After stopping at a tiny restaurant for breakfast in a small town nearby, the girls got back on the road. When it was time for lunch, they pulled over at a truck stop/park along the interstate and removed the last of their cold items from the cooler. They had gone through it much faster than expected. Bella had eaten more over the last few days than in weeks. She and Leah were constantly snacking on something during the ride.
"We'll need to stop for more ice somewhere," Leah said as she angled the cooler off the picnic table it sat on and popped the drain, letting the excess water out.
"There's an ice machine over there," Bella said, pointing toward the public restrooms a few yards away.
Leah turned to look at it and frowned. "It says out of order, Bella."
"What?" Bella held her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun but couldn't see anything on the machine. "Where?"
"That little white sun faded sticker in the upper right corner! You can't see that?"
"You can?" Bella scoffed, unable to make out anything but the small square blur of white. "Are you okay over there? Are you going to develop mutant hearing like Quil, too?"
Leah cackled, shaking her head. After securing the tab, she returned the much lighter cooler to the tabletop and Bella began assembling sandwiches for them.
As Leah opened the pickle jar to remove the last two spears, she asked, "So where is our next stop?"
"Well," Bella said as she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and pulled the map up for Leah. "We're here… If we stay on the road for another six hours, we can make it to Denver, but we might get there too late to get a room somewhere. I thought we could pick a random hotel in the next hour or two."
"So you're just kind of winging it?"
Bella laughed. "That was always the plan."
Her mouth full of dill pickle, Leah asked, "Why Denver?"
"I just want to see it again. I went with Mom once as a kid and…" Bella shrugged.
"Cool," Leah said before biting into her sandwich.
Bella tried not to smile as she tore into her lunch, thinking about how grateful she was to find a friend like Leah. She was unsure she'd have bothered spending two nights at the former campsite had she been without Leah's lively and easy-going company. She wouldn't have gone hiking and swimming in some random creek alone. While Kai wasn't as large as her friends back home, Bella certainly wouldn't want to face someone his size in the woods alone.
It wasn't the first time she realized that Leah's presence made her feel braver… more alive and capable.
She made a mental note to remember the damn pepper spray when they went hiking again.
It took another two hours before they reached a tourist town with a large shopping district, looked for a directory sign, and wound up outside a small but highly-rated motel. One hundred and thirty dollars later, the girls carried their luggage to their room, both eager to shower and stretch their legs.
Each showered, dressed, and applied makeup quickly after they got situated. While Leah was in the shower, Bella purchased tickets for the concert on her cell without telling Leah, letting her friend believe they would try to get tickets at the door. Once both were ready, they left to explore a few small shops before everything closed.
Bella found a bookstore that she fell in love with and Leah practically had to drag her out of it to get her to leave. Afterward, they ate their fill at an Italian restaurant near the hotel, spending far too much on rich Carbonara and Mushroom Spaghetti Bolognese.
Leah made Bella promise to learn how to make both at home.
They headed for Denver the following morning and camped there for two nights before Bella redirected their trip toward St. Louis. After 8 hours of driving, they stopped in Kansas City to sleep in another hotel. Bella called to book them a hotel room in St. Louis the next evening, where they could crash out after the concert. She was excited about the inevitable end of keeping the tickets, Leah's long-hidden birthday gifts, and an incredibly sappy friendship-themed card a secret. Leah would receive them all once they reached St. Louis, and Bella couldn't wait.
After a three-hour drive the following morning, they reached St. Louis, and Leah was so excited she couldn't sit still. Bella remained quiet most of the morning, but Leah looked suspicious as Bella removed an extra suitcase from the SUV before heading into the hotel.
Bella and Leah stumbled through the hotel door, arms linked as they laughed, and the sound suddenly echoed around them. The lobby was empty, the receptionist nowhere in sight.
Bella looked up at the high ceiling and gasped at the decorative mural above them. The main desk and each piece of the furniture shone in the same deep red, gold, or mahogany tones. The heavy antique red chaise, couch, high-back armchairs, and mahogany side tables gave the space an old-world feel. Bella could envision suited men with cigars and thin moustaches, and skinny women in flapper dresses flitting across the space, clinking their illegal spirits together in cheers.
