Page 5 of Forever and Ever

“Merry is an awfully cheery name for a girl who rarely smiles,” Noah says, walking so close our arms brush.

“What can I say, I’m ironic.” I slip on my sunglasses and walk around the car to climb in. But as Noah gets in the passenger seat, I can’t help myself. “Or maybe I’m full of smiles. And you just bring this sour mood out of me.”

“Doubtful.” He grins.

Fuck, that shit is blinding, no wonder the man is constantly surrounded by groupies. Luckily, I’ve learned a thing or two about keeping my wits around smiles like that. Charming or not, I know better than to fall for the glitz and glamour that is Noah Hayes.

“Buckle up,” I tell him, throwing the car in reverse and ignoring the fact that Noah won’t stop with his ridiculous cheeriness. “God forbid something happens to that priceless face of yours. I’d be out of a job before I even got started.”

He buckles his seat belt, and we head out into traffic. LA is a shit show this time of day, but I don’t mind because I’m finally doing what I want with my life. Pursuing a career in music. Or, at least working in the music industry in some capacity.

Being an errand girl for Enemy Muse might not be exactly what I envisioned when I decided to drop out of college, but it will do for now. We all start somewhere. And if I need to make industry connections by fetching things for spoiled rock stars for a few years, then so be it. I’ll do anything to make my dreams come true.

It also doesn’t hurt that I’ll be touring the country and partying with the biggest names in the industry. Goodbye, boring co-ed life, and hello world.

My mom might be pissed, and my dad might be temporarily not speaking to me for dropping out a year before graduation, but it’s my life, and I’m tired of not living it.

“We need to make a stop,” Noah says, flicking through his phone.

I glance over and notice he’s tapping his fingers against the back of the case and looks annoyed with whatever’s on the screen.

“Adrian asked to see you, I’m supposed to—”

“I’ll text him.” Noah starts typing away. “We don’t leave until tomorrow, right?”

I nod.

“Good.” Noah looks up and scans the road. “Then make a right.”

Wonderful. As if driving around LA isn’t enough of a nightmare when I know where I’m going, Noah’s sending me on a wild goose chase.

Turning right, I notice we’re heading in the direction of downtown. He continues spouting off directions, looking between his phone and the road, and when we reach close to the center of the city, he finally directs me to park.

“And we are?”

“Here,” Noah says, climbing out of the car.

He circles as I’m getting out and reaches for my door with a grin on his face. Noah really is Mr. Fucking Sunshine, apparently. Yes, in magazines and TV interviews, I’ve noticed he’s always smiling. But in person, I expected him to be a little more like the rest of the band—guarded, reserved, pissy.

Not Noah, Mr. Perma Grin. And for some reason, that gets on my nerves.

“Are you seriously holding my door for me?” I ask him, as he holds it open.

Noah shrugs. “I’m a gentleman.”

“Sure, you are.” I roll my eyes.

But when he shrugs again and closes my door behind me, I wonder if he’s for real. Because I get a strange feeling the thoughtful, caring energy Noah puts off isn’t total bullshit. I’m not sure how the industry didn’t chew him up and spit him out. Although he just got out of rehab, so who knows, maybe it did.

I follow Noah along a few storefronts before he stops outside Twisted Roses, a tattoo parlor I recognize from its reputation, even if I’ve never been. These are world-class artists, inking the biggest celebrities, and they’re ridiculously expensive.

“You’re getting a tattoo?” I look him up and down, remembering what he looks like totally naked, whether I want to or not. I know he only has one patch of ink on his surfer boy skin, a solid black band that wraps his forearm.

“Figured now is as good a time as ever.” Noah holds the door open for me.

“Isn’t there some kind of rule when you get out of rehab about not making any big, life-changing decisions?”

Noah dips his arm down on the door frame as I take a step forward, and it cages me right outside the shop. This close to him, I get another hit of mint from the gum he’s chewing as he looks down at me.

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