megatrash

In Bloom [HangYourSecrets x megatrash] [18+]

"We're In Bloom, thanks for checking us out."

Jane fled the stage and dashed out to the alley in the back of the large venue to catch her breath. It was their first performance since her small vacation, and it went exceedingly well albeit the the painful sensation she was feeling currently. Thankfully, though, her voice held up throughout the entire set without too much deviation from her normal sound.

The doctor gave elicit instructions for Jane to follow so that the injury and exhaustion didn't occur again: Do vocal exercises 30 minutes before a set, quit or cut back on smoking cigarettes, drink a gallon of water a day, eat all three meals a day with a snack before a set, sleep for at least 6 hours a night, limit talking for the rest of the night after a set.

Just as any other structure or regimen, it all sounded boring to Jane, but her bandmates were holding her accountable: Austin came out of the gas station with a gallon of water and kept reminding her to drink it throughout the day, and Sam brought her a snack to replace the one she had forgotten back at the hotel.

They had driven a good amount earlier that day to catch up with the rest of the bands that had left them behind to carry on with the tour, but their time was limited with the rest of the bands before they set off across the Atlantic for a whole new list of cities to visit. It was all very surreal, and it had yet to hit Jane hat she would be leaving the country for the first time and playing at small, shitty venues again for people who had 1) probably never heard of them, and 2) probably didn’t give a fuck about them.

Jane took a few swigs of her gallon of water before Andy approached her in the alley.
“Sick set, Jane. I couldn’t even tell your cords were fucked up,” he smiled as he patted her shoulder.
“Thanks,” Jane said in a breathy manner. “You’re set was great as well. I couldn’t even tell we smoked five joints before then,” she joked.
“Ha-ha,” Andy nudged her arm. “Look,” he began, lowering the volume of his voice, “nothing’s been confirmed yet, but we might be joining you in Europe. My manager’s still working some shit out I guess.”
Her eyes lit up at the news; the possibility that they wouldn’t be completely alone on a new continent was relieving. “That’s awesome! It’ll be nice having some familiar faces over there.” Her happiness was short-lived, though, when Zoe passed by the two. Jane began to speak: “Hey, Zoe, nice – “

Zoe continued walking towards their bus without so much as a glace in Jane's direction.

“Jesus Christ, man. I don’t think I can get used to that,” Jane shook her head as she confessed her distaste for Zoe to Andy.
He laughed. “Doesn’t help that you’re seeing her crush.”
Jane’s eyes widened. “She has a crush on Rob?”
“She never said it,” Andy replied with a smile, amused with Jane’s concern. “I know her pretty well though.” His facial expression changed a more concerned one. “Y-you’re not jealous, are you?”
She scoffed and shook her head. “No, no. Just curious.”

In reality, Andy’s suspicions did strike a bit of jealousy into Jane, although she wouldn’t ever admit it. But Zoe reminded her of the girls that Rob had dated or hooked up with in the past, and it was easy to associate her with thoughts of Rob being with someone other than herself. Plus, he had been spending a lot of time with Vicarious – could that be the reason?

Austin approached the two and put an arm around Jane, shaking her out of the somber mood her thoughts put in her momentarily. “Sorry, Andy. J’s supposed to rest her voice after each set, right J?”
She groaned. “Right. See you later, Andy.”

She and Austin walked towards the van parked on the street. “How you holdin’ up, tough guy?” Austin asked as he squeezed her shoulders.
Jane nodded with a thumbs up.
“You and Rob seem in better spirits. Sam and I have been sort of, uh, preoccupied with the beautiful women that seem to be in every city we go to, so I haven’t gotten to talk to you much. You know I’m always here for you though, right?” Austin stopped and turned Jane’s shoulders so that she’d face him. “I mean it.”
Jane nodded and smirked, and Austin kissed her on the forehead in a friendly manner. “Let’s get you to bed, okay?”

----------------------

Jane sat in her normal position with her legs draped over Rob and her head resting near the van’s wall. She wasn’t completely rejuvenated from her two days off, and exhaustion still loomed over her as a reminder to not go to crazy with the partying or alcohol.

She could feel herself drifting off into a light sleep when her phone vibrated underneath her. A text.

Mia: I’m so sorry, girl. Call me if you need anything.

With the text came a link to some news article, and Jane clicked it cautiously to find an annoying headline:

Rock’s New Bad Girl
If you haven’t heard of Jane Molloy and her wild antics over the past few weeks, then you’re probably living under a rock. Jane, the front woman for the Long Beach natives In Bloom, has made a few headlines with stories coming out of her sexual escapades and ‘don’t-give-a-shit’ attitude, but as rumors started popping up about her personal relationship with drummer Robert Pennie, it seemed as though she had changed her ways.

That is, until now.

[Please be advised that below are links leading to pictures containing mature content.]

An unknown source provided us with the racy pictures of the rocker below. Some seem to be taken by Jane herself, but others seemed to have been taken possibly without her knowledge. Either way, she will definitely get more recognition now, whether its new fans or new haters.

“Holy shit,” Jane whispered as her thumbs scrolled up and down over the cracked screen. “Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.” She abruptly popped up from the fetal position she was in and hunched over her phone, still in awe of what she was seeing. She clicked the link that held the photos, and low and behold, there she was. The page looked like some sort of Tumblr page with no evidence of who it belonged to, and it held five pictures. Most were of her top half, and only one was of her backside. It wasn’t anything completely jarring, but it was enough to cause nausea to brew in her stomach.

“Jesus Christ,” she mumbled into the hand that was covering her mouth.

It wasn’t that Jane was ashamed of nudity or her natural form – quite the contrary actually, hence her choice to go braless and revealing clothing selections. Yet, something about it being on the internet for anybody and everybody to see gave her the most vulnerable sensation she had ever felt.

Would Lena stoop this low? No, that couldn’t be, could it? Would Ryan try to bring her down like this? She hadn’t talked to him in years. She was sure at least a few people had some scandalous photos of her like this, but no one that would share them like this. Or at least, she thought.

She handed Rob her phone without looking up. She felt embarrassed. “I, uh, I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry,” she mumbled quietly as she kept herself from getting too worked up. It felt as if she had committed some sort of crime against him, although logically she knew that wasn’t true. Rob’s desperation for privacy in regards to their intimate business seemed a bit far-fetched now.

“All of those pictures are at least a year old.” She somehow thought that it would make the situation and however Rob was feeling better, but they just tasted cheap coming out of her mouth.

