Love After You

Chapter 29

"You have the voice of an angel." Dillan told him and closed his gaping mouth.

Jake laughed and shook his head. He never handled flattery well.

But it was Mike's words that meant the most to him. What did he think?

"So, this song is about your girl?" He inquired, his brow furrowed.

Jake shook his head. "She's not my girl. She was never my girl." He replied sadly. Jake sighed and then told them the whole story.

From the very beginning.

When he was done, the guys looked at him sadly. "Fuck, that's heart-breaking." Dillan said, shaking his head in disbelief.

Who knew Dillan was such a softie? It was nice to see him in this new light, not just as the badass drummer from Noise.

"She's the girl that came in the studio that time, isn't she?" Cris asked.

Jake nodded.

"And you wrote that, for her?" Mike asked, leaning forward now, elbows leaning on his thighs.

He nodded again.

"And she'd be coming tonight? To the concert."

Jake shrugged. "I don't know. I gave her the ticket, but that was months ago. We haven't spoken since then."

Mike stood up, pressing buttons on his phone and clicking the loud speaker.

"Hello?" A voice on the other end said:

"Hey, is that Brent?"

Jake's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. He leaned into Cris, "Brent Smith, from Shinedown?"

Cris nodded, not as fazed as Jake was. Jake leaned away in awe at Brent's voice. Shinedown was their opening act tonight and another of Jake's favourite bands.

"Yeah, Mike, what's up?"

"I have a favour to ask. Do you mind starting a little later than planned together?"

"Yeah sure, why?"

Mike spun and gave Jake a big grin. "I got a guy here that has to sing a song for a girl."

***

Jessica's mother and Uncle Joe had come down to visit here for the week. She had shown them around Bristol, and a couple of days ago she had taken them to see a musical. They both loved Blood Brothers and wept every time at the devastating end. As they left the theatre, Jessica noticed posters everywhere for Noise's tour. She still had her ticket that Jake had given her.

It was the day of the tour, and Jess had made up her mind that she wasn't going. She knew Jake had given her that ticket when he thought there was a future between them, and it was inconsiderate and cruel of her to go.

She did love him, still. But she still believed that what had happened between them was wrong.

Jess was sitting on the sofa watching Netflix while her mother and uncle made dinner. She could hear them arguing about what ingredients went into making their families' secret recipe curry, which was not so secret with the way they were shouting all the ingredients out.

"Garlic! You put the garlic in first, and then you put the spring onions in." Uncle Joe shouted.

"I'll put you in it now, Joe, if you don't bugger off and leave me to it!" Her mother shouted back, and Jess couldn't help but smile.

Joe grunted and left, coming to sit next to Jess on the couch. "How are you doing, sweetie?" He inquired, plumping a pillow behind his head. Jess moved the puffy closer to him so they could share it as he kicked his feet up.