As if reading her mind, Leah muttered, "God, it's like stepping back in time."
Bella snickered as she dragged her luggage toward the reception desk.
Leah tapped the suitcase with the toe of her shoe and asked, "What's in there, anyway?"
"You'll see later."
Bella was saved from Leah's questions as the receptionist exited a small office and approached the desk. A few minutes later, they headed upstairs to their room.
Once inside, with the door shut, Bella placed the suitcase on one bed and said, "This is yours." She smirked at Leah and went to look over the bathroom as Leah watched her, confused.
"What do you mean it's mine?"
"Just open it," Bella hollered from the bathroom as she tried to hold in her excitement over the enormous bathtub in the center of the room. She heard the latches click on the suitcase, followed by a loud gasp from Leah.
"Bella, you better get your little ass out here, right now!"
Bella snorted and returned to her friend, who was dragging items from the suitcase to look them over. She waited quietly as Leah finally opened and read the Birthday Card, anticipating a sarcastic retort over the sentimentality within. Instead, Leah surprised her as she jumped from the bed and threw her arms around Bella, hugging her tight.
Bella giggled as she hugged her back. "I know you didn't think I forgot tomorrow is your Birthday."
"Yeah. Tomorrow. Not today."
"Well, I thought you might want to wear something new to the concert tonight," Bella said as she pulled out of Leah's arms.
"You didn't have to do all of that."
Bella's cheeks flushed as she looked at the floor and shrugged, her heart swelling with love for the amazing woman beside her. "I know I didn't, but I wanted to. You've been… incredible to me, Lee."
When she looked back into Leah's face, the affection she found there made her pulse race as she tried not to grin like a fool. Leah raised her hands to Bella's cheeks, cupping them gently before pressing a sweet kiss on her lips.
"You're the best friend ever. Have I told you that?"
Was it normal for women to kiss their female friends on the lips in thanks? It had been weeks since Leah had kissed her anywhere, let alone on the lips.
Bella was too busy trying not to swoon to respond coherently, merely shaking her head as Leah abruptly pulled away and returned her attention to her gifts. She sat on the other bed and watched as Leah began trying things on, determined to find the 'right' combination for the concert.
Suddenly, Leah squealed, "Oh, wait! I almost forgot!" Bella chuckled as Leah rushed back to her luggage and yanked on the zipper. She lifted her clothing out and uncovered a garment box, complete with tissue paper poking out the corners.
"I got us something," she said, looking almost bashful for the first time that Bella could remember.
Bella climbed off the bed to take the thin white box as Leah pulled a second one out for herself. After placing it on the bed, Bella carefully lifted the top. She gingerly removed a silky nearly black spaghetti-strap dress. As Bella shifted it in the light, the material seemed to shimmer with a reddish glow. The bodice had a built-in bra with a thin drawstring in the center, to pull the material tighter and lift the breasts. It looked like the bottom hem would reach her knees - if she was lucky. It was beautiful… and something she would have never chosen for herself.
A dress like this belongs on someone like Alice. Alice could pull off anything.
Leah raised the top of her two-piece, a shimmery champagne-colored cropped top with quarter-length sleeves and a matching short skirt. Bella tried not to groan as she pictured Leah in it, the light color hugging her curves and her tan midriff on display. She mentally kicked herself for her increasingly invasive and very lustful thoughts of her best friend.
Turning toward her, Leah teased, "Like what you see?"
Bella laughed as she blushed and looked over her gift again. "Why did you choose this? I mean, what were you planning?"
Leah sat on the edge of the bed, narrowly avoiding the pile of clothing as she said, "I don't know. I thought it would be a shame if we missed the opportunity to look hot one night. I mean, you never know what could happen, right?"
Bella tried not to frown as she asked, "Are you hoping to pick someone up?"
Leah laughed. "Are you? What's wrong, Swan? Are you missing Paul's rockin' body already?"