“Holy shit, J!” Austin exclaimed from two seats ahead of them. “Did you see – “
“Yes,” Jane interrupted as she threw her head in her hands.
“Dude, I’m so sorry. That’s fucked up. At least you have a nice ass, though.”
“Shut up, man,” Sam chimed in with an angry tone.
“I was joking! J, I was joking.” Austin looked to Rob with wide eyes. “Really, I was joking.”

The whole situation was already completely overwhelming. How were they going to fix it? How would the interviews go now? And Rob. If he wasn’t already having second thoughts about being with someone like Jane, would he now?

“Sam,” Jane began as she cleared her throat, “if your dad calls, tell him I’ll call him in the morning, yeah? I don’t feel like dealing with this shit tonight.”

She still couldn’t gather the courage to look at Rob; Jane wasn’t sure if she was ready to hear or see his reaction to all of this. So instead, she curled back up in her fetal position and squeezed her eyes shut in a futile attempt to keep tears from falling out. She just wanted to go to bed and forget about it already, but she knew that something of this magnitude wouldn’t be swept under the rug so easily.

In Bloom [HangYourSecrets x megatrash] [18+]

Jane had finally awoken from her second sleep of the day, but she opted to lay in bed for a few moments to stare at the ceiling before getting herself up. The talk with Andy and her nap had made her feel better, but a dark cloud was still looming over her, and the fact that Rob wasn't in bed with her yet was a great reminder.

She found a large tee shirt on the floor and began to pull it over her body as she opened the door, but she stopped in her tracks at the sight of Rob on the couch. Why was he waiting out here for her? Why hasn't he come in the room to be with her?

She finished pulling the shirt down as she approached him, then sat on the coffee table across from him.

It was nice to hear his words - his thoughts similar to hers - but Jane's pride kept her demeanor stone cold as she listened to him. While her ego worked on her outside, her heart tugged at her from the inside, though, telling her to get over it, that it wasn't important enough to stay upset over.

"I get what you mean," she began as she cleared the nap from her throat. "You know me, I usually don't give a fuck about anything." That caused her to chuckle quietly.

"But, I do care about you. A lot. Sometimes, I think, too much. It drives me crazy. I want to be angry at you so badly for running away from our discussion. After I tried so hard to talk to you instead of just fuck you." Her own words made her wince. "See?"

She stood up from her seat on the coffee table and positioned herself next to him on the couch, and her arms wrapped around his bicep as her eyes locked on his. "Let's stop tip-toeing around each other, yeah? I think it's doing more harm than good." She leaned in and kissed his arm. "I'm sorry about what happened with Lena. And I'm sorry everything's been so weird."

After a conversation like this, Jane hoped that things could finally be normal again. Ever since their disagreement about the single, it seemed as though there was always some sort of obstacle their relationship had to overcome. She wanted to finally be able to relax with him without any sort of tension or weird energy lingering in the air - just like it was when they were younger, when they didn't haven't anything to fight over.

"Look, Rob," her voice was growing more hoarse as she continued. "Things are only going to get crazier for us out there. Let's make sure it doesn't get to us, yeah? I..."

She began to cough, causing a halt in her sentence. That sentence, however, contained the words she wasn't certain she wanted to say to him. How she was truly feeling.

"I guess that's enough talking for now, yeah?" She whispered before coughing a bit more. She couldn't bring herself to confess how desperately attached she was to him. That she loved him. By relationship standards, it was all too fast and crazy for her to feel such things, but she reminded herself that what they had wasn't exactly normal. Jane had always been codependent on Rob in a strange way. Whether it was running to him during times of chaos or him saving her from the bar at 2 AM. Still, she decided to wait.

"I got one day left of bed rest before we have to deal with all the bullshit again." Her hand had moved to his chest, and her fingers slowly grazed it back and forth. "We're cool, right?"

Jane's mind flashed to the fact that Tob had been growing closer to Zoe. It was probably all innocent, she had decided, so she kept her thoughts to herself for now.

Lord of the Iron Brands [Leonarc x megatrash][Mature]

Amelia was having trouble deciphering whether or not everything that had happened was just a bad dream to eventually wake up from. Here she was, in a cold forest in the middle of the night with a strange man who had just killed her lover after she and her camp were attack by malevolent entities. Her eyes followed him as she dug the shapes around them in the ground.

And now, he was asking her if she had questions.

“That is an understatement,” her voice hoarsely replied. “I would not even know where to begin.”

She had made herself as comfortable as she could: A sort of fetal position with her arm used as a pillow. With no fire, it was a frigid night, especially seeing as she wasn’t dressed in full gear, but she attempted to hide her dissatisfaction with the arrangements. It was not like she had a choice in the matter.

“Well, in a selfish manner, I supposed I am curious what should happen to me now,” she admitted. “I am no child of God. I was only alive by the graces of the King, and now that he is…dead,” it was tough to spit out, “and my men are gone, I have no earthly bonds. Everything that I built my life around has died tonight along with them.”

Amelia decided to stop as she felt her grief begin to crawl back up her spine. “I apologize. I am sure with your… contract… you are very accustomed to living a life free of attachment, but I am not.” She sighed as she wiggled her body a bit in a futile attempt at comfort. “I remember hearing stories of such brotherhoods when I was a child. I had assumed they were all fables.”

She mulled over idea of explain the night Lucia had spent with the man when she was younger, but that would mean she would have to explain her royal blood – something she was hesitant on sharing. Without knowing this man’s true intentions, she could easily put herself in more danger than she already was.

“Well, I think I shall try to retire. Wake me when you’re ready.”

*****

Lucia’s slender fingertips grazed the old brick walls of the dimly lit hallway as she glided through it slowly. The amount of pure power she felt energized her, enthralled her. Now with the King’s traditional ways no longer a problem, she could carry out the laws and rules that she had wanted to put in place long, long ago.

When she had reached her bedroom, she stepped out onto the terrace underneath the full moon’s glow a sighed hungrily as her eyes shut. “Gabriel,” she whispered into the night sky, her thick Spanish accent nearly sounding like a purr, “come to me, mi amor. We are finally ready for you.” The words escaping her lips caused goosebumps to form on her pale skin. It had been too long since she had seen the man who opened her eyes to such possibilities, not to mention how she had never been touched the way that he touched her. Since the last time she had seen him, her craving for his presence was insatiable.

From her position, she could hear the distant shouts of her new knights carrying out her work below. Lucia smirked at the melody.

