Even though I went to bed at a decent time last night, the sun is high in the sky when I wake up. I check my phone, it's already noon and I'm annoyed with myself for sleeping this late. I order room service and get ready for the day while I wait on my sandwich. When I finish with my lunch I grab my book and head to the pier just a little down the way. I didn't have any plans until I meet my new friend, and I just wanted to be around people.

The sun was warm on my skin as I found a bench to occupy. I open my book and try to focus, but the people milling around are much too loud for me to do anything to watch them. Kids run by while parents chase them, one is crying over a dropped ice cream cone. The carnival rides whir mechanically, and the smell of popcorn invades my senses.

My phone vibrates in my pocket and I pull out my phone, "hello, mother."

"You were supposed to let me know you made it yesterday," she chastises in a loving manner.

"I texted you as soon as I landed," I grin despite myself.

"Well, how is it?"

"I've been here five minutes, so far it's hot and crowded, but I don't think I should judge it just yet," I chuckle into the phone.

"I'm sure you will love it, besides, I would love to visit and I need a free place to stay. So, choose wisely."

"Sure mom, I'll go ahead and move so you'll have somewhere to stay. Even though you can definitely afford to stay here if you wanted to," I shake my head, even though she can't see me.

"Glad we cleared that up, love you!"

"Love you," I say before ending the call.

I spend the rest of the afternoon on the pier, and when the sun starts to get lower in the sky I take myself out to dinner. I take my time getting ready, curling my long dark hair. I put on makeup, because it makes me feel a little bit better. I put on a black bodysuit with wide legged pants and boots. I'm only a mile from the bar, but I get an Uber anyway.

And the traffic is so bad, I wish I had just walked.

I'm over a half hour early, because I'm anxious. It doesn't matter that I've done all of this work, trying to love myself and doing things on my own, I was still anxious. I glance around the bar, but I don't see my new friend so I take a seat at the bar and order a Jameson cocktail to wait.

I order my second drink right before the small brunette finds me. I should have gotten her name last night, but I didn't. She drags me to a table in the back where three guys are sitting. Two of them familiar, one is not.

"I'm Sage, by the way. That is Joakim, my boyfriend, but everyone calls him Jolly. That is Nicholas, and next to him is Jesse."

"It's nice to meet ya'll. I'm Delaney," I reply, my thick southern accent slipping in since I've had two drinks. I take the seat next to Nicholas, "nice to see you again."

"You guys know each other?" Sage asks.

"Kind of, we sat next to each other on the plane," Nicholas offers, his voice impossibly deep.

The five of us sit in our little table, drinking and laughing well into the night. Nick and Jolly are in a band together, and Jesse is also in a band. Sage moved to LA with Jolly five years ago, something tugs at my memory when she tells me this, but I don't think about it too hard. Mostly because I'm more than a little buzzed and having fun with my new friends.

The lights come on, signaling last call and we look around, "I hadn't even noticed it was so late," I say, checking my phone. It was already 3 AM.

"Let's get out of here," Jolly says, helping Sage stand.

"Come back with us, Dellllany," Sage drunkenly slurs.

"Oh, no, I should get back to the hotel," I say, I can't go home with these strangers. I don't know them. That would be so dangerous.

"Pleasssse," She begs, drawing out the word.

I try to protest again, but she sticks her bottom lip out. I decide I'm here to try things out, and if I get murdered, well at least I died trying to have fun.

"Fine, if you insist," Nick smiles at me over her head.

The five of us pile into Jolly's car, and I try to remember if I thought he was drunk, but I can only recall him having two drinks the whole night. I'm wedged in between Jesse and Nick in the back seat. There's still a lot of traffic out, but nothing like the other two times I've been out.

I'm not really sure who's house this is. It's huge, though. Do Jolly and Sage live here alone? How big is Jolly's band? Sage pulls me over to one of the couches and we sit together, Jesse hands me an unopened beer and I open it. I think I'm done drinking for the night, but I can just sip this. It's not long before Jesse brings out a guitar and starts singing. He has a beautiful voice.

The alcohol starts weighing on me, and my eyes close before I can stop them.

___

My eyes squint as I try to open them, but it's bright in this living room and my head is pounding. I look around and I'm the only one around. I still don't hear anyone around as I pull myself up and go into the kitchen in search of water. I down three glasses before I start to feel like a human.

"Are you as hungover as me?" Sage asks as she grabs her own glass to get water.

"Probably more," I groan, my head still pounding. I check my phone, I slept until lunchtime again.

The front door swings open and almost smacks the wall, "Did you miss me?"

