“Well, that’s that, a freaking twelve-year-old is going to find her true love before me,” Nat grumbles, and I laugh, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her in close.
“We’ll find you a man. You’ll meet a million of them on tour with me, of course.”
Her body goes still before she turns to look at me. Her dark curls are a bit more tamed today, the top half pinned back, and her green eyes are huge when she takes me in.
“What?”
I lift a shoulder.
“I mean, if you want, of course, I know you have a job here, but…I’m gonna need someone I can trust to do my hair and makeup.” I bite my lip, feeling like I should hide the smile spreading over my face. “And someone to dress me.”
“No way,” she whispers.
“Did you break her?” Leo asks low, and I elbow him.
“Oh. My. God,” she whispers. “Oh my god.”
“Though, if it’s too big of an ask, I totally understand, I—” I start, but I’m stopped.
“Shut up,” Nat nearly yells. “No take-backs, Wilhelmina.”
“My name is not Wilhelmina,” I inform her with a laugh.
“I know, but you need a big girl name when I need to be stern with you, and if you’re going to be all nice girl and feel bad about asking me to be your stylist, and go on a world tour with you, you need to be big girl-voiced back into reality.” I roll my lips in and nod, trying to hide my humor and failing.
“Can I take that you mean you’ll think about it?”
“You can take that to mean that tomorrow, once I’m not hungover, you and I are getting on a call with Harper, because I haveideas. Big ones.” She puts her hand in front of her, looking off in the distance. “Glitter. Sparkles. Rip away dresses. So much color, you’re going to be a walking rainbow. And then I’m going to start shopping because if I’m attaching my name to your brand, your streetwear needs a total revamp. We can keep the cutesy stuff for Holly Ridge, but you’re about to be a colorful hottie when you’re Willa Stone.” I laugh then, joy uncontrollable. She grabs my hands tightly and starts jumping. “This is so exciting! I promise you won’t regret it!”
“Everything okay over here?” Madden asks with a smile and an eyebrow raised, appearing out of seemingly nowhere. I have noticed that whenever there is a ruckus featuring Nat, I’ve found you can always find Maden coming around to see what’s going on.
“Get out of here, King,” she says, pushing on his chest. “I’m about to go on tour with Willa-fucking-Stone as her stylist. I was out of your league before, but now I’m not even in yourstratosphere.”She hugs me tight again, whispering athank you,thank you, thank youin my ear as I laugh before running off to tell Hallie.
“What?”Madden asks, confused, but Nat is already gone.
“Will asked Nat to be her stylist and do her hair and makeup on tour,” Leo explains.
“On tour?” His brows furrow, and a look I can’t quite understand crosses his face, and I nod.
“I need people I can trust. She’s good with fashion, hair, and makeup. Kind of the perfect all-in-one choice for me.”
“No one more trustworthy than Nat,” he murmurs softly, watching her jump excitedly with Hallie. “When’s that going to be?”
I shrug.
“We’re still working on exact dates, but this summer. April or May should be the first dates.” He looks away again, wheels turning, but after a moment, something comes over his face, something I recognize intimately.
A shield.
And with it, he goes back to flirty, funny Madden.
“Well, make sure you save me some backstage passes. Definitely can get some hotties if I have the connections.”
I roll my eyes and shake my head, but agree.
“You tell me how many you need and they’re yours.”
He nods, then looks into the distance.
