Annie leaned back in the seat. “You’re right. And I’d love to have my own things here. I’m nervous leaving them in the hotel.” The hotel was nice, but it was unsettling having her guitar somewhere else. “Let’s go back to your place and see if you really can cook.”

Bristol bit her bottom lip, knowing full well she couldn’t but would wing it. “Honestly, I don’t know if I have any food at the house since I’ve been gone so long. Worst-case scenario, we can have food delivered. Are you hungry?”

“I’m starving. I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

“We can definitely stop somewhere first.”

Annie waved off the idea. “It’s okay. Let’s check your refrigerator first.”

Bristol leaned back, and Annie put her head on her shoulder. Both were sending mixed messages, but Bristol didn’t know how to stop wanting her. By the time they reached the security gates, Bristol’s stomach was nothing but a knotted mess of emotion. The drive to her house seemed to take forever. Annie’s look of disbelief at her house made her heart swell with pride.

Willie opened the limo door for them. “Have a good day, Miss Bristol. I’ll drop off Miss Annie’s things later this morning.” He waited until Bristol unlocked her front door before pulling out of the driveway.

All smiles, Annie turned to Bristol. “This is the most amazing house I’ve ever seen.”

“Would you like a tour?”

“Definitely.” Annie slipped off her heels and left them by the front door.

It would have taken Bristol too much time to unlace her boots, so she left them on. They made her tower over Annie, and a part of her liked that. It took thirty minutes to walk through the house, and by the time the tour was over, Annie looked impressed and also exhausted. They ended in the kitchen, where Bristol told Annie to have a seat and she would make breakfast. She was so happy her mother had stocked the fridge. She pulled out ingredients for avocado toast and poured them tall glasses of orange juice. Morning light was starting to erase the darkness.

“Can we eat outside? It’s so gorgeous by the pool.”

One of the reasons Bristol had chosen this house was the magnificent view, but mostly because it had an infinity pool. She loved to swim. “Definitely.”

“At first, I was concerned when you said you were going to stay in your house for three months, but Bristol. This is a beautiful house. You don’t need to go anywhere. Ever. This place is amazing.”

“It’s big enough to have friends over, but not too big.”

Annie looked at her in disbelief. “How many square feet?”

“I think seventy-five hundred,” Bristol said.