Page 33 of A Love Song for Dreamers

It sounds like what she really needs is to get out of her head. I know that look, not because it’s classic Annie, but because it’s classicme.

I can be around her without rehashing the reasons we broke up, without obsessing over the messy perfection of the times we weretogether.

I’ll proveit.

“Shay told me about a local concert. Go withme.”

“Like a date?” Her brows shootup.

“No, music police,” I chastise. “Like I’m going out of my mind and something tells me you aretoo.”

It’s not an invitation—it’s a challenge. She lifts her chin, like she knows it too. “Fine.”

Annie meets me in my black Lexus nine minuteslater.

As she shifts inside, I run my gaze over her black skinny jeans, little heels, black tank. Her hair’s still wet and piled on her head, but it looks intentional, especially with the addition of the dark rims around her eyes and redlips.

Playnice.

I force my attention to thedriveway.

It’s a quiet drive to the music hall, and we talk about easy subjects like who was at Jax’s party, the crazy new sponsors Beck got for his Hollywood Life vlog, and whether Haley’s new baby will be a boy or agirl.

“It’s a boy,” I tell her. “I have guyintuition.”

“Definitely a girl,” Annie decides. “Then Dad will have three and his head will literallyexplode.”

Igrin.

So far, sogood.

I pull up halfway across the parking lot as I see the line of music fans waiting to be admitted. “I’m going to getmauled.”

“You’re not that famous,” shescoffs.

“I’m pretty famous.” I say it mostly to watch her roll hereyes.

I grab a jacket out of my car and drag it on over my T-shirt andjeans.

She inspects me and frowns. “Thehair…”

“What’s wrong with myhair?”

Annie dives into her little bag and comes back with something that looks like gel. She slicks back my hair. “There. No one would ever recognize you without this mess all over yourface.”

“Tell me how you reallyfeel.”

She laughs as we head for the doors. In the heels, she’s tall, almost as tall as me. She nods to security, and it takes me a second to realize she’s actually protecting me, standing between the line of people andme.

It’s oddlysweet.

There are people whose job it is to keep me safe when I’m on the road. But when Annie does it, it feelsdifferent.

Once we get in, we head to thebar.

“The real reason I brought you is the two for onedrinks.”

“I see. Are you drinkingtonight?”

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