Love After You

Chapter 29

Two Months Later

***

Jake washed his hands in the sink of Noise's bathroom on their tour bus. The bus was very mind-blowing, filled with the latest gadgets. It was well decorated, and smelled of lavender. Which was shocking to him when he climbed inside. He was expecting a shambles. Empty beer cans everywhere, used condoms on the floor, girls waiting in the backroom. But the place was very fancy, with large white sofas along the walls. They all had bunk beds, and there was one master bedroom at the back for sleeping in while they travelled the country. Jake stared at himself in the large silver mirror, a slow grin forming on his face.

He was on Noise's tour bus, using their bathroom. It was so surreal.

After drying his hands, he stepped out and into the living area, and the guys were plucking and tuning their guitars in preparation for tonight's show. Mike leaned in, singing the lines of one of his most memorable songs. The song was usually very fast and upbeat, but this one was slow and acoustic. Jake sank into the white sofa and listened to him. Cris and Dillan did too, everyone watching him in awe.

There was no doubt that the entire band was talented. But everyone on the planet, including Cris and Dillan, knew that Mike was something special. He could make up lyrics on the spot; he could think of melody while asleep. There weren't many people like him on this planet.

When he was done, he blinked rapidly, like escaping a trance. "Sorry, I got a bit lost there." He laughed and set the guitar down.

"How do you do it?" Jake asked, leaning into him. "How do you think of the words? They seem to come to you so easily."

Mike shrugged. "I just feel them in my gut. They're there when I write a song, begging to be let free." He chuckled. "I think of the lyrics as more of a story being told. You need a beginning, a middle, and an end. It doesn't have to be in that order, but they all have to be there."

"What about a song about love?" Jake queried.

Mike nodded sympathetically. Jake hadn't told them the ins and outs of what happened between him and Jess. But Mike wasn't stupid; he knew a love-sick man when he saw one. It was the majority of the reason why the band had invited him on the tour bus before the show began, Jake believed. They had spent a lot of time together with all the hours in the studio; was it stupid of him to consider them his friends?

"Love is the trickiest song to write. It doesn't have rules you can follow. Sure, the beginning, middle, and end rule still applies, but not every love story has an ending to tell.

Jake nodded slowly, picking up Mike's guitar from the floor. Jake glanced at him, asking for approval, which he got before he tuned it to the right notes.

He ran his fingers up and down the strings, letting them cut into his calloused tips, but it didn't hurt now after all these years playing.

"Do you guys mind listening to what I've written?"

The three men nodded, sitting back and watching him patiently.

Jake took a deep breath to steady himself, then he closed his eyes and started to play.

It was a song about Jess. Of course it was. It had taken him ages to write it, especially the lyrics. But he had to get his feelings out. He had to write their story down. He made sure to choose all the best notes-the ones that suited her and felt like her. The words that flowed were promises and secrets, things he wished he could experience just with her.

And when it was done, he opened his eyes as saw three sets of eyes glued on him.

"Fucking hell, man." Cris exclaimed, standing up and moving to sit next to him. "All this time you could sing and play like that, and you've been editing our fucking music."