turns to his closest friend, Holly, with a desperate be his beard, his shield against a world unwilling to accept him for who he truly is.
Holly Miller, fiercely independent and devoted to her best friend, faces her own battles. Beneath the surface, doubts linger, and when Wyatt's plea for help becomes a matter of survival, Holly is torn between loyalty to her friend and wanting to be able to live her own life and find things she won’t be able to do if she is publicly attached to her closeted best friend.
They long ago vowed to protect each other from the hurt of the world. As Wyatt and Holly navigate the intricacies of fake romance, they find themselves drawn into a whirlwind of emotions neither anticipated. Wyatt struggles to conceal his true self to protect his career and family ties knowing his family will never accept him. But secrets have a way of unraveling, and as Wyatt's stardom rises, the shadows of their shared past threaten to engulf them both. Their pact to protect each other becomes a double-edged sword, as the lies they weave to shield Wyatt's secret threaten to tear apart the very fabric of their friendship as they both fall in love with two of Wyatt’s teammates. Each step they take to preserve Wyatt's facade chips away at the foundation of trust they've built over a lifetime.
As the pressure mounts and the stakes grow higher, Holly and Wyatt must confront the painful their efforts to shield each other have inadvertently inflicted wounds that may never fully heal. Amidst the chaos of their tangled emotions, they must navigate the treacherous waters of deception while desperately clinging to the bond that has defined their lives.