*****

Amelia bolted upwards out of her fetal position panting as she scanned the wooded area surrounding them. She ran a finger through the hairs that were stuck to her forehead with the sweat produced by the nightmare she had. ”Ce ne fut qu'un rêve.”

Her eyes squinted as she searched for Tobias’ figure in the dark night. “Tobias? Is that you?” she whispered as her eyes locked on to a shadow twenty feet to her left. “Tobias?”

She heard whispers in return, but not one of her native tongue. They sounded all too familiar, though, and the recognition caused a wave of chills to consume her. “T-Tobias?” she called out a bit louder this time in a more frantic tone. After standing, she unsheathed the sword still fastened on her waist, and with trembling hands, it was held in front of her. Her back had reached the natural wall behind her abruptly which made her flinch.

The only thing audible now was the rustling of leaves in the chilly breeze. She knew she wasn’t equipped properly with knowledge or weaponry to fight off these forces alone.

”Clara.”

The whispered had cut through the air like an arrow. Intense fear grew inside her quickly as her eyes darted around, attempting to find the source of the voice. “Leave me be!” she screamed in pure frustration.

”Clara.”

In Bloom [HangYourSecrets x megatrash] [18+]

Rob's reaction to Jane's confession was the last thing she expected. It was very much in her nature to run away from confrontation, to hide whenever she'd have to explain herself or her feelings on a certain topic, but Rob?

When he appeared in the doorframe of their shared bedroom, she couldn't bring herself to look up to him. Instead, her hands gripped the pool of linen that surrounded her bare body until her knuckles turned white.

By the time she had called out, "Rob, wait," with her damaged voice, the door closed behind him.

"Fuck." Lena was right. Rob just proved it. Jane would just hurt everyone in her life until no one was left. Would he come back and say that he didn't want to see her anymore? Was he regretting not taking the warning Jane had given him about herself?

She got up slowly and travelled to the living room to locate her phone, which was found in a corner displaying a decent crack in the screen. A sigh came out as it was picked up and observed, then she squinted and worked out a text to Rob.

Jane: Please come back.

The phone was brought with her back into the bedroom, and she nearly dove into the plush bedding before she looked through the missed messages and calls from the night before.

One was from Austin with a picture of Sam and him with two girls at what looked to be a night club. Having visitors tonight, please DND in the morning :)

Another was from Andy. Hows our favorite vocalist doing? Hope the cords are healing up nicely. Let me know if you need anything.

But then, there was another one:
Rob's here with Zoe. Didn't say much to me. Is everything okay?

A flash of jealousy consumed Jane after he read it. Zoe? The girl that wouldn't even introduce herself? That was who Rob had been going to hang out with?

Jane sent a text to Andy almost immediately after the realization.

Jane: Hey, sorry for the silence. Weird night. Is Rob there now?
Andy: No. What's wrong?
Jane: I don't know. A lot. Do you wanna meet up?
Andy: Aren't you on bed rest?
Jane: Fuck it.

A half an hour and no text from Rob later, Jane had met with Andy at a breakfast place in the city. Her headphones were blaring A.C.D. by Nothing as her board came to a stop in front of the establishment, and she spotted him inside at a table.

"Hey," she whispered as she plopped into a booth across from him and plucked the earbuds out.
"Have you been crying?" Andy asked as he cocked his head to the side.
Jane's fingers went up to her eye subconsciously. "Oh, I guess, yeah."
"What happened?"

Jane went into detail about what had occurred with Lena last night and Rob this morning. Of how it all made her felt. How Rob reacted.

"And now he's not responding to me. I feel like an idiot," she sighed as she sipped on the coffee that had been delivered during her story. “I’ve always been the one to run away from issues or not give a fuck if someone’s pissed at me. But now…” She shook her head as she trailed off.

Andy sighed and nodded. “I’m sorry, Jane. That sucks.” He sat up a bit and placed his fork on his plate. “You said, before you admitted your feelings for him, that you were worried about not being the safe option for him?”

“Yeah,” she whispered. “I was scared I was going to hurt him. Like now.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, first of all,” he started as he glared at her. “And secondly, you’ve never hidden who you are from Rob, right? You’ve known each other for years. He knows exactly who you are.”

Jane nodded. “Yeah. But that doesn’t mean I don’t feel awful about what happened with Lena.” She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I didn’t want to kiss her. I definitely didn’t want her to kiss me. I just, I don’t know, I haven’t been in a relationship in years. It took me a few seconds to realize that what I was doing was wrong, you know?”

“So you guys discussed being exclusive?” Andy asked.

“Yeah, kind of,” she replied.

“So, you’re not bothered by the fact that he’s been spending a lot of time with Zoe?”

“I mean, I’m not a jealous person. But I’m just worried that he’s getting something from her I can’t give him. I’m not good as verbalizing my feelings. I don’t wanna settle down. I like to party – “

“But, you’ve been doing that for him. Especially this morning, you’ve been trying, right?”

Jane frowned. “Yeah. It sucked. And then after that, he just left.”

“Well,” Andy started as he ate the last bite of his eggs, “if you’re changing yourself, if you’re trying so hard to be what he needs, why are you still so invested?”

“I love him,” she said frankly. “I always have. I just never knew it could turn into this, you know? He occupies all my thoughts. I can’t stand to be away from him. I can’t even keep my hands off of him. I’m not used to feeling this way. It freaks me out.”

“Does he know all that?”
“No.” She played with the food in front of her. “I don’t want to freak him out, too. I think the fact that we’re seeing each other after all this time is throwing us both for a loop.”

“Look, Jane,” he sighed. “You’re awesome. Any person would be lucky to have you in their life. Don’t feel bad for what you feel. If Rob can’t see how much you’re trying to make him happy, then maybe it wasn’t meant to work out.”

The words made tears begin to well up in her eyes.

“Jane,” Andy whispered. He got up, moved over to her booth, and wrapped an arm around her. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“It’s not your fault,” her voice quivered as she tried to calm herself down. “I just don’t know if I could handle that.”

“You’re strong, Jane. Whatever happens, you’ll be okay. You should tell Rob how you feel.”

She nodded as she wiped her eyes. “Yeah. I will.” She began to chuckle. “Look at me, huh? Jesus.”

-------------------------

Jane eventually made it back to the hotel room, and after smoking a joint and making a cup of tea, she laid back down in bed. Did Rob not appreciate her efforts in trying to be more open with him? Was he really that upset over a kiss? Or was something else happening, something that he hadn’t told Jane about?