Bella rolled her eyes as she sighed. "I haven't even thought about Paul in days."
Come to think of it, she hadn't thought of anyone except Leah and enjoying her presence in days. She couldn't recall the last time she'd felt so much… peace.
"Crap. I should check in with Charlie. He's probably going nuts."
"Nah," Leah said. "I've texted everyone a few times while you were driving. They know we're fine."
Suspiciously, Bella asked, "Who is everyone?"
"Mom, for one, and I'm sure she's letting Charlie know we're fine. Seth. Quil… Paul." Leah looked slightly annoyed as she said, "I think he misses you, Bells. He asked if you were safe and 'Have you met any weirdos yet?'. Check your messages."
Bella groaned as she fished her cell from her back pocket and, upon looking, realized Google Maps had muted everything else on her phone since Denver. Sure enough, there were several missed texts and calls. Bella flopped onto the bed to answer them as Leah laughed and returned to her pile of new clothing.
It took some goading, but Leah finally got Bella to wear the dress. It was surprisingly light and comfortable against her skin. Bella conditioned her hair and drowned it in products, letting her natural curls go wild. The sequins on her dress nearly matched her blood-red lipstick exactly. Luckily, Bella had brought a pair of black peep-toed flats, just in case, but Leah nagged her into wearing the boots she'd worn to Tyler's party instead. As she showed Leah how they looked paired with the dress, Leah whistled.
"You look like a hot 90s grunge rocker, Swan. All you need is a black choker with a cameo or something."
Leah had slicked her short hair back, showing off the shaved sides and back of her haircut. Her dark makeup somehow complimented the outfit, which seemed more gold than champagne against her skin. She swapped her earrings (she had several in her lobes and cartilage) and fished a pair of pale gold sandals from her luggage.
They left early for the concert and were lucky to find a semi-decent parking place in the massive lot. Bella dug her cash box from its hiding place and shoved a few bills into her wallet. She put the wallet into an oversized black purse with a few water bottles and the last of their granola bars.
Leah laughed and asked, "Are they going to let you take that inside?"
"We'll find out." Bella locked the money box before hiding it snuggly under the back seat. They locked the car and headed toward the line.
Leah gave Bella a rueful grin as she produced her phone to provide their entry before greeting security at the door. The male security guard peeked in Bella's bag, raising his eyebrows at the few but obvious food items and she shrugged. "I'm a healthy girl," she quipped and winked, hoping he would let it slide. He silently chuckled, placed a finger to his lips as if to say 'Shhh, don't tell,' and ushered her inside.
Once Leah stepped inside, they linked arms and walked around, looking at the many concession stands and merchandise booths.
Leah said, "I can't believe you flirted with the security guard."
Bella laughed. "Your turn next. Maybe you can get a free t-shirt."
"I don't know, we'll have to test my tits. I mean, my gifts."
Bella cackled outright, and the sound carried over the wide space, prompting several strangers to look toward her and smile.
A local radio station host sat in a booth at the center, loudly broadcasting their show across the Amphitheater. Leah winked at him as they walked past and the girls giggled as he stuttered mid-sentence before looking away. Leah let her hand slide down Bella's forearm and threaded their fingers together.
"Seems to be in working order."
Without thought, Bella said, "You could wear the tent and it would still be in working order."
Leah didn't respond, but her bright smile nearly made Bella stumble as her heart skipped a beat.
Nearly ten minutes later, a man wearing a shirt advertising the radio station jogged toward them as they tried to pick out a new t-shirt for Bella. Both were speechless as he put pit-pass bands on their wrists, allowing them free entry to the area closest to the stage. Later, as they went to join the crowd in the pit, Leah blew kisses to the radio host and he nearly fell out of his chair.
Bella could understand the feeling. Leah didn't even have to blow kisses in her direction to make her weak in the knees.
Later that evening, as they stood among hundreds of screaming fans, Bella heard the song Daughters Of Darkness for the first time. By the end of the first chorus, Leah's hand wrapped around Bella's as they danced together. Afterward, Leah declared it was 'their song' now - and Bella couldn't think of one more fitting.
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