Page 110 of One Day Like This (Excess All Areas 1)

Nan stood and placed a hand on Jase’s arm. “You loved her?”

Jase shrugged her hand off. “Once, Nan. Not now. But I’m pissed at this double standard.” He looked over to Matt. “You remember the last time I looked like this? It was Luke’s fist that did it. I stayed away even though it tore me up inside. Becauseyouasked me to. Why couldn’t you stay away too?”

“Because she’s gravity and I’m an apple. She’s the earth and I’m the moon who can’t stay out of her orbit. I have no idea why I managed it for so long and then couldn’t any longer. She’s the blessing I don’t deserve, Jase, but I get I’m being a huge hypocrite right now. You’re right, I asked you to give her up. And now I’m asking you not to ask the same of me.”

Jase looked at the floor and pursed his lips before blowing out a breath. “I knew you loved her. I’m your brother and I’m not fucking stupid. I even knew she loved you back then. I saw the way she looked at you, the way her eyes tracked you as you moved around the room. But, fuck ... Did you have to blow up the band when we were just about to make it?”

“I’ll fix it. I’ll make it right with Luke.”

Matt moved close to his brother. Control. Jase had no control over his external environment right now and it must be chewing him up inside. “Jase,” he said, reaching for his shoulder.

Jase shrugged his hand away. “Don’t fucking touch me, Matt.” He yanked the front door open and slammed it behind him as he left.

Nan rubbed the heel of her hand over her heart. “You two are going to kill me off. I can’t deal with this.”

“I’m sorry, Nan.” Matt took her elbow and led her to the sofa before getting her a glass of water.

Matt sunk his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I’ll make things right with Luke. We’ll sort it out.”

“Go make us both a cup of tea, lad,” she said.

And while he did, he wondered what a world without Jase or his nan in it would feel like.

Because they were all he had.

Except Iz.

* * *

“He’s not going to want to see us,” Izabel said as they walked down the stairs to Luke’s apartment. Her stomach roiled like the waves at Blackpool had been, all churned up by the wind.

Matt held firmly onto her hand. “No. He’s not. But we’ve given everyone forty-eight hours to calm down. He’s ignored our calls and messages. This can’t wait any longer.”

“I’m nervous,” Izabel admitted as they reached Luke’s floor. She stopped walking and peered nervously down the corridor, expecting to see him.

Matt pulled her to him and kissed her gently. “I know, babe. But he can’t do anything to you he hasn’t already done. He can’t kick you out again. Worst case, you just get to pick up your things and move them into my apartment. Best case, he’ll listen.”

“What if he gets really mad?”

“I hate to say it, but I can take Luke if I need to. And to be honest, if he lashes out at you, I can’t be held responsible for what I do to him. But I’m hopeful it won’t come to that. He gets really mad, we leave. Right?”

Izabel blew out a breath. “Right.”

Matt took her hand again, his strength helping restore some of her shattered confidence. She knocked on the door and waited for Luke to answer. When they heard shuffling on the other side of the door, then nothing, Matt knocked again. “Luke. We know you’re in there. Izabel still has her key, so we’re going to let ourselves in if you don’t open up.”

The door opened. Luke looked like shit and her heart hurt for him. Slightly bleary eyed. Obviously unshowered from the smell of him. “The pair of you can just fuck off.”

Matt went to speak, but Izabel put her hand on his arm to stop him. She faced her brother. “I know you’re pissed off right now, but it’s still just the two of us. And I really need to talk to you. Please, Luke. Let me explain.”

Luke eyed Matt over Izabel’s shoulders, then slouched back into the apartment.

Izabel turned to Matt for reassurance, and he winked at her as he tipped his chin toward the living room. “You lead. I’ll follow you, babe.”

Luke’s apartment looked like an environmental hazard. Indian takeout containers and a pizza box along with more beer bottles and cans than she could count littered most of the horizontal surfaces.

“Are you doing okay?” Izabel asked, sitting near him on the sofa.

Matt remained standing and perched on the windowsill.

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