I freeze as Sage goes to greet the voice. The voice I would know anywhere, despite not hearing it in five years. I finally look at him, he looks better than he did five years ago. He was a little bulkier and his short hair looked so damn good on him. His fingers are intertwined with the rumored girlfriend. She's tall, almost as tall as him, and thin. Her dark hair is pulled back in a sleek ponytail. She's gorgeous, and I'm hungover. I'm wearing last night's clothes, and my teeth are fuzzy. I want to die.

"Laney," he breathes, his voice much quieter than it was just a moment ago, but the same gentle tenor it has always been.

I feel the glass slip from my fingers as everything goes black.

"What the hell," Sage exclaims, but she sounds far away. "Noah, did you kill my new friend?"

"She fainted, she's not dead," Noah says defensively.

"Why?"

There's a pregnant pause in the room.

"Why, Noah?"

"We knew each other, but we haven't spoken in a long time."

"What a small world," a new voice comments, it is irritated.

Damnit, I need to wake up so I can get the hell out of here.

"Delaney," he says in the way I hate, and I find it's been so long I don't even hate it anymore, but I find my voice nonetheless.

"Noah," I mock, and two voices chuckle. The last voice doesn't. I finally force my eyes open. His are soft, and almost black when mine find his.

"Still hate that do you?" He quips and helps me sit up.

"Haven't thought of it in a long time," I snap, but I don't mean it. The attitude or the sentiment. My heart flutters at the frown adorning his face. "Sorry for fainting, it must be the hangover mixing with the jet lag."

"Do you need a doctor?" Sage asks, handing me another cup of water. Noah goes to work cleaning up the glass. Always cleaning up after me.

"No, I need to get back to my hotel, it's getting crowded in here."

"I can't send you back to your hotel alone."

"You are here alone?" Noah interrupts. "Like in the LA alone and not just in my house alone?"

I nod my head gingerly.

"While we're on the subject, why the hell are you in my house?" Noah looks impressed.

"I met her at dinner the other night and we judged a bachelorette party together, so I invited her out with me and the guys last night. We came back here after last call and we all fell asleep," Sage explains. I nod again, thankful I don't have to talk. I'm more than a little lightheaded, more because of the way Noah is staring intently at me and not because of the hangover.

Perfect model Camille is getting impatient. I can tell with the noises she's making to try to get the attention back on herself.

"This is unbelievable," Noah mutters, perfect Camille agrees with him.

"I think I need some air," I mumble, everyone is crowded around me, and it's suffocating me. Noah helps me stand and leads me to the back yard. "I'm okay, you can go back in."

"Sorry, I can't leave you out here unsupervised," he says proudly.

"What about your girlfriend?"

"Hm? Oh, she didn't faint, you did." More to himself, he adds, "I can't believe you're here."

I stay silent, I really can't believe this either.

"I never thought I'd see you again, I know Finn tells you when I'm in town and you hide in your apartment for days."

My head snaps to meet his eyes, "he told you?"

"No, love, that was a guess," he chuckles and looks at the ground. "How are you? I still keep up with the blog, I know it's doing well. Is that why you are here?"

He kept up with the blog? I wonder if he looks at my blog like I look at his interviews. I push that thought out of my head, he has a girlfriend.

"Yes, that's why I'm here. I'm staying in Santa Monica."

"How long are you here?"

"Two weeks," I tell him, then nod to the house, "let's go back inside."

"Let me show you around," Noah blurts, there's nothing I would like more, but his girlfriend is inside. I've already started walking towards the house.

"Your girlfriend," I remind him, but I don't turn around. Looking at him this close after this long is painful.

"She's going to New York to spend time with her family for the holidays, I just had to pick up something from the house before I take her to the airport," he shakes his head, like he can't believe it.

"So, my offer?"

"Noah, I don't think it's a good idea," I say again.

"Delaney."

"You know, that's the thing I missed most about you," I feel the tears spring to my eyes as Noah's face falls. I shake my head and the emotion away, "I don't think it's a good idea."

I open the back door and leave Noah out back. Sage is waiting for me when I step inside. A moment later Noah opens the door and goes to the living room with Camille.

"So," Sage starts quietly, "how long did you and Noah date?"

I catch his eyes, he looks like he's waiting for the answer too, "we didn't."

Sage looks puzzled and I watch Noah's face grimace at my answer while he talks with Camille. The other guys are starting to wake up and Nick and Jolly are talking with Camille and Noah.

"I really should get out of here, I feel like I'm intruding," I say again to Sage, while pulling out my phone to get an Uber.

"Why don't you stay and I'll drive you back later?"

"I haven't showered, and I'm wearing last nights clothes," I deadpan. "And Noah is dating a model," I say under my breath.

"Come with me," she says, leading me up the stairs. There's a bunch of closed doors, and instead of family pictures there's artwork lining the hallway. Against my will, I wonder what Noah's bedroom looks like now.