It was all so confusing and upsetting – the last thing Jane expected to be going through on tour. When she had day dreamed about it when they were back home, she imagined having the time of her life with no worries other than getting from venue to venue. And now? Well, here she was, in bed, crying over her best friend.

It was all so stupid.

Jane placed her phone on the nightstand and pulled the comforter above her head. Hopefully, the exhaustion was contributing to how sad she was feeling, that once she got rested up enough, she would return to her more care-free disposition. She hadn’t bothered to check her phone since she had texted Rob, thinking that whatever might have been waiting for her wasn’t what she wanted to read anyway.

She drifted off to sleep rather quickly after laying down once she convinced herself to ignore the lonely feeling of being it the big bed by herself.

In Bloom [HangYourSecrets x megatrash] [18+]

Jane had awoken in the middle of the night to find Rob’s arms tightly wrapped around her. “Oh, thank god,” she whispered as she turned her body around to face him.

She had grown so accustomed to going to bed with him that, even in a deep slumber, she still felt lonely during his absence.

Her arms found their way around his torso, and her face was nuzzled into his chest; she took a deep breath to inhale the mixture of weed and whatever cologne he was wearing. She so desperately wanted to wake him up so that she could talk to him, kiss him, and show him affection.

Thoughts of what Lena had said to her were already flooding back, ruining the momentary euphoric mood. Jane truly could never imagine purposefully breaking Rob's heart - that she always knew wholeheartedly. But, just as she had explained to him when he first confessed his feelings for her, there was a good possibility that one day she would unintentionally.

She decided to choke down her feelings until the morning when she could tell him about what happened, and after wiggling her body a bit to get in the right position, the feelings of Rob’s skin on hers put her back into a heavy sleep.

--------------------

Sunlight peaking in did not wake up Jane like it usually did. She didn’t being to stir around 9 AM, and before she opened her eyes, she enjoyed the warmth encompassing her body; she didn’t want to ruin it with words.

But, her and Rob made a promise. Be honest. No Bullshit.

“Rob,” she whispered as she nudged him gently. “Rob, we need to talk.”

As soon as he was lucid, Jane sat up in bed to look down at him and sighed. “Lena kissed me last night.” She squeezed her eyes shut as her raspy voice finished the last word. “I kissed her back, but only for a few seconds until I realized what was fucking happening.” Her eyes opened back up, but they did not make their way to Rob. Instead, they looked in the wrinkled white sheets in front of her. “I pushed her off. She got pissed and pretty much said I was a piece of shit and I’ll wind up alone because I fuck everyone over.”

Jane scratched her head as she paused. Should she be completely truthful?

"What, Jane? You're gonna tell him that you're 'falling in love' with him right now? After someone else kissed you the night before?"

She decided against it.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I never used to care what anyone thought of me, or what people said about me. I was always just able to ignore it. But, ever since we started… you know… hurting you has been my worst fear. And what she said last night really fucked me up.”

She reached for the hand beside him and held it. “I don’t know what I’m getting at. I guess, just, I want you to know that I’m never gonna hurt you on purpose. You’re the best, Rob. I never wanna live my life without you. Ever since we were young, you’ve always been there. You know?”

Jane could tell that she was rambling at this point. “Sorry.”

She took a deep breath as she squeezed his hand. “I know we spoke about the ‘no bullshit’ thing, so that’s my piece. I hope you’re not mad about what happened. I really didn’t expect her to be so forward. That’s usually my thing, yeah?” Although Jane wasn’t in high spirits, and she still felt utterly exhausted, she couldn’t help but smirk at her statement.

Rob had been leaving so much lately to go hang out with Vicarious that it made her a bit self-conscious. She was worried that maybe she was just too much, that he needed a break from her throughout the day. Like she had said before, she was always so forward. It wasn’t even a conscious thing, either. It was just who she was. If she wanted something, she took it. And (possibly unfortunately) for Rob, he was the center of her desires.

The child-like part of Jane told her to run away now before Rob could explain how he felt. The other braced herself for the worst. He couldn’t be upset, right? The last thing she had expected Lena to do was kiss her; she wouldn't have agreed to the night if that was a suspicion.

Jane always felt so lame, for lack of better words, after an attempt at verbally expressing how she felt. It always came out as one cliché after another.

Promises left on the sand(megatrash/freedom)

Quite alright! Good luck with everything and congrats on getting the job :D

In Bloom [HangYourSecrets x megatrash] [18+]

The afternoon spent with Rob was completely relaxing. They spent most of the time in bed, watching YouTube and Netflix and lounging lazily in the hotel room together. He was still being so giving; he got her anything that she needed and let her use him as a body pillow for most of the day, which briefly put her to sleep a couple of times.

Throughout the day, Jane got herself staring at Rob intently. Of course, part of it was lustfully (nearly everything Jane did was part lustful), but something else was there. For the past seven years, Jane always loved to be around Rob; he was her closest friend. But now, he was becoming something she didn’t want to go without, akin to her relationship with mind-altering substances. It was a terrifying yet thrilling feeling – something that she wasn’t ready to explain yet. Yes, this side of their relationship was new, but their bond was old. She had always loved him. She probably always would.

Jane and Rob were in the middle of making out like two high schoolers when a knock at the door came, causing a sigh. She wasn’t upset that Lena was coming over, but she truly didn’t want the afternoon to end with Rob.

After looking in the mirror in the room to straighten herself out, she opened to door to let Lena in.
“Hey,” she whispered as she waved a hand to welcome her in.
Lena had a bag of Chinese food in her hand and a large water bottle, and she went to the kitchen’s island to set it all down. “Jesus, Jane. This is nice.”
Jane nodded. “A little too fancy for my taste, but I guess we can afford it.” She had found out that whispering didn’t put a strain on her throat, although she knew she would have to limit her talking. She grabbed the food from the island and walked it to the living room area.
“This is for you,” Lena said sternly as she brought over the water bottle and sat next to Jane on the couch. “Drink it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” she obeyed as she opened it and took a swig before looking over to see that Rob was leaving.

”I’ll be back when it ends.”

She tried not to frown as she waved him farewell.
“Where’s he going?” Lena asked as she watched Rob leave.
“Interview.”
Lena laughed. “Do you think it’s gonna go as well as the last one?”
Jane rolled her eyes. “He’ll be fine.”

The night went off without a hitch; Lena and Jane were able to talk and laugh together like old times with no mention of what happened between them, much to Jane’s approval.

