Let Love In

“NOAH WAKE UP! IT’S AFTER ONE PM. WE HAVE TO LEAVE HERE BY TWO IN ORDER TO GET THERE ON TIME. WAKE THE FUCK UP!” Riley’s urgent voice, although frantic, resounded about ten times louder than reality in Noah’s hungover state. Noah groaned as she attempted to roll over, pulling a pillow over her head.

“Go where go? What the hell are you rambling on about, woman?” Noah muttered quite irritated into the mattress.

“VEGAS, YOU DUMMY. FOR THE SHOW!” Riley pulled the blanket off Noah and stumbled backward a few steps before grabbing some clothes out of the closet. Noah’s eyes flew open after Riley’s answer had processed in her brain, last night’s events settling in as fact and not a dream.

“Oh yeah. Ugh, shit, why did I say yes to this?” Noah sat up quickly, her head bouncing around to catch its balance, a heavy reminder they drank too much the night before. “Ri, I think I might still be drunk from last night. Ugh, why did we drink so much?”

“Because boys are stupid remember? But apparently we love them because when they called last night, you couldn’t stop telling Garrett you loveeedddd himmmmmm.” She giggled as she opened the door, heading down the hallway toward the bathroom.

The girls dressed and packed overnight bags in record time, regardless of whether they were hungover, still drunk from the night before, or perfectly sober. They threw their bags on the couch in the living room before finding something quick to scarf down in the kitchen. Colin was sitting on a stool against the bar, sipping a cup of coffee. It was obvious he had spent the night, as he was a pair of sweatpants and one of Sarah’s over-sized painting shirts. He took one look at Riley and Noah before the interrogation began.

“So where are you two lovely ladies off to this afternoon?”

“Vegas.” Riley replied while digging through the fridge, pulling out some orange juice and two glasses. Noah popped some toast in the toaster without saying a word, avoiding Colin’s gaze.

“Oh really? Vegas, huh? So, uh, what’s in Vegas that you need to hurry off so soon?” His tone was somewhat playful as he took another sip of his coffee, glancing at Noah.

“John and Garrett. They’re playing a show there tonight and invited us to come out to see them sooner than when they get here in two weeks. Actually, we’re going to be late if we don’t leave like ten minutes ago, so…” Riley rambled on, chugging down three glasses of orange juice, waiting for Noah who was moving a little slower than Riley’s liking. Riley grabbed some tylenol off the top of the fridge and handed it to Noah, downing her own two tablets with another glass of orange juice. Noah snickered a little bit at Riley’s eagerness to get out of the house so quickly as she sipped on her glass, thankful for the tylenol, and deciding to take the bottle with them for later.

“Hold up, you’re not seriously going to Vegas right now on a whim, are you? Just the two of you? By yourselves? Do you even know how to get there?” Colin set his mug down on the counter with determination, staring intently between Noah and Riley, somewhat shocked at the seriousness in their story.

“I mapquested it, so we should be fine.”

“I’m not going to let you two go alone. I’m coming with you.” Colin’s tone was adamant as he hopped up from his stool, taking off down the hallway toward Sarah’s room.

Riley and Noah looked at each other for a moment, unsure if they should wait for him or just leave. They finished off their makeshift breakfast and gathered their bags from the couch, heading out the front door to load the car. As they closed the trunk of the car, Colin burst through the front door, making his way quickly down the pathway toward the parked car with his hand out. “I told you I’m coming with you, so give me the keys, I’m driving. I don’t care who’s navigator, but I’m not letting you two go alone, just so you can meet up with your boyfriend in Vegas, because who knows the hell that will come from that.”

Riley rolled her eyes as she tossed him the keys. “Fine, whatever. We’re late as it is, and it’s obvious that we’re not getting out of here unless you go with us, so then get your ass in the car, Baylen.” Noah sighed as she climbed into the back seat, curling up in the blanket she brought with her, thankful that her Raybans blocked the bright California mid- afternoon sunshine.

“If you two don’t mind, I’m just gonna sleep for a while, seeing as we didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Noah closed her eyes as they pulled out of the driveway, Riley in the front seat navigating as Colin drove the three of them to Las Vegas as quick as he could.

———————

Noah woke up to her phone beeping, a new text message from Garrett waiting for her. She looked out the window to survey the surroundings, rubbing her eyes as she stared at a mileage sign quickly approaching. Las Vegas 30 Miles. Noah stared at the mountains and Nevada desert landscape for a moment or two before opening the text from Garrett.

John told me you guys are coming to the show tonight. Are you on your way? We’re on at 8:35 at the HOB, call me when you get here and one of us will come get you through doors. You’re on the guest list just in case. - G

Noah quickly texted back, letting him know how far away they were, and that Colin was with them before putting her phone back in her pocket. She sat up and stretched for a few moments as best she could from sitting in the backseat for the past three hours in virtually the same position.

“Garrett said to call when we get close and someone will come walk us through doors.” Noah cleared her throat, digging around in her bag for her water bottle and the tylenol she threw in there earlier. Riley stuck her hand around the chair and Noah placed the items in her hands, leaning back against the seat and staring out the window absentmindedly at the passing freeway traffic surrounding them.

As the neon lights and extravagant hotels started making their way into view, a wave of anxiety spread across Noah’s insides, causing her to squirm in her seat.

“We’re almost there, so you should call whoever to let them know.” Colin’s voice interrupted Noah’s thoughts, reminding her that he was there and this wasn’t a dream. She fumbled with her phone before scrolling through her contacts toward Garrett’s number, pressing send and tapping her fingers against her chin in anxious anticipation.

“Hey, I can’t talk right now ‘cause we’re right in the middle of something, but I’ll send Max to the door in a minute to wait for you.” Garrett hung up before Noah even had a chance to say hello, but butterflies at the sound of his voice raised her spirits momentarily. She looked up to see Colin eying her through the rear-view mirror, his gaze intense, causing Noah to blush momentarily, forgetting what Garrett just told her.

“Did you call Garrett yet? What did he say?” Riley leaned around the seat, breaking Noah’s gaze away from the rear-view mirror.

“Oh, uh, yes. He said Max would be there. One problem, I don’t remember what Max looks like, so…”

“I know Max.” Colin replied flatly, turning his gaze back toward the road. He gripped the steering wheel and bobbed his head, looking every which way except the rear-view mirror toward Noah. “Uhh,” He cleared his throat as he pulled into the parking lot outside the House Of Blues, circling the lot to find a parking space. “We’re here.”

As soon as he cut the engine, Riley jumped out of the car and ran toward the trunk to find something in her bag. As Noah climbed out of the car, she saw Colin staring intently at her as he stood by his door. She walked over to him, weirded out by his bi-polar behavior, determined to call him out on it.

“Colin, what—” He took one step toward her, his lips cutting her off mid-sentence. Noah sunk into the kiss for a moment before realizing where they were. “W-what was that for?”

“I’ve spent the past four hours wanting to do that.” He stared at her intently, nervously chewing on his lip. All Noah could do was blink dumbfounded, not having a response due to her brain’s struggle to process what just happened. Before she could word a proper response, he turned on his heel and walked toward the venue, leaving her behind to find Riley, who had already taken off for the door.

“What even just happened?” Noah whispered to herself as she shook her head to clear her thoughts before taking a few breaths and heading toward the door after the other two.