Under the Lights

The next week, as I open yet another bottle of champagne with Liam and K-drama — this one in a limo, en route to LAX–I’m glad I stuck around for just a little longer.

“Shouldn’t we wait until we actually get Ally before opening the champagne?” asks Liam, frowning as he looks down at his phone like he can make it light up with a sext from sheer force of will.

“I have another one,” I assure him as I pass the bottle directly to K-drama, knowing she could use the liquid courage. “This one’s just to get us into the celebratory spirit.”

“I still can’t believe you got her parents to let us pick her up,” Liam says to her. “I barely got them to agree to relinquish her to me for Saturday night.”

“I’m practically Pam’s third daughter,” she tells him, taking a swig from the bottle. I happen to know she told Ally’s mom exactly why we need to pick her up from the airport, but she’s still trying to keep that information quiet until she gets to tell Ally in person.

“Yeah, yeah.” Liam grins and grabs the champagne, then takes a long drink. He looks the happiest I’ve seen him in months. “You excited for your trip?”

“You know it. Had to sell some shit in order to finance some of the finer things, but when I think about the fact that this time next week, I’ll be on the North Shore…yeah, it’s worth it.” I take the bottle from Liam, but I only sip. These are the last couple of days I’ll have with my friends for a while, and for once, I wanna have a clear head. “You sure you don’t wanna come with?”

“I’m sure I’ll end up meeting you somewhere,” he says, glancing at his phone again. “Once I’ve got these movies behind me, I’m definitely gonna chill for a bit. But…”

“But you’re gonna be chillin’ in NYC,” I finish for him, and it’s gratifying to see him blush a little in the dim interior of the limo.

“I think so, yeah.” He scratches the back of his neck. “I’m hoping to talk to Ally about it this weekend. She seems to like doing the whole dorm thing, so I don’t know if she’ll want to get a place together or anything, but I think me having one there will be good. Somewhere I can go when I’m not filming Daylight, maybe do some stuff shooting there instead. Anyway, it’s not like you’ll be in LA, so…”

“Truth.” I take a longer swig of the champagne this time. “It’s weird how other people have real roots here, isn’t it?”

“Well, you seem to have an unexpected one these days,” he says, keeping his voice low as he nods at where K-drama is spacing out, staring at the lights of LA through the tinted windows. “Are you sure you’re not hooking up?”

“Dude, no. Definitely not. Never have, never will.” And in about an hour, you’ll know exactly why.

“You try?”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to admit that I did once, that day in her bedroom after I saw her with Mini-Jade in my guest house, but it hits me that…no, I didn’t. I told her I was into her, but I didn’t kiss her. I didn’t touch her. I didn’t even attempt a move. If anything, I sent her straight back to Brianna. And I’m not sorry about it.

Somewhere along the way, the thought of kissing her became sort of…gross.

“Oh God.”

Liam leans toward me anxiously. “What?”

I lean in to meet him and keep my voice low. “I think I might…love K-drama. Like, as a friend. Is that a thing? Like, with girls? Can you do that? Without wanting to fuck them and stuff?”

Liam’s loud laughter fills the limo.

“What’s so funny?” K-drama asks, sounding a little dazed.

“I think our little Joshie’s growing up.” Liam grabs the champagne from me and lifts it in the air. “Something we can all drink to.”

Chapter Twenty-Six Vanessa

The knit cap on my head itches as I make my way through the crowd at LAX to the reception area for Ally’s flight, but it’s worth it — nobody’s stopped me yet. Of course, that might be because people care more about reuniting with their families for Thanksgiving than one of a billion C-list actresses being in their midst, but I prefer to think it’s the knit cap.

It’s probably my very last day of being able to fly under the radar, and I’m determined to make the most of it.

I hold up the sign I brought with me—“Duncan” in big block letters — and try to stop my hands from shaking. Liam and Josh agreed to wait in the limo while I got her so we could have a little time alone to talk, but now I’m wishing I had some company to keep my mind off our impending conversation.

Just then, my phone buzzes with a text, and I look down and smile at Bri’s message.

Stop being so nervous. Ally’s your best friend, and she loves you. No matter what.

Another text follows a few seconds later.