Jane had gotten up to grab a joint out of her bag, and she cracked the sliding glass door for ventilation.
“Jane, no!” Lena said as she plucked it from her fingers. “You’re not supposed to smoke.”
She groaned. “I haven’t been sober this long in months. I’m laying off the cigarettes the best I can. Please, give me the fucking joint.”
Lena sighed and glared at her before giving it back. “You’re hard to say no to.”
Jane grinned with satisfaction. “I know,” she whispered as she worked to ignite the end of it, and once successful, blowing the smoke towards the door. She handed the joint to Lena, who shook her head.
“You know I don’t smoke.”
Jane shrugged. “Just thought I’d offer.”

Around the two hour mark of their night together, Lena got off the couch and stretched out. “I’m gonna head out. My aunt lives an hour north.” She offered a hand to Jane to help her up.
“I’ll walk you to the door,” Jane replied as she took Lena’s hand and stood up slowly. Once they made it to the threshold, she opened the door, but Lena stopped and turned around.
“I had a lot of fun tonight.”
Jane nodded. “Me too. Thanks for the food, as well.” She hugged Lena tightly for a moment, but when she tried to release her, Lena held on.
“Sorry,” Lena shook her head as she pulled a way to look up at Jane.
She knew that look. It was a dangerous one. One, if Jane had more time, would run away from now.
Jane’s suspicions were accurate, and Lena nearly shoved her against the wall as she kissed her abruptly.
Instinct kicked in for Jane, and she began to kiss her back, but only for about five seconds before she realized what was happening. She pushed Lena off of her. “Lena, I can’t.”
She scoffed. “You can’t what, Jane?”
“I can’t do this, Lena.” Her voice cracked as the volume raised. “It’s not fair to Rob.”
“And it’s not fair to me, either!” Lena’s voice also grew louder. “I got left behind in the fucking dust while you ran off on tour and completely forgot about me.”
“Oh, come on, Lena. I was very clear whenever this,” Jane had waved her hands around, “started happening that I didn’t want anything serious.”
“And now you do with Rob?” Lena crossed her arms and stood firmly in front of her. She was used to Jane running away from confrontation, but she wasn’t going to let that happen now.
Jane squeezed her eyes shut and scratched her head. “I don’t know, Lena,” she mumbled under her breath.
“Oh my god. You think you’re in love with him, don’t you?” Her eyes were nearly bulging out of her head. “You’re joking, right?” Lena adjusted her purse strap on her arm and began to move towards the door. “Poor Rob.”
Jane followed her towards the door. “What the hell does that mean?”
Lena had made it into the hallway by now, but she turned back to look at Jane with an unforgiving glare. “You’re gonna squeeze whatever you can get out of him, then fuck him over. Just like you do with everyone else you meet. You’re gonna keep fucking everyone over until there’s no one left to love you, then you’re gonna be alone.”
Her words cut Jane deeply, so much so that she felt tears well up in her eyes. “That’s not true,” her voice wavered.
“Really? It’s not, Jane?” Lena rolled her eyes. “Don’t come crawling back to me when you break his heart, too.”

Lena left down the hallway and entered an elevator, but Jane didn’t reenter the hotel room until she was sure Lena had left. She slammed the door shut and threw her phone across the room that had been in her hand, making a shattering noise somewhere in the living room.

What if Lena was right? What if Jane, for the rest of her existence, was doomed to be someone that destroys everyone and everything in her path until she’s left with nothing else? Was she putting Rob in harm’s way by growing so attached to him?

Jane instantly felt nauseated as her head swarmed with self-deprecating thoughts, and she plunged into bed and buried herself under the pillows and comforter before letting out a quiet whimper. The last thing she would want to do is breath the heart of the man that had always been there for her.

She had never met her father (supposedly Jane was a product of a one night stand) and her two older brothers’ father was never too interested in raising Jane. Her mom had divorced him long before Jane came along. After Jane’s mother died from complications of alcoholism, her brothers had tried to intervene, telling Jane that she needed to get her life together before she ended up in the same boat. Instead of seeing it as helpful, Jane took it as a slap in the face, and her brothers told her that until changed her ways, they would no longer keep in contact with her. Staying true to her ego, she agreed and stopped reaching out to them.

Jane’s heart hurt at the thought of losing the only close man she had left in her life. Could she keep herself from ruining things? Possibly. There was also the possibility that the relationship wouldn’t work out, and their friendship after that would be too awkward to continue. Or Rob could grow tired of her antics.

She heard the text notification from her phone wherever it had landed in the living room, but Jane couldn’t conjure up the energy to go get it. A day that had been so nice had turned to shit. All she wanted was Rob to be there. But she couldn't fight sleep's call after the emotional toll the night had taken on her.

In Bloom [HangYourSecrets x megatrash] [18+]

Jane was usually too prideful to let anyone take care of her, but she found it hard not to take pleasure in how sweet and attentive Rob was being when they had gotten back to the hotel room. Getting her water, sitting with her, scratching her head - it was all making a situation like this much better.

She had grabbed his arm and began to run it weakly when Lena was brought up. She always seemed to be the first one Jane forgot about; why did Lena still feel the way she did after all of the things Jane did?

She sighed and shook her head. "She wanted to fly out for tonight’s show, but after our last phone call, I'm not surprised she didn't." She swallowed to try to coat her throat before continuing. "She wasn't too happy about what was going on with you and me."

The guys always gave Lena a lot of shit for who she was: she liked Top 40 music, she did yoga and liked wine, and she took an unforgivable amount of selfies. She was 'basic.' But, they also didn't really get to see the other parts of her that Jane did. She was unintentionally funny, super sarcastic, and she had an almost maternal instinct, especially with Jane. Lena would always berate her for not taking care of herself, was probably the only reason she drank so much water now, and would force her to rest when she didn't want to. Even after Jane had left without saying a word to her, Lena had called and only asked about how she was. Not about the rent, not about how much she hurt her, not about what it all meant.

Lena would probably flip if she heard what was happening right now. If they were at home, she’d be treating Jane the same way Rob was. It made her think what she did to deserve so many people that cared about her?

In her mind, the answer was nothing. Jane lived without regard for others. She was selfish and impulsive.

Jane grabbed Rob’s arm and pulled him down so that he would lay with her. With his head on her chest, she softly ran her fingers through his hair. “You know,” her weak voice whispered, “you’re pretty cute for a nurse.” She placed her fingers on his chin and tilted his head up so that she could look at him. “Seriously, though. Thanks for taking care of me tonight. And all the other nights you have. I never tell you enough.”

