The Plan

All I really needed was some wine.

We had two days off in Nashville and most of the band and crew had gone out, seeing as we had enough money to spend on hotel rooms. I decided to stay in, not wanting to chance a run-in with my ex from hell. Max and most of his band weren't speaking to me, mad that I'd gotten their friend kicked out.

I didn't care. Simone had some wine with me (two glasses and then I'd finished off the rest) and we watched Warrior on Pay-Per-View. Mike, Alex, Vinny, and Andy had all stayed behind as well, opting to discuss conspiracy theories while we watched the movie. I knew Vinny (the merch guy for A City In The Sky) was really into that kind of thing, I remembered from parties I used to go to.

"Guys! You're so boring!" I said, standing on the bed with my hands on my hips. I was wearing pajama pants and one of Andy's t-shirts. Every time we caught each other's eye, I was sure I blushed, though with the amount of wine pumping through my veins, I was pretty sure the heat was ever-present on my cheeks. "Entertain me!"

Without missing a beat, Andy launched from his seat next to Mike and tackled me. I shrieked as I fell onto the soft bed. Simone had been lucky enough to move to the other bed minutes earlier so she didn't get crushed. Andy's long fingers tickled my sides and I screamed, flailing around in an attempt to get away.

"Andy!" I screamed breathlessly, "S-stop! It tickles!"

"You're the one who was bored Kell," he reminded me. His lanky body hovered over mine and I stared up into his eyes, my sides and cheeks aching.

"Get a room!" Vinny complained. I sat up and looked over Andy's shoulder, wrapping my legs around him so he couldn't pull away.

"Uh, Vin...we did get a room," I pointed out. Everyone laughed and he shook his head, sticking his tongue out at me. I laid back down and let Andy lay next to me before I curled into his side.

"You're drunk babe," he whispered and I giggled.

"Usually happens when you drink babe," I whispered back. He ran his fingers through my hair and watched me quietly. I listened to the conversation that happened around me, mostly about all the different places various people wanted to go on the days off. My toes and fingers tingled with happiness.

Mike spoke about a book shop that he wanted to visit.

"Hey Mike," Simone said meekly, "Would you mind if I went with you? I've caught up on all my reading."

It was quiet in the room. Andy and I raised our heads to glance between her and Mike. Mike looked like he'd seen a ghost but recovered a lot faster than the rest of us, who looked like we just shit ourselves. He nodded quickly.

"Of course! Yeah, it's small and privately owned so there's mostly a lot of used books, which I know you like," he rambled. He looked like an excited child at the zoo, which both made my heart sad and happy. Simone, however, also looked mildly pleased.

"Really? Okay, sounds good. What time did you want to go?" she asked, placing her phone on the bed next to her. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I was going to go around noon, maybe before lunch. I know we have an interview at four so I have to be back here for that," he answered. The TV was the only background noise, the rest of us were too dumbfounded to make conversation amongst ourselves. I listened to The Food Network distantly, wondering if I'd even need to finish out the plan.

"Okay, that sounds fine," she agreed and the room was silent when Mike nodded an affirmative. His eyes flashed to mine and I smiled widely and encouragingly. The silence was a bit unnerving though.

"Andy," I said, quietly enough to make it clear it was our conversation but loud enough to break the awkward vibe, "Remember that record store we went to last year? You think we could find it again?"

"I'm sure we could," he said, stroking my cheek softly with his thumb. "You're gorgeous, you know that?"

"Oh shut up," I said, swatting his hand away. He laughed to himself, an unreadable expression in his eyes. The way he looked at me made the bottom of my stomach fall out and despite my drunken state, I felt almost sober.

"You don't take me seriously," he stated. I said nothing. "I don't know if you think I'm saying it just because I like to hear myself talk but I really do care about you," his hand ran down my face, brushing against my neck, and then down my side to rest on my hip, "And one day, you will be mine."

*

My head hurt, not unbearably, but enough for me to notice. I sucked it up though, eating brunch in a booth with Mike, Andy, and Simone. Mike and Simone were shy with each other; they didn't speak much and only snuck furtive glances when the other wasn't looking. It hurt me inside how much they reminded me of two strangers developing a crush on each other.

Andy and I had been silent towards each other throughout the rest of the night. I had nothing to say except that Step Three couldn't come before Step Two and he was a little bit ahead of schedule. We were going to try to find the record store but I assured him that it could wait, instead we would follow Mike and Simone.

Sure, it was sneaky and intrusive but who said I wasn't sneaky and intrusive? I was also nosy. Sue me.

Simone sent me panicked texts throughout our late breakfast. I'd fallen asleep before she had a chance to talk to me and woken up too late for us to have anything even resembling a pep talk. I texted her reassuring and calming messages back though when the glance she sent me as they left told me none of the messages calmed her at all.

"Come on!" I urged Andy, pushing on sunglasses and pulling at his hand, "We'll lose them!"

"We're gonna get caught and then we're gonna be in trouble," he predicted. I shook my head and pulled him out of the hotel after our friends. They walked down the street painfully far apart and were far enough ahead of us that we wouldn't be spotted if they turned around.

"We won't get caught! Stop being a party pooper," I chastised. He sighed and grabbed my hand easily, linking our fingers together. I smiled up at him and then reached up to touch the small cut Dillon had left under his eye. It angered me that he'd even landed a punch. "Does it hurt?"

"Nah," he responded immediately, "It's a little sore but nothing that'll kill me."

"Thank you," I said earnestly, "You didn't need to hit him."

"He deserved it," he said flatly.

Andy knew the entire story. It took me a long time to get over the mess that demon had put me through. Andy and Simone lived with me; they remembered the nightmares I used to have. I swung our hands easily between us, trying to lighten the mood. We followed Simone and Mike in silence. Finally, after a few blocks, they stepped inside a small store.

Perkins Books was literally microscopic and I wasn't entirely sure how we would remain unseen. We watched through the window while they disappeared down the same aisle and then stepped in. It smelled of old, used books and the old woman behind the counter greeted us warmly.

Still holding hands with Andy, I ventured down the aisle to the left of our two friends, snooping close to the shelf to see and hear them.

They stood close now, looking at the same book's spine. He was running his hand over it lovingly before he pulled it out. Mike loved books, used or not, and treated them with the same love and respect that he treated his friends. It was amazing to see actually. She spoke about the book and how much she'd liked the plot. I couldn't see the title.

"It's written so well it made me cry honestly," she raved, "And the character development is seamless, you have to be actively looking for mistakes to find any but you still won't. It's fantastic really."

"And the storyline?"

"Flawless," she said simply, raising her hands to take the book from him. He didn't let go of the book and through the small space I could see her look up at him.

"Simone..." he trailed off quietly. She didn't move. "I know that you are very, very disappointed in me but I can and will make it up to you. Living without you is not an option; I will make you mine again."

Chills ran up my spine as I remembered the exact same words coming out of Andy's mouth the night before. We looked at each other and raised an eyebrow. I blushed and looked down at my shoes.

"Mike, I can't do this right now. I'm trying, really I am, but like I've said, I need time." She sounded weak, like her defenses were low. That would be good for me later in the day.

"I respect that. Just know, I fully intend on winning you back."