Perfect Little Chaos

2 weeks later, Willa couldn’t believe they were already getting back on the road.

The break was short, but many things for Willa had changed. The big thing was her relationship with Zane.

Not that they were together, but a lot more people knew about it. The moment on stage went viral, and it even managed to sell more tickets for the second half of their tour. Everyone wanted to see their chemistry up close and personal, and the photos they dumped during the break only exacerbated the need.

Willa thought Zane was doing far more than she wanted him to. She was happy he was claiming her openly, but it was a bit excessive.

“Seriously, you post more than I do,” she laughed as they waited in the first class waiting room.

“I thought that’s what being public was all about?” Zane questioned, snapping another picture of her.

Willa giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I meant more on the lines of not being afraid to hold my hand in public.”

He hummed, his hands resting on her hips with a smirk. “Is kissing included in that?”

“Oh, that’s top of the list,” she emphasized, never hesitating to feel their lips connected in perfect harmony.

It was safe to say they were doing everything right this time around. Granted, it had only been two weeks since they rekindled their spark, but there was a trust built between them that hadn’t previously been there before.

Willa knew she fell in love with Zane for a reason. Others weren’t too keen on how comfortable they were with being affectionate.

“How many times do I have to say it?” Jeremy walked in at the wrong time. “Get a room!”

They laughed, pulling their lips apart, but staying tangled together. Willa knew Jeremy was having a hard time processing that his sister was with his best friend, but deep down, he supported them. His main concern was the band falling apart, and seeing as they were all together, Willa didn’t see the problem.

“Alright, someone’s jealous,” Willa teased.

“Don’t worry, Jerm, you’ll find someone you can snuggle all the time, too.” Zane joined in on the fun.

Jeremy rolled his eyes, but playfully. “I have someone. They’re just not allowed to tour with us.”

Willa smiled, surprisingly very fond of Jeremy’s girlfriend. They’ve been dating for quite a while, and Willa loved how supportive she was of Jeremy's dream. The schedule was only going to get more hectic, and Willa believed she’d be right there waiting for him.

Someone who was allowed to tour with them and planned to stay until the end was their promoter, Carly Clad.

She walked through the door with her thick, long hair pulled back and a couple of strands on either side of her face. She wore her signature cardigan and light-washed blue jeans to match. Her attitude was business as usual, but Willa sometimes saw the professional mask slip, especially when she talked to Zane.

“How’s my favorite band doing?” She smiled, her giant purse hanging slightly off her arm.

Zane let Willa go, smiling at Carly. “Are you just saying that because you’re gonna be stuck on a bus with us?”

Carly smirked. “Hmm, maybe.” She shrugged.

It made Zane laugh, and Willa winced.

She didn’t have a leg to stand on, but seeing him be so close to Carly, a girl much older than her, scared her. Carly was also a year older than Zane and probably could relate to him better than she could. Not to mention the number of things Willa noticed they had in common, but she wasn’t going to get into that.

Instead, she turned around, immersing herself in the free snacks before boarding the plane.

Jeremy felt their relationship grew over the break. Willa confided in him about what she was feeling, and she didn’t get control freak, Jeremy, for once. She got her brother, who was attentive but also gave her solid advice.

Now and again, he still had to be the smartest guy in the room.

“Jealous?” He asked, teasingly.

Willa rolled her eyes, draining out the sounds of Carly and Zane talking. “Never. Only cautious.”

He hummed. “Same way Zane was cautious about you and Da—“

“It’s not the same,” she stopped him before he could finish that name. “My situation is one-sided. Something that can be forgotten at a moment's notice.”

“Have you forgotten it, though?” Jeremy continued to press. “You can’t even hear his name, which I don’t know how that’s gonna work, considering he’s our drummer.”

Willa took a deep breath of frustration, knowing Jeremy was right. The last two weeks have been brutal emotionally because she hadn’t dealt with the fact that she had feelings for him. Those that went beyond what was morally allowed.

If she was going to stomach Carly constantly being around Zane, she had to come to terms with how she felt about David.

It was a lot harder to do when she hadn’t talked to him at all during their break. Instead of relaxing as they did, David was focused on getting his drinking under control. The specifics weren’t mentioned, but Willa heard it was pretty intense.

