Let Love In
Twenty One.
As she stumbled off alone with tears in her eyes, her mind was running a mile a minute in a thousand different directions. She almost didn’t notice the person standing in front of her as she turned the corner, barely avoiding a collision. “Noah, whoa, slow down. Are you, whoa, what’s wrong?”
Noah looked up into the stranger’s eyes as his hands gripped her shoulder, hesitant to respond before realizing it was Kennedy. His voice was laced with concern as he noticed the tears, attempting to steady their balance before stepping back to rub the abandoned cigarette into the cement with his heel that had fallen from his hand a few inches away. “A-are you alright?” He repeated himself, hoping for an answer as Noah tried to catch her breath. Noah opened her mouth to respond, pausing before shaking her head.
“I’m not, actually. I was going to just say that I’m fine, but really, that’s a flat out lie. I’m a mess, and I don’t know what to do. I don’t even know why I’m telling you this.” Noah’s rambling was cut off by the collar of Kennedy’s leather jacket as he pulled her into a silent hug.
“It’ll be alright. Whatever it is, it’ll be okay. Is it Garrett? Did he do something to upset you?” As he slipped into protective big brother mode, guilt and anxiety twisted away at her insides.
“No, he, Garrett’s perfect. He didn’t do anything wrong. I, uh, I-I, just, I’ll be okay. I just had to get out of there for a minute, that’s all.” Noah took a few more deep breaths to calm herself down, inhaling the mixture of Kennedy’s scent of cigarette smoke, deodorant, and soap from his shower.
“I’m here for you if you need me, alright? If you ever need to talk or something, just come find me.” Kennedy gave her a reassuring smile, rubbing her back gently in an attempt to comfort her. She nodded in response before pulling away, turning to leave.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes if anyone’s worried where I wandered off to. I’m just going to grab something from the car.” Kennedy nodded in response before slipping around the corner and back toward the lingering crowd.
Noah sat in the backseat with her knees to her chest, taking deep breaths as she tried to make sense of everything until her phone rang. Garrett’s name flashed across the caller ID, and Noah wiped away the stray tears as she took a deep breath before answering.
“Babe, where are you? Everyone else is on the bus, and we can’t find you anywhere. It’s time for food, are-are you okay?” Noah closed her eyes, laying her head against her knees again for a moment as she mumbled a “mhmm yeah, I-I’ll be right there. Kennedy knows where I am. I’m on my way.” She hung up the phone and took a deep breath or two again before pulling out her makeup bag to assess the damage. Once she felt she had cleaned herself up as best she could with the resources she had, she opened the car door and climbed out of the car, heading back toward the bus.
Garrett greeted her with a kiss, waiting for her outside the door to the bus as she arrived. “Kenny said you were upset, is everything okay?” His smiled turned to concern, hoping he wasn’t at fault.
“Yeah, I was, but I’m fine. I just needed a few moments to think is all. I’m better now.” Noah lied through her teeth to her boyfriend, hoping she could avoid the conversation all together, knowing it would not end well if she tried to talk it through now. “Let’s get some food. I’m starved.”
Garrett’s hand slipped into hers as they walked onto the bus, joining the conversation and putting in their vote for food. After they decided on a restaurant within walking distance of the venue, the group set out down the strip, enjoying the warm Vegas evening and the lights and sights around them. Noah pushed Colin completely out of her mind as Garrett wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to his side as they walked. She glanced over at Riley and John walking right next to them, giving Riley a sideways smile, hoping that was enough to satisfy her friend’s concern.
Dinner was easier, with such a big party, Garrett and Noah were seated on the opposite side of the table as Colin, across Kennedy and Pat. The more she ignored his existence, the easier it was for her enjoy her time with Garrett and the rest of the evening. Noah sat back in admiration as a few nervous fans approached the table, asking for a few photos with guys, which they willingly obliged with smiling faces.
“What was that face for?” Garrett turned toward Noah as he sat back down, an eyebrow raised in amusement.
“Just proud of you guys. Look at you, getting recognized at restaurants, and after the show tonight I’m really impressed. You’re going somewhere with this band of yours. It makes me happy.” Noah watched as the smile never left Garrett’s lips as he leaned in to kiss her.
“That really means a lot to me. I haven’t had the most supportive girlfriends in the past, so I really appreciate that.” Their food interrupted the moment, and they eagerly diverted their attention to their plates, enjoying light conversation between the group around them for the rest of the meal.
The group meandered back down the strip, stopping at the Bellagio light show and looking for other things to do. The majority of the group was still under twenty-one, so they couldn’t gamble. Their hotel was off the strip, and with it being late anyway, they decided to head back toward the venue to drive to the hotel for the night. With four to a room, everyone was packed comfortably into three hotel rooms. Riley and John called dibs on a bed together, leaving the other bed in the room open for Garrett and Noah as everyone else had paired up in other rooms to avoid the couples.
