on the bus, I call Calvin and tell him the whole story. He promises that everything will be fine and he’ll drive into the city on Monday to get everything squared away for me. He knows how much this means to me and he’s bending over backwards like I’ve done for him in the past. It’s good to have a partner and friend who’s like family.
When Luna and the band load up on the bus, I’m right there with her, holding her hand as we make our way through the crowd then board the quiet bus. Everyone plops down in a seat and Luna crawls into my lap as we look out the windows at all the people lining the sides of the bus. There are people holding up signs declaring their love for the band. Some people are snapping pictures, and others are just screaming because they’re so excited.
“This is crazy,” I think out loud.
“I know. It blows my mind every night,” Luna says as the bus begins to roll forward.
We stay in the common area of the bus for the first hour, and I’m actually surprised by how chill everything is. When I envisioned rock bands on their tour buses, I always pictured massive parties, drinking, and loud music. But this is nothing like that. The guys are playing games on their phones, taking naps, and talking to their friends, girlfriends, or family members. Luna stands from my lap and takes my hand, leading me to the back of the bus.
“Hey, you guys better not get this bus bumping too much. We’re in motion, you know,” Van teases.
I look at him from over my shoulder but ignore him as Luna pulls me into her bedroom, locking us away from the rest of the band where I plan to be buried inside her all night long.
Nineteen
Luna
Having Daniel on tour with me is better than I’d ever imagined. It’s like I get to have my cake and eat it too, even though I know it can’t last forever. He has a life and a job he needs to go back to, but if I have to live for these short times together, then that’s what I’ll do. It’s better having him in my life like this than nothing at all.
The first night, we do nothing but make love over and over again and sleep. The next morning, waking up in his arms is better than anything in the world. He kisses my shoulder and I roll over to face him, placing my hand on his sharp jaw. “I love you,” I confess again, unable to stop saying it now that those words have escaped.
“I love you too,” he says, moving between my legs.
“When you get back home, you’re going to wait for me, right? We’ll talk every night and try to make this work?”
“It’s the only way. Living without you isn’t an option anymore.” He kisses me as he pushes his way into me, filling me completely.
The week passes by too quickly, and before I know it, it’s the last show Daniel will be attending before flying back to Chicago tomorrow morning. I’m cherishing every last minute I have with him. Now that we both know how the other person feels, we’re no longer holding back about what we want for our future. We’ve decided that we’ll end up married one day far in the future after things begin to calm down with the band. We both want kids, and he even mentioned getting a tour bus just for our family until the kids are old enough to start school, and we’ll buy a house in the city or maybe even closer to Riley and Piper so our kids can all grow up together. It’s a nice vision to think about, but only time will tell if any of it comes true.
I’m reluctant to leave him in my dressing room, but I know we need to start the show, and it feels good knowing he’ll be here when I’m done, so I tell myself to stop being silly.
The guys and I head out, and the crowd comes to life before our very eyes. We run through our usual setlist until we’re about halfway through the show. Then something unexpected happens. I count us down to the next song like I always do, but suddenly, my amp has lost power. I’m hitting the strings, but my guitar is barely making a sound. I step up to the mic to ask what’s