All she could do was hope they weren’t too harsh on him. She remembered him mentioning it was a genetic problem. The kind that isn’t going to fix itself overnight, but even before the break, Willa saw signs that David wanted to get better.

Still, she was conflicted about seeing him again after so long without communication. Her main concern was whether things between them could be the same even with her feelings for him going undetected.

Luckily, or unluckily, she didn’t have to worry about that much longer as the door opened one last time.

“David!” The others screamed as Willa froze in place.

She didn’t dare turn around, fearing the look on her face would give her away. David was oblivious to the way she saw him. He wasn’t just like a brother to her. He was someone she had a deep bond with. A guy she went from admiring to feeling whatever this pull was that she felt.

All while still trying to maintain her relationship with Zane, who was also none the wiser.

“You’re looking good, man,” Jeremy complimented.

“Oh, you smell clean too,” Carly added.

Willa could hear the offense in David’s voice. “Trying to say I stunk before or something?” He laughed.

“No,” Carly denied. “But the beer was a hard scent to mask.”

While everyone was singing David’s praises, Willa still couldn’t turn around. No matter how badly her eyes wanted to see him. Or how much she missed his easygoing attitude about everything, she couldn’t muster the courage.

She knew David wasn’t going to let her go without saying a word, walking over just as excited to see her.

“What? I don’t get a greeting from my favorite person?” He questioned playfully.

Willa hated how much she loved being called his favorite person, even though she knew it was true.

She still couldn’t find the courage to turn around, wishing she didn’t have to see him yet. But if she didn’t say anything to him, it’d look weird, and the last thing she wanted was Zane to question her.

So, slowly, she turned around, thinking she was strong enough to handle what was behind her.

But she wasn’t.

The minute she saw his face, her heart was beating out of her chest. That smile of his was captivating and brighter than it had been just two weeks ago. He truly looked alive, as if his weakness no longer defined him.

Willa was happy to see him, but hated his hair.

“What the hell,” she panicked. “Since when did you go blond?”

“2 weeks ago,” he said with a cheeky grin. “You like it?”

Willa scoffed. “No, I hate it,” she lied. “And you’re a copycat.”

“Wha—hey, I dyed my hair first.” He stepped closer, purposefully. “If anything, you’re copying me with your blonde braids.”

“Firstly, they’re mostly pink. It’s just a pale pink,” she clarified, taking a step closer as well. “And the blonde helps brighten it up.”

David kept looking down at her, amused by their mini-debate. Willa felt like they were flirting in such a subtle way, but had to remind herself that David only saw her as a friend.

“Uh-huh. Are you gonna keep yapping or will you finally hug me?” His brow rose, waiting for a response.

Willa didn’t expect him to ask her for a hug so abruptly. It caught her off guard, making her eyes search his for the part where he said he was joking. That he truly didn’t want a hug from her or ever to be close to her again.

Or maybe she was afraid to be close to him because she wouldn’t want to let go. But then if she didn’t hug him, it would look weird once again. No matter the scenario, Willa didn’t see how she could win in any situation.

However, overthinking it was getting her nowhere, and the longer she stood there doing nothing, the worse she looked.

So, already as close as she could be to David, she wrapped her arms around his torso. At first, it was okay, and she wasn’t finding herself squirming. But the minute David wrapped his arms back around her, everything changed.

Her pulse raced as her body melted in the tight embrace David secured her in. There was a moment where she felt like every muscle in her body relinquished power to David, barely able to stand on her own.

It was comfortable, familiar, and a spot she didn’t want to find herself in.

Of course, nothing could ever be simple as David unknowingly set her heart ablaze.

“I missed you,” he whispered, quiet enough so no one else could hear.

Willa’s cheeks burned, hiding her face between his shoulder. Anything she said would sound too emotional, giving away exactly how she was feeling. She thought squeezing him just a tad tighter would convey to him how much she missed him as well.

They couldn’t stay like that forever, though, pulling away with their gazes lingering just a second longer.

Then, David turned around with his energy suddenly through the roof. “Man, I’m ready to crush the rest of these tour dates!”

Jeremy smirked, loving David's newfound attitude. “That’s the David I know,” he praised. “Things aren’t gonna be easy, but we’ve made it this far. The ball is in our court.”

Willa agreed, but her stomach was unsettled once Zane came over to drape his arm over her shoulders.

As much as she loved Zane, there was something about David that could change everything Willa thought she knew.