Jane’s heart skipped a beat as Rob took her hand, commenting about the view ahead of them. She nodded in response, a huge smile overtaking her face. “Yeah, it is.”

Watching the view, Jane rested her head on his shoulder and took a deep breath. Instead of overthinking things, or ruining things by getting physical like she’d done by kissing him abruptly just days before, she wanted to just enjoy the sweet moment for what it was: two old friends, old lovers, enjoy a sweet moment together without worrying what’s to come.

But Jane couldn’t help but notice something as she held Rob’s hand in that quiet moment. Was his hand…shaking? 

Was it possible that he was nervous? He didn’t seem it, but then again, Rob had never been an easy person for her to read. 

She grabbed his big, muscular arm with her free hand, head still on his shoulder, and held him in the silence while they watched the waves crashed on shore.

He was definitely shaking.

[center]***[/center]

“I’ll see you downstairs for the call,” Jane said to Rob as they returned home, limping up the stairs towards her room.

In the hallway between all their bedrooms, she ran in to Austin who seemingly was just getting home as well. 

“Can we talk?” Jane asked meekly, waving her hand towards her room.

Austin obliged, following her inside and sitting on her bed. It had been neatly made before she’d left for her date with Rob, something a younger Jane would never have bothered doing. Her room was kept clean and organized, something she’d learned during her multiple stints in rehab.

“What’s up?” Austin asked.

“I went out with Rob, and it was really nice.”

“Okay?”

“I just want to know why you’re so against it.”

Austin sighed, rubbing a hand over his shaved head. “I put my life on hold to come out here, J. Took time off of work, left my students. I just don’t want it to be for nothing.”

“It’s not,” Jane responded, grabbing his hands. “I need this so badly, and not just the money. Being here again made me realize how much I needed to make music again.”

“What happens if Rob leaves again? Do you remember what that was like? Because I do. You almost died with a needle hanging out of your arm, J.”

“I was sick back then,” Jane said quietly, but anger was beginning to bubble up in her stomach. How could he compare her then to now? “Nothing could make me touch that shit again.”

Austin nodded, seemingly mulling it over.

“Even Sam seems to be on board.”

“Yeah, well Sam wasn’t the one who saw you like that. You just ruined his dreams.”

They both laughed. “Please, Aust. If…even if it goes badly between Rob and I, In Bloom is going to thrive, and so will I. I promise.”

Austin stroked his beard lost in thought. 

“You don’t have to love it, but I miss my friend.”

That made him look at her, and smile. “Damn it. Fine. But seriously, J. You guys can’t fuck this up for us. Not again.”

“We won’t,” she replied beaming. “Just be happy for me.”

“Really though… what’s going to happen if it doesn’t work out?”

Jane paused. If she was honest, she didn’t let herself think about it. That was, until now. She wasn’t sure what to say.

“See? You’re not thinking this through,” Austin grumbled as he shook his head. “I’ll lay off but, seriously, think about what you’re doing.”

And with that, Austin patted Jane’s head and exited the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

When Jane first returned to southern California for In Bloom’s reunion, she never in her wildest dreams thought she’d have another shot with Rob. Now that she had one, she hadn’t even thought about what could happen if it all went south. 

Could she handle it not working out again? 

[center]***[/center]

The group agreed to use the conference table down in the basement to gather for their phone meeting with Evan.

Jane was the last one down, descending the carpeted steps carefully with her bandaged foot. She ditched the crutches finally, being able to put some weight on her ankle, but the doctor said she wouldn’t be healed fully for another month. No surfing, no yoga, and definitely no long boarding. Jane didn’t need to be told the last one again; her accident was only confirmation that she was, in fact, too damn old to be on a skate board.

She greeted the three and took a spot next to Rob, squeezing his shoulder as she used it for balance before plopping down into the office chair. Rob’s phone sat on the table, and they all waited patiently for it to ring.

Jane slipped out her notebook, opened it, and slid it over to Austin. “New song,” she explained. “Let’s write something for it in the morning?”

He nodded as he skimmed the lyrics. “We’re going to have a full album soon.”

Him saying that caused everyone to look around at each other and smile. They were really doing it. After all these years, they were able to get together and make something worth listening to. When they arrived almost two weeks ago, Jane wasn’t sure how well they would work together. They’d all changed so much in the past ten years. But they still had ‘it,’ and it made her feel excited for the first time in forever.

Jane looked over to Rob and gave him a bright smile, but at that moment the phone rang. Her nerves took over, and they all leaned forward in anticipation as Rob pressed the green button to answer the call.

“Hi Evan, we’re all here.”