Page 110 of When I Picture You

“Lo,” Renee whined. “The film!”

“This is more romantic.” Lola had hooked a leg over Renee’s hips and straddled her. “What if I want to kiss you but Ackerlund’s there?”

Renee’s face fell, but they agreed to set up a camera in the studio that would record in Renee’s absence.

It made it all the sweeter when Lola came home with the first song, “Starcrossed,” completed.

“Seriously? I get to hear it?” Renee asked, eyes bright.

Lola nodded, grinning as she pulled Renee to the couch and cued the song on her phone. “Did you want to film this?”

“Yeah, we should.” Renee’s brow furrowed. “But maybe just for us, not for the film. We can decide later.”

Renee positioned her phone to record, then cuddled against Lola on the couch.

Lola barely breathed as Renee listened, focusing instead on the changes in Renee’s expression as she followed the lyrics. Lola already knew this song was a hit, but that didn’t matter as much as Renee loving it. The melody built on the notes Lola had picked out on that old guitar at the lake house; the lyrics, a tapestry woven from the fragments of their early relationship, with lines likeWe were dancing ’round, screaming out, What’s going on?andYou show up to work, wearing my shirt. The chorus and bridge, and even the title, were callbacks to Renee’s favorite, “Star Sign.” More than that, it had amazingenergy. The longing of the past barreled into the shocking gratification ofnow, of the first kiss, and the kisses that came after. Lola’s voice launched into the bridge, singing,

Too busy watching the stars, I didn’t see you watching me.

Now every time you touch me, I get a little more free.

Renee ran her hand up Lola’s thigh. “Is that about me?” she whispered.

Lola leaned into Renee’s grasp, then cupped her cheek and angled her in for a kiss. It was soft and slow. “The whole thing’s about you.”

“Aboutus,” Renee murmured against her. “Thank you for writing it.”

Thank you.The words quivered in Lola’s chest. No one else had ever thanked her for a song. Kyte had thought it was cool—although later he resented that her songs outperformed his. Lola’s songs had delighted Ava, to the point that Lola had found herself screwing Ava with her own voice playing in the background, which was weird. Unsurprisingly, Ava had never appreciated how much care went into it.

But Renee did. Renee saw the effort, the love that went into the song. It meant something to her.

“Do you like it?” Lola asked.

“I love it. It’s the greatest love song of all time.”

Lola could feel Renee smiling as she kissed her.

They played it a few more times, at Renee’s insistence, so she could listen to different parts more closely.

“That line,Now every time you touch me, I get a little more free, I hadn’t heard that before,” Renee said.

Lola grinned. “I changed that after New York.”

“It’s so good. I’d love it even if it wasn’t about us.”

“But it is.”

“I wonder if anyone else will figure it out,” Renee said with a wry smile.

“What do you mean?”

Renee shrugged. “Just like, all the little references that only we know. I mean, Ackerlund didn’t get it, did he?”

Lola went still. Whether “Starcrossed” came out before or after she did, this song would launch the Lo-Lites into a frenzy—not to mention the LavaTruthers. They’d treat the lyrics like a mystery to solve—and theywouldsolve it. They’d concoct theories based on photos of Renee and even write fan fiction; they’d go through everything Renee had ever posted online and find out what school her mom taught at. There would be stans and haters, and people who’d threaten to kill Renee if she hurt Lola. It had already started—Gloriana had shown her the proof.

Especially when the film came out.

“They’ll figure it out,” Lola said. “You get that, right? They’ll figureusout.”