Perhaps it was because she was feeling so poorly or just worn down, but her thoughts were much more self-deprecating that night than usual, and in a barely audible tone, Jane put those thoughts in to words: “I don’t deserve it.”

She leaned down and kissed his forehead gently. “Good night, Rob.”

----------------------

Jane stirred for a few minutes before finally accepting that she was awake. It was 9:23 AM, much later than she normally slept, which she assumed was because of how tired she was. The drive to Milwaukee would only take an hour and a half, but she was having trouble recalling what time they said they’d leave. 10:30? 11:30?

She groaned softly as she rubbed her eyes and looked over to Rob, whose back was facing her. After a moment’s pause, Jane propped herself up, threw an arm over his torso, and tugged at his body so that he would roll over to face her. Before even confirming he was conscious yet, she crawled on top of him. “Hey,” she involuntarily whispered as she sat on top of him. “Sorry to wake you.” A smirk formed on her lips before she leaned down to kiss his chest, shoulders, neck, and then finally his lips. “Why don’t we – “

Knock-knock-knock. “Damn it,” she mumbled in frustration. “I’ll be right back.”

She grabbed the sheet that was piled up on the side of the bed and wrapped it around herself before waddling to the door and opening it slightly.

Austin laughed as soon as he saw her. “Dude, I’ve been texting you all morning. Van leaves in 20 minutes.”
“Oh,” Jane replied as she squinted her eyes in thought. She had no idea where her phone was. “Sorry.”
He scowled for a moment as his eyes scanned her up and down. “You know you’re supposed to be resting, right?”
She rolled her eyes. “See you soon.”

As soon as she reentered the room, she threw the sheet back on the bed and crawled in next to Rob. “I guess we’re leaving in twenty,” she announced in a louder tone, causing her voice to crackle. “It only takes me five to get ready.”

----------------------

The van ride, much to Jane’s approval, was a short one to Milwaukee. Her head rested in Rob’s lap and her feet were buried in between the wall of the van and the seat – the opposite of her normal sleeping position. Due to Austin and Sam’s presence, she didn’t say one word without being told to stop talking, so she resorted to silence for nearly the entire trip.

She felt as though she had gotten hit by a bus, and Harold had asked her to text her symptoms to him so that he could consult with her doctor back home. When her phone buzzed underneath her, she wasn’t excited to see what it entailed.

Harold: The doc said you’re probably suffering from fatigue and minor damage to your vocal cords. He said to lay off the drugs and alcohol and to stay in bed for at least today and tomorrow. Stay hydrated. DON’T TALK.
Jane: Got it. Thanks, Harold.
Harold: Your roommate should be there by the time you guys arrive at the hotel.

Jane nearly screamed when she read his last text. Lena was coming there? Now? She didn’t have the energy for a possible confrontation. It was as if their conversation last night was an omen.

She flashed the screen to Rob to show him the news, and when she felt he had processed it, she tossed her phone on the floor and turned her body inwards so that she faced his stomach. Her eyes only lingered on his for a moments before they fluttered shut, lulling her into a deep sleep for the remainder of the trip.

She was awoken about an hour later to the sound of the rustling in the van made by everyone exiting. Jane immediately looked up to Rob and forced a smile, hoping that Lena’s presence here wouldn’t cause any issue between them. Whatever went on between them paled in comparison to what she had with Rob, and as if to try to prove it, her arms reached up to his neck – partly to help her up, partly to bring him down to her. Her kiss was slow and passionate, one she wouldn’t dare give him if the others were still in the van, and as she pulled away, she couldn’t help but smile. Hopefully Rob could do without any verbal sentiments from her for now.

Lena was sitting on a couch in the lobby while the band dragged in their luggage, and Jane nodded at Rob before she approached her.

“Lena, I – “
“Shhh,” she scolded her as she stood up to hug her. “You’re not supposed to talk. Let me guess – you want to know why I’m here.”
Jane nodded, trying to mask any hint that she’d be upset. She wasn’t though; it was nice seeing Lena. It was like a small piece of home.
“I know you’re seeing Rob. Whatever, I can’t control that. But, I still care about you, Jane. I wasn’t gonna come out, really, but when Harold told me you were…” Lena’s voice trailed off as her eyes scanned Jane’s face. “God, this is harder than I thought it’d be.”
Jane frowned and shook her head. She felt awful for causing her to feel this way.
“I was just worried about you. You were so crazy back home, I can’t imagine what you’re like out here. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” Lena’s eyes had now been directed at the floor. “What happened sucks. It made me feel really shitty. But I’m not mad at you. I know you didn’t have any intention to hurt me.”
Jane nodded and smiled faintly to agree with what she said.
“I have some family out here that I’m staying with tonight and for the next few days. I was long overdue to see them, anyway. But, if it’s okay with you, can I bring some food to your room for dinner? We could hang out.” Lena’s eyes had made their way back to Jane, although there was no confidence behind them.
After straightening her posture, Jane nodded. It was the least she could do for her. Lena had traveled such a long distance just to check on her. Rob would understand, right?

They said their goodbyes, and Jane found the room, threw her bag on the floor, and leaned up against the door, sighing and rubbing the bridge of her nose. She wasn’t sure why she felt so stressed; Lena didn’t seem to be upset with her, everything with Rob seemed to be fine, and she was allotted two days to, for once, do absolutely nothing.

Perhaps it was because things never seemed to go smoothly for too long.

In Bloom [HangYourSecrets x megatrash] [18+]

Jane had to admit, it was nice to be out with Rob somewhere other than a venue or a rest stop. Those places didn't bother her, either, but something about actually going out for dinner made everything seem a bit more like they were in a relationship and less like they were friends with benefits.

She hadn't been on a dinner date in years, and the excitement of it alone was enough to momentarily relieve the exhaustion she was feeling. But in reality, over the past week, any moment she got with Rob made her feel excited - intimate or not. Something about him caused her to experience this insatiable desire for him.

He began to talk about what happened to him during the interview, how it made him feel and why he acted the way he did. After reaching a hand over to his, she silently nodded as he spoke as she kept his eye contact. Guilt started to creep in - guilt for making him feel like he did something terrible, and more guilt for not asking what was bothering him sooner.

Jane squeezed his hand gently as he finished and straightened her posture. "Look," she began, working up the courage to look him in the eyes. "You didn't do anything wrong. I guess I forget sometimes that not everyone is like me. Sounds dumb, yeah?"

Her voice was completely shot at this point, and with a set coming up in only a few hours, she was beginning to get nervous.

