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Maybe there are other ways to keep myself safe.
A loud knock startled me. I opened it to find Tanner standing there, leaning his hands casually against the top of the door frame, looking like the rock star he was. I couldn’t help but notice his face fall as his eyes scanned me.
Shit, do I look ridiculous? This was an awful idea.I turned away from him, but his hand wrapped around my wrist.
“Where are you going, Em? We have a city to explore.”
“You don’t have to. I get I look weird. I’ll see you later. Go have fun.” Any confidence I’d felt from my disguise leaked away the minute I’d seen the look on Tanner’s face, leaving me feeling deflated and wanting to hide away in my room.
“Fuck that. I sorted this for you. You look amazing. I mean, totally unrecognizable. Let’s go paint the city pink.”
I looked up at him. He was wearing a cap too, with dark glasses in his grip, ready to put on the minute we left. He had more reason to hide than I’d ever had, but he wanted to do this with me.
“Can I touch you, Em?”
“What?” I replied, shocked by his question.
“Can I touch you, just for a second?” I stared up at him, seeing a soft smile on his face and a look in his eyes that made me believe I could trust him.
“Yes.”My heart hammered in my chest as I wondered why he wanted to touch me, and more importantly, where he was going to touch me.
He cupped my cheek, his thumb gently wiping under my eye, and I couldn’t help leaning into his touch. “That tear was going to ruin all Fi’s hard work. Plus, I don’t want to watch you cry, angel.”
He didn’t move his hand, and we just stood staring at each other, while my brain worked on overtime as to why he’d called meangel.
“You ready for an adventure?”
I nodded, swallowing roughly. As soon as he moved his palm, I instantly missed its warmth, but it wasn’t long before he placed the same hand on the small of my back, guiding me forward.
Outside, Mav, Gray, and Frankie were waiting for us. Frankie had a wig on too, Gray and Mav hid beneath caps, and they were all wearing sunglasses. I was sure if someone looked closely enough, they’d recognize the band, but from a distance, we were just normal tourists in Paris.
“Right, Em, you want to take the car, or explore on foot?” Tanner asked with a smile I’d never seen before, and I recognized freedom and excitement on his face.
“On foot. Let’s find a map and get really lost. Have I told you about myspecialsense of direction? You’ll be amazed at how lost I can get us.”
“Lead the way. Matt and his team are right behind us, although I bet you can’t spot them. They’re like ghosts.”
“Giant, bald headed, built like a fridge, Matt invisible? I’ll believe it when I see it. Or when I don’t see him,” I laughed as we stepped into the street.
I held the map in my hands, declaring confidently which way we needed to go, before Gray stole it from me, turning it around and then telling me the way we actually needed to go, with a shake of his head, because it was in the complete opposite direction.
When we finally got to the Eiffel tower, I squealed. I’d wanted to travel my whole life but had never left England. And now, looking up at this giant construction, knowing that I was here because of the band… because they’d chosen me to write for them… because I stopped living my life in fear, was overwhelming. A hand pressed into mine and I looked over to find Frankie smiling back at me.
“Shall we go have some fun, Emmy?”
“Yes. Lots of it.”
Tanner
Beingfamousmeantnowaiting in line, but none of us wanted to be famous today, so we waited like we were normal tourists. We took the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower, sat in a cafe near Notre-Dame, walked the streets of Paris as Emmy gave us the world’s worst directions, and cruised the river Seine. We ate pastries, drank the most amazing coffee, explored the cobbled streets, and soaked up the Parisian life. Laughing, joking, having fun. Something none of us had done together in… probably years, and something I knew we had Emmy to thank for. She demanded more from us. And we were all willing to give it to her, even though none of us could explain why.
Walking along next to the river, Mav scooped up Emmy and lifted her onto his back, running down the street as she screamed with excitement. Frankie appeared next to me, pulling me to her side. She’d been angry with me for so long that I couldn’t remember the last time she’d hugged me, so I placed a kiss on the top of her head while I had her near. “She’s a catch, Tan. You know that, right? You almost lost her once. Don’t do it again. We all need her. Six months is a long time, but it’s also long enough for someone else to steal her away from you.”
I hugged her tighter. “No idea what you’re talking about, sis, but thank you for the advice.”
“Don’t do it, Tan. Don’t hide from her. You need her as much as she needs you.”
I watched as this pink wig-wearing writer danced past me, Mav chasing after her, laughing as she squealed. I didn’t understand what was happening between us, but I also realized I didn’t want anyone else near her. As she passed me again, I grabbed her, lifting her from the floor, wrapping her legs around my waist so her heaving, breathless chest was against mine, not caring who saw us.
