There’s only one cup left in the bag when she holds it up. Her smile deflates as she pours the milk into it and walks over to the table. She sets the cup down, and slides into the seat across from us.
He pushes the package across the table to her after handing me a cookie. “You don’t want some milk, too?”
She shrugs and pulls out a cookie. “Only one cup.”
Zach smiles and puts his cup in the middle of the table so we can all use it. “We can share it—no double dipping. I heard where your mouth’s been.”
I smack his arm and give her an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Lanie, but you were kind of loud.”
Her face flushes, like it never occurred to her that she’s loud enough for anyone to hear her and Noel having sex.
Zach chuckles and dunks a cookie in the milk. “Nothing to be embarrassed about, it was fucking hot. Noel’s one lucky son of a bitch.”
I giggle and then he winks at Lanie, which only makes me laugh harder and nearly choke on my food.
She covers her face with her hand. “Oh, god.”
Zach bites into his cookie. “You say that a lot, don’t you?”
Lanie’s head snaps up. “Can we please stop talking about this? It’s not exactly the kind of conversation I should be having with you guys.”
He shrugs. “You know, about the ticket thing, I’m sorry. You did try to blow me off. I didn’t think you meant it. I thought it was your angle.”
“My angle?”
Zach nods. “Most chicks play games with me. You weren’t the first girl who tried to play the hard-to-get card with me. I figured you read one of my interviews where I said that turned me on.”
She dips a cookie in the milk, too. “An interviewer actually asked what your turn-ons were?”
“You wouldn’t believe some of the shit we get asked. Noel gets the worst of it, though, being the front man and all. People are constantly trying to dig things up on him, but he’s good at keeping his life secret.”
“It’s not like Noel has a lot of dirt to find,” Lanie answers a little defensively.
He raises his eyebrows. “How long has it been since you dated him?”
“A little over four years. Why?”
Zach looks away from her and takes out another cookie. “A lot can happen in four years, Lanie.”
There he goes with that damn secret. I wish he would tell her what he’s doing so she can deal with it before she gets in deep with him. Hopefully whatever he’s hiding isn’t a deal breaker.
She shrugs. “I’m sure Noel isn’t intentionally hiding things from me. We all have our pasts and secrets we don’t want people to know.”
My stomach tenses as the secret I’m keeping from her crosses my mind. I’m still having serious doubts if I’m doing the right thing by hiding it from her.
Zach’s eyes scan her face like things are clicking for him. “We most certainly do.”
He pops the last Oreo in his mouth. His gaze never leaves Lanie. He’s waiting for more questions, but she never asks and neither do I—even though it’s killing me to find out.
Zach looks at me before standing beside the table and sticking his hand out to Lanie. “Truce?”
She smiles as his large fingers wrap around her hand. “Truce. I would like that. We should be friends since you and Aubrey…you know.”
He glances over at me and wiggles his eyebrows. “Oh yeah, I know. Friends it is.”
When Zach leaves the room, I turn in Lanie’s direction. I smirk at her and she shakes her head. “Don’t you shake your head at me, missy. I told you all about mine, now it’s your turn to dish. It sounded like it was incredible!”
She pinches the bridge of her nose. “Aubrey…”
I hate when she does this to herself. I yank her hands away from her face. “Stop it. Don’t be embarrassed. You had a good time—nothing wrong with that, Lanie. So, tell me, does he get his Sex-god title back now?”
She rolls her eyes and smiles.
I smack the tables and grin. “I knew it. That guy is sex on a stick.”
I hang out with my best friend and my lover on the bus until it’s ready to head to the next stop on the tour. We eat Oreos and tell jokes until it starts getting late and the twins make their way back onto the bus. This weekend was one of the best I’ve had in a long time. I don’t want it to end, but I know I can’t stay. I have a life, and a job waiting for me back in New York.
I rub my forehead as I take a look at my friend. I debate on telling her about Diana Swagger’s plans and how Isaac is working on the charity.
“Something wrong?” Zach asks.
I glance over at him and smile. “No, everything is fine.”
He wraps his arm around my shoulders as his eyes search my face. In the small amount of time I’ve spent with him he’s shocked me. He’s nothing like I expected. He’s caring. It makes me wonder why he hasn’t settled down and what he’s hiding.
Tyke glances out the window. “Taxi’s here.”
He sighs and leans his forehead into my cheek. “I guess I should walk you out.”
I nod. “I’d like that.”
I stand and then lean down and wrap my best friend in a hug. “I’ll see you soon. Love you.”
She squeezes me tighter. “Love you, too.”
Zach grabs my bag and takes me by the hand as I tell the rest of the band goodbye. My feet are heavy as I make my way down the steps. I hate goodbyes. I hate them even more when I’m not sure if I’m ever going to see someone again.