Page 29

Just Elle.
It’s our thing.
Ugh, I really need to finish this.
Elle
It’s not going anywhere. Come downstairs.
The truth is, being with her and Ben hurts. I really don’t want to be around people who still have their hearts intact. The lovey-dovey crap makes my longing for Nola so much stronger that it hurts to breathesometimes. I set my pencil down on the notepad, filled with one-line lyrics, verses, choruses, andrandom words that only make sense to me, and make my way to the restaurant. In the hall, I almost run smack dab into Justine as she’s coming out of her room. We’re in a hotel for the duration of our Nashville stay, which I find relaxing. Being on a bus for too long will make us stir crazy.
“Shit, sorry,” I say as I catch her before she crashes into the wall.
“No, no. It’s my fault. I should watch where I’m going.”
That’s ridiculous. We both came out at the same time and just happened to turn in opposite directions. Could’ve happened to anyone.
“It’s not that deep, Justine.”
She nods but doesn’t look at me.
I don’t know her story, other than she ran away from home. She doesn’t talk about her life prior to Plum, and I don’t ask. If she wanted me or any of us to know, she’d say something.
But whatever forced her to leave home, she carries it with her. Sometimes she looks scared when we have meet-and-greets or have to go to promos, like at the mall. I’ve watched her hide herself behind Keane. Even me.
“What are you doing right now?”
“Heading to the vending machine for a snack,” she says, finally looking at me. I swear, she has purple eyes, which I know is an illusion because of the overhead lighting. They’d fit her, though, with her shoulder-length lavender hair. I heard someone call her cute as a button during one of the stops and can’t get the thought out of my head. She is cute.
Adorable, in fact.
And short, which I think adds to her cute factor. When she’s on stage, she doesn’t look small, until she’s standing next to me.
“Where are the girls?” I ask, in reference to Wynonna and Priscilla.
“They went out to dinner.”
And left Justine behind, or did she choose to stay?
“Come downstairs with me,” I suggest. “Elle and Ben are down there, and I’m sure we’re going to be talking non-stop about the tour.”
“I don’t want to impose.”
“You’re not.”
It takes her a minute to agree. She walks next to me to the elevator; the silence between us doesn’t seem uncomfortable, but just normal. Like this would be a moment when we don’t have to speak.
The doors open, and I motion for her to go first. There’s a man in the elevator, and I make sure to stand between him and Justine. She steps closer to me, and for whatever reason, I grab her hand, hoping to convey that she’s safe. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
In the lobby, we make our way to the restaurant and tell the hostess we’re meeting people. I find my sister, Ben, and my parents, along with Oliver in the back corner. Ollie stands in his chair and screams out my name, waving his hands in the air. I go to him and pick him up.
“What are you guys doing here?”
My parents stand and give me a hug.
“Your mother missed you,” Dad says as we sit. Thankfully, there’s an extra chair, so nothing feels awkward with Justine joining us.
“You guys remember Justine?” My parents nod and say hi to her.