"I forget that people actually care about stuff like privacy and not blurting every opinion that comes up. Not that I really talk about how I feel, but I usually don't try to hide the way something affects me, you know?" She cleared her throat and took a sip of the water that sat next to the beer. "And I was trying for a long time to not let all the questions bother me, 'cause I wanted to keep not caring. When I found myself starting to get self-conscious about what they were saying about me, it freaked me out."

Her eyes, which had wandered to the view of the restaurant, finally made their way back to his, and she smiled faintly.

"I'll be more private when we do interviews, yeah? I don't wanna say anything you're uncomfortable with." She nodded. "I really don't mind. Just..." Her voice trailed off in pain momentarily, making her since. "Just tell me, okay? Talk to me. Tell me how you feel. Tell if I'm doing something wrong. You know you can always confide in me. I'm not like that girl Hayden or whatever." She stuck a tongue out at him to show him she meant the last statement lightheartedly.

"I promise, I won't make you feel stupid for whatever you're going through."

The tickle in the back of her throat became too much to bear, and she backed out from the table a bit as she covered her mouth with the cloth napkin as she coughed.

"Fuck, man," she mumbled as it eventually ceased. "If it wasn't Chicago, I'd probably ask to cancel the set tonight." Jane wasn’t sure if she was getting sick or if she was just truly overdoing it, but the undeniable fact that she needed a good break soon would not let itself be forgotten.

The waiter came to grab their plates and give them the check, and after finishing their drinks, they left the restaurant arm in arm, bullshitting and laughing with one another. It felt as though the burden that had been sitting on both of their shoulders have been relieved, at least for now, and Jane was enjoying the feeling of not having Rob having any resentment towards her.

Once they got back to the room, after a shower and spending some alone time together, Jane worked to make a cup of tea with honey, lemon, and a shot of whiskey as she got ready. She figured she would just have to be honest with the crowd instead of trying to mask how shitty her voice was going to sound. God, why couldn’t have Harold listened to her in the first place? She told him that the way things were booked that she’d give out too soon, but he didn’t take her seriously.

Jane brought her tea and a joint onto the patio of the hotel room and rested for a moment before the madness of a late set would ensue once again. She had gotten dressed in a long black tee shirt, a pair of shorts underneath, and a floral snap-back that sat backwards on her head, which she fidgeted with as she stared off into the night sky. Her other hand, its fingers pinching the joint, grazed her arm; the sensation

Her phone buzzed once on the glass table that sat on the patio, startling her. “Shit,” she whispered as she picked it up and rubbed her eyes so that they could focus on the screen.

Austin: We’re leaving in five. No talking!
Jane: Got it, boss.

Upon entering the room, her gaze locked on Rob, and she immediately made her way over to him in the kitchen, making a gesture to explain that she wasn’t talking before the show. No matter how awful she felt, it seemed as though it couldn't keep her from wanting to touch him. She reached her hands up to the sides of his face and pulled him down to her so that she could kiss him, but once she started, she couldn’t stop. Instead, she jumped up into his arms like usual and began to kiss his neck and collarbones when her phone vibrated in her pocket once again.

She groaned and showed him the text:

Austin: Van’s waiting.

A smirked was flashed at Rob as Jane grabbed the bag that had been tossed on the floor and made her way past him to exit the room.

Her feelings were growing out of control, which was normally something that wouldn’t concern her, but this time she had a lot more to lose if things went south.

”Get a hold of yourself, Jane.”

--------------------------

Austin and Sam had convinced Jane to stay in the van until their set so that she 1) didn’t have to talk to any fans or crew, and 2) didn’t drink or smoke too much, potentially making her voice worse. They brought her a few beers from the rider and made sure she was content before heading into the venue without her.

It was strange being in the van alone. While it was usually filled with loud music, debates, and snoring, it was now silent, making Jane’s ears ring, but she convinced herself that maybe some quiet time would be good for the mind. It didn’t last long, though, when a knock came on the van door, and she popped up from the fetal position she was in to see who it was.

“Hey,” Andy greeted her as he climbed into the van and sat on the row of seats in front of hers. “Heard your chords are fried.”
Jane nodded as she rolled her eyes. “It sucks,” she squeaked.
“Shh, don’t talk,” he waved a hand at her. “Just came to check in. Text me if you need anything.”
She smiled and mouthed a ‘thank you’ before he left the van as quickly as he entered.

Not a minute later, Austin popped his head into the van and alerted Jane that they had five minutes until the set. Jane squeezed her eyes shut and sighed – if there was one night on the tour that she really, really didn’t feel like getting up there, giving every ounce of energy she possessed to strangers, it was tonight.

Austin frowned. “I know, J. We checked your mic already. I talked with the crew and the guys. We’re only gonna do five songs tonight. We’ll get out of here as soon as we finish. Okay?”
“Alright,” she whispered.
“Let’s go.”

Austin took her hand to help her out of the van and into the venue. On top of her throat hurting, she was starting to not feel too well. Pure and utter tiredness. She had probably not only been performing too much, but overdoing it with her vices – something all to common for her.

Jane sipped on a cup of warm water as she watched the crew testing all the cable connections and microphones one last time before they were given their cue. Her eyes scanned the side stage area until they found Rob. Where had he been? Before she had a chance to go over to him, they were signaled to get on stage. Great.

The crowd cheered as the all took their places, and Jane waved a hand to the audience. “Hi, everyone. We’re In Bloom from Long Beach, California.”
The crowd did their usual “Woooo.”
“Thank you, thank you. Okay, so if you can’t tell, my voice is really fucked up tonight. I need you guys to help me out, okay? Sing everything as loud as you can.”
Another “Wooooo.”
"Alright, cool."

The bright lights felt more intense than ever before, especially as she pushed on through the short set. She had even resorted to sitting on the front of the stage for an entire song but tried to play it off as if it was for fun rather than to keep going. Thankfully, the crowd knew most if not all of the lyrics, and they showed excitement as passed the microphone to them for parts Jane knew she wouldn't be able to perform.

--------------------------

Jane nearly stumbled off the stage down to the backstage area as soon as the last song came to an end. She placed her hands on her knees and doubled over as her lungs wheezed, making a sound similar to barking as she coughed. And coughed. And coughed. Each one more painful than the last. One of the crew members rushed to get her a cup of water, which as soon as she was able to, she downed in an instant. “Shit.” What had been left of her voice before the show now was reduced to a raspy whisper.

