Page 71 of Lance

Willa

Inever get the chance to ask Lance any of the multitude of questions that were spinning through my mind that night in bed, before Simon woke up. But somehow, it doesn’t seem to matter. Because even without the answers everything seems…reallygood.

The daily routine isn’t so different than it’s always been. Lance spends most of the day at the studio. Simon goes to school, I pick him up, we play. When Lance doesn’t have promotional commitments for the band he comes home in the evening and we all have dinner together. Simon and I manage to get him to watch the first twoStar Warsprequels with us, which he grudgingly admits areokay.

I don’t go back to my apartment until Tuesday night. Nia takes one look at me, shakes her head, and says, “I’ll make the popcorn. You tell me everything.” By the time we’ve giggled our way through all of the juicy details she sighs. “I’m not going to act like an overprotective sister. God knows you deserve to live a little. Just…be careful, Willa.Okay?”

“I’m always careful,” I remindher.

She doesn’t say it out loud, but I can tell from the look in her eyes that she doesn’t consider what I’m doing now to be verycareful.

I spend the rest of the nights in Lance’s bed. And I couldn’t be happier aboutit.

The day of the Disney trip dawns warm and sunny. Simon is awake at six, too excited to sleep anymore. He’s practically memorized the entire park brochure and he follows Lance around, reciting ride details, while his father tries to find coffee and shoes in his still-half-asleepstupor.

Haylee and Lennon arrange for us all to meet up at Cash’s hotel. When Simon realizes this is right on Disney property, I think he might actually jump out of his seatbelt with excitement. “Did you know they have their own entrance into California Adventure?” he asks, sounding once again like he’s reciting a Wikipedia article by heart. “It’s the third largest hotel in OrangeCounty!”

“Save a little excitement for the rides, okay?” I urge him, helping him out of his boosterseat.

Of course, I don’t actually have to worry about him running out of excitement. The kid bounces through the parking lot and into the hotel lobby, barely stopping to draw breath. “Can I look around?” he asks once we’reinside.

“Stay where we can see you,” I tell him and he runs off to examine the brochures on the conciergedesk.

“I get tired just looking at him,” Lance mutters. “How does he have so muchenergy?”

“He’ssix.”

I glance around the nearly empty lobby and see Dylan making his way toward us. “This is too early to be awake,” he announces, looking unshaven and disheveled behind dark sunglasses. “We’re in a rock band, for God’s sake. We’re not supposed to be up beforenoon.”

“You didn’t have to come,” Lance pointsout.

Dylan slips his sunglasses down his nose and winks at me. “I’m just kidding. I’ve been up since five. Too excited tosleep.”

I laugh but cut off when I see Lance’s eyes widen. “Oh, man,” he mutters, looking at something over myshoulder.

“What?” I turn to see Reed Ransome standing at the coffee machine in the lobby, a pretty brunette next tohim.

“Did you know Paige was coming?” he asksDylan.

“Paige is here?” Dylan asks, sounding happy. “That means Reed is comingtoo!”

“He’s right over there,” Lance says, gesturing with his chin. “Go get his autograph orwhatever.”

“I don’t need his autograph,” Dylan says with great dignity. Then, much more softly, he adds, “I got it the first night of thetour.”

Lance turns to me. “Look, I feel like I need to warn you aboutPaige.”

“Who’sPaige?”

“Reed’s girlfriend. She’s…she’s a really nice girl. But she can be a littleintense.”

“Intensehow?”

Before he can answer his face disappears behind a cloud of wavy black hair. “Lance!” the girl squeals. “It’s so good to seeyou!”

He meets my eye over her head, patting her back awkwardly. “You too, Paige. It’s been toolong.”

“I know! Weeks!” she agrees, pulling back. She gives Dylan a similar greeting before turning to me. “Hi! I’m Paige. I love your Vader shirt, it’s so cool! Where did you get it? What’s yourname?”