She hands me a pair of clothes, and opens a door to reveal a bathroom, "use whatever you need, there's an unopened toothbrush under the sink."

"Sage, I really can't intrude anymore."

"I insist," she says firmly, and I realize she's as much of a bully as Noah is.

I sigh in defeat and make my way to the shower. I take my time, because I want Noah to be gone when I get out. I find the unopened toothbrush under the sink and try to brush away last nights alcohol.

I pull the clothes on, a worn in t-shirt and leggings, I wish I had some mascara to put on, but at least I'm clean and my teeth aren't fuzzy anymore.

Noah notices me coming down the stairs, and his eyes darken. Nick grins at me, "hey, that's my shirt."

"Shut up, Nick. Feel better?" Sage asks when I join the group. Jesse is awake now and everyone is talking together. I nod at her, I had felt good when I got dressed, but looking at perfect Camille again I'm a bit self conscious. "We're going to go have lunch."

It is not a question as everyone files out of the house and into two cars. I stay with Jolly and Sage, and Nick joins our car. Noah, Camille and Jesse are in the other car. It feels like trying to get a table for 7 people is going to be crazy, but I'm just along for the ride. I think if I tried to eat I would throw up anyway.

Noah and Camille order water when we get to the restaurant, but those of us hungover from last night order alcohol. I order whiskey. I think back to the night the guys found out they were getting a record deal. I had drank whiskey that night, Noah had told me how sexy he thought it was. My eyes flutter to his, and away quickly. I shouldn't be looking at him at all with his girlfriend sitting right there.

When my eyes slide back to Noah, he's still watching me. I kick him under the table, he grunts in pain and looks wildly at me before turning his attention back to Camille, who had been telling Jesse a story.

Sage looks accusingly in between me and Noah.

"What do you have planned while you are here, Delaney?" Sage asks, her face is a smirk that spells trouble.

"I came without any plans," I tell them, and worry that I sound like a train wreck.

"You came here without any plans?" Noah cuts in, his elbows are resting on the table, his chin rests on his fists.

"I -uh, yes," I say, still kind of embarrassed. I take a drink of my drink and sit it back down.

"I could not do that, visit a place I'm not familiar with, with no plan," Camille shakes her head distastefully at me.

"Someone taught me a long time ago that I had too much structure in my life."

"Structure is a good thing," she argues.

"Yes, but it wasn't a life I wanted anymore," I sneak a glance at Noah and he's watching me. Camille raises her eyebrows, making a face, and takes a drink of her water.

The rest of lunch is calm, we all chat conversationally. Nick and I sat next to each other and I spent most of my time talking to him. I catch Noah glaring at us a few times, but I ignore it. When the lunch is over we all drive back to the house.

I tell Camille it was nice to meet her, even though it wasn't as she and Noah are getting ready to leave. She returns the sentiment, but she doesn't mean it either. Noah hesitates for a few seconds, I don't know what the look on his face is before he subtly takes a step towards me. I shake my head at him. His girlfriend is right there and if he hugs me I know I will do something embarrassing. Like kiss him, or moan.

He ignores my pleas and places his arms securely around me. My head is pressed against is chest, he's fuller around the middle than I remember, and I can hear his heartbeat beating wildly against my ear. I can't feel my own heartbeat, because I'm holding my breath, but I'm sure it mirrors his own.

Noah's hug lasts long enough to make everyone shift uncomfortably, but it wasn't enough for missing five years of him.

Noah told me, so long ago that he wouldn't ever forget me, or how I made him feel. And I know I wouldn't forget him either.

Noah threads his fingers with Camille's as they leave the house.

I grab my clothes and tell Nick I'll bring him his shirt back, he insists I keep it and I like the idea.

"Spill it," Sage says the second we pull out of the driveway.

"There's literally nothing to tell," I say, flippantly and look out of the window.

"Bullshit."

"Fine," I sigh, "Noah's band used to play with my best friend's band when he lived in Nashville." Sage waits for more, but I don't offer it.

"That is not enough," she insists.

"My boyfriend at the time kicked me out of the apartment we shared, and Noah was looking for a tenant, so I moved in."

"None of this explains the tension in there," She points out.

"We went on one date, but he got the record deal right after the single date we had. He was the right person, wrong time. He wanted to try to make it work, but I didn't want to hold him back."

"Noah is the reason you are traveling alone," Sage guesses.

"I didn't say that," I say defensively, we're nearing my hotel now.

"You didn't have to," Sage says in a singsong voice. "Do you have plans for Christmas?"

"I, yeah- yes," I stumble. I know she's going to try to invite me for Christmas, but I don't want to intrude.

"Good for us you already said you didn't have any plans, we do a friends Christmas. I'll come get you," She grins and I get the feeling I don't have a choice.