Pia, clapped, marvelling at how calm and collected Billie was both on and off-stage. She had to be, dating a firecracker like Vero De Luca.
Pia and Freya sat in a VIP section of the balcony, anonymous in the dark. They were very conveniently seated on the same side of the stage as Zoey and her keyboard. From here, Pia could see Zoey's fingers expertly move over the keys, graceful and knowledgeable.
She smirked to herself, knowing exactly how expertly those fingers could move.
Domino leaned into her microphone. "And thanks again for finding our secret show. Zoey kept telling me that our hints were too difficult and no one would show up," she said with a laugh.
Zoey yelled an audible, "Hey!" and the crowd cheered and laughed with them.
Pia grinned, watching her. With the lights in her hair, gleaming off her skin, and her adorable sequined crop top, she looked positively goddess-esque.
A feeling of possession came over her, like she wanted Zoey all to herself. Like she wanted others to know that Zoey was hers.
She squashed the feeling almost immediately, taking a sip of her water.
She could practically feel Freya's eyes on her. She turned, but Freya was looking down at the stage, her eyebrows raised in mock-innocence.
"Because Zoey was wrong," Domino began, and Zoey played a quick "dun dun dun" on her keyboard. "She's going to sing this next one for y'all."
Pia's eyebrows raised in surprise. Zoey hadn't told her she was singing a song.
Her voice was so different than Billie's, or even Domino's — there was a smokiness to her tone, deeper than Pia might have expected.
She was playing ‘Midnight’ but it was entirely different song when Zoey sang it, not Billie.
Pia was leaning forward, holding her breath, watching Zoey with rapt attention.
Zoey sang Pia's favorite line, "My heart was heavy. You found me in the dark, you looked in my eye and somehow you lit the spark."
Pia could have sworn Zoey's eyes lifted upwards on the last words, as if she knew exactly where Pia was in the room.
Time seemed to slow, and Pia's heart began to hammer in her chest.
Casual. It was casual. They were just casual. They were just friends.
Fuck.
They had only slept together once and Pia already wanted more.
Rookie mistake.
She hated proving Freya right.
But more than that, she worried about what it might mean for her and Zoey's future.
Could she truly be honest about her feelings if Zoey would never reciprocate them?
No.
She knew the answer was no.
So, she started to harden herself around the warm, bubbly feeling that was rising in her chest.
She leaned back in her seat and took a drink of her water, taking in the crowd as Zoey hit the last note of the song.
They were as enraptured with her as Pia was.
It was just the song. She was just getting caught up in the song.
The crowd cheered and clapped, erupting through the room as Zoey grinned and gave a small bow. She glanced up to the balcony where Pia sat, but Pia made sure to lean back, able to watch her without making eye contact.
Freya put a hand on her shoulder and leaned in. "Are you okay?"
Pia forced a confused face. "Sure, why?"
Freya stared at her with skepticism. "Well, bad news," she said.
Pia leaned closer, curious. "What's wrong?"
"That girl has it just as bad for you," Freya said.
Pia stilled. "What are you talking about?"
"You're in trouble," Freya said, laughing.
Well, at least one of them thought it was hilarious.
Pia found it terrifying.
"Sorry, I'm not totally sober. I was so nervous that Domino fed me like four shots of whiskey," Zoey said, chugging water.
Pia and Freya had just walked into the green room to congratulate everyone on a fantastic show. On Sabrina's request, of course. Because of course Sabrina had spotted them in the foyer of the venue as they were leaving. Of course.
Micah uncapped another water bottle and handed it to Zoey. "Whatever it was, it worked. You singing ‘Midnight’ was gorgeous. I saw multiple people crying. Crying!"
Meg laughed. "Way to go, Zoey. You made people cry with your singing."
Zoey threw her empty water bottle at Meg's head, who barely ducked out of the way in time.
Billie glanced up at Freya. "I don't think we've met," she said. "I'm Billie."
"Oh, I'm sorry. This is my friend Freya," Pia said, gesturing to Freya. "Frey, this is Billie, Domino, Sabrina, Micah, Meghan, and Zoey."
Zoey's eyebrows raised. "Oh my God, are you Freya Olsen?"
Pia grinned, watching Freya's reaction. She knew her friend hated being recognized, but it was just too fun to watch Frey squirm.
"I am," Freya said, not moving from her spot.
Zoey stood, crossing the room to hold out her hand. "I'm such a huge fan," she said, shaking Freya's hand. "I bought the original 'Nothing Matters Anymore But Everything' three years ago, and I've been collecting ever since."
Pia blinked, taken aback. "You have Freya's work? How did I not know this?"
The rest of the women looked slightly confused.
Zoey looked over her shoulder. "You know that huge painting in my living room? That's Freya's work."
"Oh, the abstract one with gold that spoke to me that time we took mushrooms and I couldn't get off of your couch?" Domino asked.
Sabrina choked on the beer she was drinking.
Zoey nodded, laughing. "The very one."
"Funnily enough, I was also on mushrooms when I was starting that one," Freya said, laughing along with them.
"I'd love to talk to you more. Do you want to come back to the hotel with us for a celebratory drink?" Zoey asked Freya, then glanced to Pia.
"Oh, I think we have to—" Pia began.
Freya cut her off. "We'd love to," she said firmly.
Pia wanted to stomp on Freya's foot.
Pia watched as Zoey and Freya talked animatedly on the sofa beside her. Billie stood on the patio, pacing back and forth while talking on the phone. Meg, Sabrina, and Micah were sitting at a dining table, playing an animated game of cards that had something to do with drinking.
Domino sat on the chair nearest her, her elbows on her knees as she watched Zoey and Freya talk. She looked curious, almost confused at the pair.
"Isn't it funny how you can spend so much time around someone and you still don't know a major part of their life?" Domino said quietly.
Pia tilted her head, glancing from Domino to Zoey and back, not answering immediately. She nervously fidgeted with her hands. Was Domino referencing the fact that Zoey had slept with Pia?
"And then what was she doing in an entirely different city last night? How did she get there? How did she have the time? She won't even tell me," Domino continued.
Pia's stomach flipped — and not in a good way — as she tried to maintain an air of casualness as Domino continued to stare at Zoey.
Billie walked back into the room, sliding her phone into her back pocket. She sat on the arm of Domino's chair.
"You okay?" Billie asked, putting a hand on Domino's shoulder.