Jane’s strained voice let out a “thank you” directed to Trent as she held the smoke in for a few seconds then finally exhaled. As she sat in Rob’s lap, an arm went over his shoulder, and her fingernails grazed his back up and down as she kept her eyes on the three in front of her. 

Trent and David seemed nice – they engaged in a conversation with Jane about the tour so far and how different the crowds were based on the city they were in – but she couldn’t help but keep eyeing Zoe, who was not participating in the conversation, but on her phone with her head down. She was beautiful, Jane noticed, and seemed to be listening to what was happening, so why wasn’t she talking? Perhaps it was what Jane feared; Zoe could’ve already made up her mind. 

Instead of dwelling on her new-found self-consciousness, she turned to Rob and smirked as she gently moved the strands of hair that had fallen over his eyes. Emotions flooded her as she looked at him in that brief moment. 

Anger – obviously for what happened earlier. Jane had forced herself to swallow her pride and not mention it anymore, or treat him as if she was upset, but it was definitely sitting in the back of her mind. 

Lust – There were no complaints on Jane’s end about this side of their relationship besides that she wished they started hooking up seven years ago. It was [i]so[/i] amazing that Jane, at this point, only had to be near him to have the urge to jump on top of him, which she was feeling at that very moment. 

Doubt – Maybe that wasn’t the right word for it, but it seemed as though she couldn’t switch her brain off, even after drinking and smoking all night. What would it be like when they got back home, when their lives weren’t scheduled for them? What if they grow tired of each other – would they be able to be friends again? What if she fucked up and hooked up with someone else? Would it be over?

And…

The last one, Jane couldn’t put a finger on. It was warm and light, like being turned on without [i]actually[/i] being turned on. Love? No, it couldn’t be.

[i]”You’re getting soft, Jane.”[/i]

It was just infatuation. All of this was new and exciting. Yes, it was probably just infatuation.
Jane noticed that the energy in the room had changed since she had walked in.

“I’m, uh, I’m gonna get back out there. Find me later, yeah?” she quietly told him as she stood up slowly. “It was nice to meet you guys.” Her eyes flashed to Rob once more before exiting the room and making her way back to the kitchen for another beer. She had probably smoked too much, because the party just seemed overwhelming rather than fun. 

After walking out to the back, she noticed a tall, thin ladder that stretched up to the roof of the house. “Thank God,” she mumbled under her breath. It had been quite a while (for a person like Jane) since she had been on a roof, usually her sanctuary back home, and it felt as if the universe led her to that ladder. 

[i]”Okay, Jane. You REALLY are fucking stoned.”[/i]

Once the made it to the top of the house, she sighed in relief, but it was short-lived when she noticed another figure on the other side of the roof. “Oh, I’m sorry, I – “ 

“It’s cool,” Andy interrupted her. 
“You again,” she chuckled as she made her way over to where he was sitting and plopped down next to him. 
“You like roofs too, huh?” He asked without opening his eyes. He was laying down on his back with his hands folded behind his head. 
“Yeah. The longer this tour goes on, the more I don’t wanna be around people.” Jane laid back next to Andy and squinted her eyes to look at the stars above them. The night was clear and crisp, allowing the small white specks to be fairly visible for a city like Detroit. 
“I get that, man,” Andy nodded, still not showing his irises. “It’s hard for me to be around my own band at this point.” 
“I just met them,” Jane sighed. “They seem nice. Well, besides Zoe. What’s up with her?” 
He smiled. “Ah, Zoe. We used to be together a little over a year ago. She’s strange. Awesome, but strange.” 
“Strange doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that she hated me before she even met me.” 
“Could be true. Once she has an opinion, she holds onto it. She doesn’t like other girls much, either. And [i]definitely[/i] not like you do,” he smirked.
Jane punched his arm jokingly as she laughed. “Yeah. No shit. She didn’t even lift her head up after I walked in the room.”
Andy scoffed. “Sounds about right. Don’t let her get to you.” 
She nodded silently as she grazed her own arm with her fingers. 
“So, what’s up with you and the drummer?” He asked nonchalantly. 
“Oh, Rob. Um, I guess we’re seeing each other. He pissed me off earlier, though,” she admitted somberly. 
“’Cause of that interview?” Andy had finally popped open an eye. “He got angry pretty quickly.”
“[i]Exactly,[/i]” Jane groaned. “I’ve been ripped apart online for a month already without having a public freak out. I’m reading stuff online about myself that I didn’t even know,” she laughed. 
“Like the two bartenders you had a threesome with your second night on tour?”
Jane shook her head. “Nope. That one happened,” she laughed. “It was a weird night.” 
Andy nodded with curiosity. “You really are a rare breed.” 
She cocked her head to the side. “Is that a compliment or an insult?” She took a moment to light a cigarette before turning her attention back to him.
“A compliment. I wish more women were as unapologetic as you are,” he said as he smiled politely.  
“Well, it’s not their fault. Not every girl wants to get called a ‘slut’ all the time,” she rolled her eyes as she said it. “I’ve started to become more self-conscious about it.”
“Don’t,” he said frankly. “You’re beautiful, talented, and know who you are. Don’t feel bad for anything you do. It’s you.” 
Jane felt her cheeks grow red. “I appreciate that.” She checked the time on her phone and sighed. “I think I’m gonna try to round up the crew. I’m exhausted. I’ll catch you later, yeah?” 
“Yeah,” he nearly whispered. “Good night, Jane.” 

Jane crawled back down to the ground and began her search for Sam and Austin, whom she found both after they had just finished up with whatever they did with two girls they met. “Can we go?” Jane whined. “We’ve been here for hours.” 
Austin smirked as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Aw, Sam, our party girl has finally had enough?
Sam joined in on the teasing. “News story: The wild frontwoman of In Bloom as finally had enough sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll.”
They both erupted in laughter as Jane ducked out of Austin’s grasp. “Yeah, yeah,” she waved a hand at them. “Where’s Rob?” 
Sam shook his head. “I haven’t seen him in a while. He’s probably still in that room with Vicarious.” 
Austin nodded in agreement then looked to Jane. “Looks like he’s getting sick of you already, huh?” 
“Shut up,” Jane mumbled. 

That couldn’t be true, right?