Light-headed from the coughing, she sunk down to the floor against the back wall and breathed deeply. Austin came up to her and knelt down. “We’re leaving in just a few. They’re packing up now.”
Jane nodded as she wiped the sweat from her forehead with her arm. The dizziness wasn’t subsiding, and she rested her head on her knees to stop the room from spinning in front of her. She knew she had pushed her body too far the past month, but she didn’t think it would get to this point. She felt stupid. Stupid, and pissed off.

In Bloom [HangYourSecrets x megatrash] [18+]

As Rob left her in bed to go get ready to hit the road, Jane sighed and rubbed her temples softly with the pads of her middle fingers. In the midst of intimacy, everything was perfect: nothing to speak of, nothing to think through, and definitely nothing to fret over. It was when it was over, especially now, that the strange tension between them was felt again like a breeze coming through the window.

She finally forced herself up after a few minutes, took a quick shower, and changed into a thin gray tee shirt and almost white jeans that hung loosely off her and were, by now, completely covered in holes and loose strings.

Jane wasn’t necessarily excited about doing an acoustic set. One, her voice had been so abused on tour so far, and she hadn’t been resting it nearly as much as she should. Singing without screaming guitars, loud drums, or a crowd in front of her would definitely make it more apparent. Two, none of their music was really tailored to be played acoustic. It look a bit of rearranging and improve to get the songs to not sound completely weird. Plus, the things that they wrote together ages ago that were acoustic didn’t really fit with where they were at now – not even where Jane wanted the band to be.

She sighed as she stared at herself momentarily before she heard the bathroom door open and Rob walk back into the room. “Hey,” Jane greeted him through the mirror with a faint smile. Could he have been over this already? Were all the things she had warned him about finally making sense to him? Perhaps she should try to open up to him a little more – not just physically.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, interrupting her thoughts.

Austin: Time to head out.

She slid it back into her pocket and turned around to Rob as he got dressed. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”

---------------

The car ride was mostly silent. Austin had fallen asleep pretty quickly, and Sam had his headphones in with his eyes glued to his phone. Jane attempted to get some sleep in her usual position – back to the van’s wall with her feet strewn over Rob – but it was futile. When she had set up, a hand reached for hers and caressed it, and Jane was immediately filled with warmth.

In her world, or for at least the past few years, intimacy or affection that didn’t involve sex or lust was nonexistent. Jane hadn’t held hands with anyone since she was with Ryan. She hadn’t held or kissed anyone without wanting more from them. Was that what he wanted from her?

She shimmied her body over towards him, and when in range, she kissed him slowly. “We have a few hours after this before our set. Wanna grab dinner?” Jane spoke quietly, but tried her best not to make it sound sensual. It was hard, though. Unlike the rest of the people she had slept with, her attraction to Rob was growing by the day. It was harder and harder for her to do anything with him other than be all over him.

Most guys would want nothing more than that. But then again, Rob wasn’t like most guys.

After they arrived, the band was led in by a crew to the back stage, where peopled dressed in black scurried around as they adjusted the lighting and other fixtures in the room. Jane stopped of the members to ask where she could make a cup of tea.

“There’s a break room down that hallway to the left,” the short man pointed. “In there.”
“Thanks,” she smiled and turned to Rob. “I’ll be right back.”

Jane pulled the tea packet out of her purse and filled a Styrofoam cup with hot water before she heard her phone ringing in her purse.

Jane: Hey, Harold.
Harold: Hi, Jane. How’re you holding up?
Jane: I’m good. My throat’s seen better days though.
Harold: Yeah, I’m sorry we couldn’t get any more breaks than we did.
Jane: It’s fine. Oh, can you please send Lena a check for my portion of the rent? I keep forgetting to ask you.
Harold: Already took care of it. I just called to apologize for all the negative attention from the press. I don’t know if Rob talked to you about our conversation -
Jane: – No, he didn’t.
Harold: Oh, well, I just wanted to let you know that none of it will be coming from me anymore. Thanks for being a trooper, though. The internet seems to be eating you up.
Jane: Thanks, man. Hey, can I call you later? We’re gonna go on soon.
Harold: Yeah, that’s fine.
Jane: Thanks, bye.

Why wouldn’t Rob have told her that Harold had apologized, or at least admitted to being the one egging on the media? She then realized that, after she got angry with him, he probably didn’t want to talk about the interviews anymore.

”Way to go, Jane. No wonder things are awkward. He doesn’t think he can talk to you.”

Before entering the back room, she rubbed the bridge of her nose and finished her tea. Jane was going to approach Rob as soon as she walked in, but she was immediately pulled by her arm to the corner by a woman with make up in her hand.

“This should only take two minutes. You’re on in five.”
“Oh, uh, no thank you,” Jane squinted as she backed away from the woman.
“Please,” she said. “Those lights are harsh.”
“I really don’t give a shit.”

The woman rolled her eyes and stormed away from Jane, making her giggle a bit, before sitting on her seat. She would have Austin and Sam on either side of her and Rob behind her. She wiggled in her seat to get comfortable and worked at the mic stand so that it came down a few inches shorter.

After the sound check, all four of them began to work through a short list of songs that they decided would be best for such an occasion.

First was an acoustic version of Speechless, which they dubbed the only older song that would work for this set.

Second, Jane played a song she had wrote when she had dumped Ryan: I Feel Cool. She had to do some persuading for the guys to agree on letting her play it, but in reality, they didn’t have much to choose from. She enjoyed singing this song more than half of the songs they regularly played.

Next, they decided on an acoustic version of Celebrity Skin by Hole. Jane was thankful for this, as it wasn’t much of a strain on her voice to sing like the others. Plus, it’d easily gain some traction once uploaded. She absolutely loved the band and tried her best to do it justice.

Lastly, of course, the single. Some minor tweaks were made to the song to make it suitable to be played acoustically, but overall, much didn’t change. Knowing that Rob still hated it just as much as when they left on tour kind of made the song jaded for Jane. Now when she performed it, she just wanted to get it over with.

The crew thanked them as they worked to pack up everything they had set up for them, and the band signed some CDs and equipment before finally being set free from obligation, only if for a few hours.

She wanted so badly to ask Rob what was going on with him, but part of her was scared to hear the answer. He promised he'd be honest with her; maybe he would tell her.

As they all crawled back into the van, Jane looked over to him and nudged him. "So, you wanna take me out tonight or what?" She fought the urges to just spend their free time in the hotel room together. If he wanted more from her, she'd have to give him the opportunity to tell her so.