Noah looked up into the stranger’s eyes as his hands gripped her shoulder, hesitant to respond before realizing it was Kennedy. His voice was laced with concern as he noticed the tears, attempting to steady their balance before stepping back to rub the abandoned cigarette into the cement with his heel that had fallen from his hand a few inches away. “A-are you alright?” He repeated himself, hoping for an answer as Noah tried to catch her breath. Noah opened her mouth to respond, pausing before shaking her head.
“I’m not, actually. I was going to just say that I’m fine, but really, that’s a flat out lie. I’m a mess, and I don’t know what to do. I don’t even know why I’m telling you this.” Noah’s rambling was cut off by the collar of Kennedy’s leather jacket as he pulled her into a silent hug.
“It’ll be alright. Whatever it is, it’ll be okay. Is it Garrett? Did he do something to upset you?” As he slipped into protective big brother mode, guilt and anxiety twisted away at her insides.
“No, he, Garrett’s perfect. He didn’t do anything wrong. I, uh, I-I, just, I’ll be okay. I just had to get out of there for a minute, that’s all.” Noah took a few more deep breaths to calm herself down, inhaling the mixture of Kennedy’s scent of cigarette smoke, deodorant, and soap from his shower.
“I’m here for you if you need me, alright? If you ever need to talk or something, just come find me.” Kennedy gave her a reassuring smile, rubbing her back gently in an attempt to comfort her. She nodded in response before pulling away, turning to leave.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes if anyone’s worried where I wandered off to. I’m just going to grab something from the car.” Kennedy nodded in response before slipping around the corner and back toward the lingering crowd.
Noah sat in the backseat with her knees to her chest, taking deep breaths as she tried to make sense of everything until her phone rang. Garrett’s name flashed across the caller ID, and Noah wiped away the stray tears as she took a deep breath before answering.
“Babe, where are you? Everyone else is on the bus, and we can’t find you anywhere. It’s time for food, are-are you okay?” Noah closed her eyes, laying her head against her knees again for a moment as she mumbled a “mhmm yeah, I-I’ll be right there. Kennedy knows where I am. I’m on my way.” She hung up the phone and took a deep breath or two again before pulling out her makeup bag to assess the damage. Once she felt she had cleaned herself up as best she could with the resources she had, she opened the car door and climbed out of the car, heading back toward the bus.
Garrett greeted her with a kiss, waiting for her outside the door to the bus as she arrived. “Kenny said you were upset, is everything okay?” His smiled turned to concern, hoping he wasn’t at fault.
“Yeah, I was, but I’m fine. I just needed a few moments to think is all. I’m better now.” Noah lied through her teeth to her boyfriend, hoping she could avoid the conversation all together, knowing it would not end well if she tried to talk it through now. “Let’s get some food. I’m starved.”
Garrett’s hand slipped into hers as they walked onto the bus, joining the conversation and putting in their vote for food. After they decided on a restaurant within walking distance of the venue, the group set out down the strip, enjoying the warm Vegas evening and the lights and sights around them. Noah pushed Colin completely out of her mind as Garrett wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to his side as they walked. She glanced over at Riley and John walking right next to them, giving Riley a sideways smile, hoping that was enough to satisfy her friend’s concern.
Dinner was easier, with such a big party, Garrett and Noah were seated on the opposite side of the table as Colin, across Kennedy and Pat. The more she ignored his existence, the easier it was for her enjoy her time with Garrett and the rest of the evening. Noah sat back in admiration as a few nervous fans approached the table, asking for a few photos with guys, which they willingly obliged with smiling faces.
“What was that face for?” Garrett turned toward Noah as he sat back down, an eyebrow raised in amusement.
“Just proud of you guys. Look at you, getting recognized at restaurants, and after the show tonight I’m really impressed. You’re going somewhere with this band of yours. It makes me happy.” Noah watched as the smile never left Garrett’s lips as he leaned in to kiss her.
“That really means a lot to me. I haven’t had the most supportive girlfriends in the past, so I really appreciate that.” Their food interrupted the moment, and they eagerly diverted their attention to their plates, enjoying light conversation between the group around them for the rest of the meal.
The group meandered back down the strip, stopping at the Bellagio light show and looking for other things to do. The majority of the group was still under twenty-one, so they couldn’t gamble. Their hotel was off the strip, and with it being late anyway, they decided to head back toward the venue to drive to the hotel for the night. With four to a room, everyone was packed comfortably into three hotel rooms. Riley and John called dibs on a bed together, leaving the other bed in the room open for Garrett and Noah as everyone else had paired up in other rooms to avoid the couples.