The guys are putting their instruments away while Bette is still talking to Tuomas. I take her guitar and look at it. It’s a real black beauty. It’s clearly an old one, but I know she’s very attached to it. The strings jump in all directions once leaving tuners and the soundboard is covered with stickers of her favourite band. I see something new and I smile: there’s a picture of me on it – she had it put on a sticker.

I don’t notice Bette coming to me. When I look up, my hazel eyes meet her chocolate brown ones. she turns the cutest crimson shade of red when she sees that I’ve seen the sticker.

I get up and hug her tight, inhaling her scent. I give her a kiss and we get a bit carried away, forgetting about the others.

“Seriously, get a room,” Tuomas says good-naturedly.

“Why do they need to get a room? Go along, gals. Have some fun,” Seth protests. Bette and I suspect he’s having some dirty fantasies about the two of them.

“Can you just – please – no offence – but just not do that here?” Gary says quietly. I immediately let go of Bette, who looks a bit disappointed.

I understand that Gary doesn’t like seeing us. He has been great in letting me go and there’s no need for me to put my foot in it. It’s probably hard enough already – he was really in love with me.

“I’m sorry,” I say, rubbing my neck. “I never meant to – I just… you know.”

“Nah, it’s cool. Just, you know…”

“Yeah.”

Gary and I haven’t really talked since I broke up with him. It’s just really awkward, and I know I would get nothing out of him. He would just say that he’s glad that I’m happy with Bette and that he thinks I deserve it. He wouldn’t say one word about his own feelings.

There are a lot of girls interested in him since it’s common knowledge that he has a band. But he’s not interested in them. I know he’d rather date a girl that thinks his music sucks so she won’t want to talk about it all the time.