Page 61 of One Day Like This (Excess All Areas 1)

“On it,” he said, taking the stairs two at a time, just in time to reach the bathroom door as Izabel closed it. He pushed it open and stepped inside. In a single second, his hand gripped the back of her neck. “Hey, Iz,” he mumbled against her lips.

“Matt,” she gasped. Her fingers dug into his biceps as she fell into the feel of their bodies pressed together as much as he did. Everything about her was softness. The cushion of her lips, the fall of her hair, even the press of her chest against his. He kissed her cheek and then stepped back, knowing simply being there was a risk he shouldn’t be taking.

“I should go. But I wanted to say hello.”

“I like the way you did that.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “Now get out of here before someone finds us.”

“Are you sure I can’t talk you into two more minutes of fun?”

She placed her palm on his cheek as she opened the door behind them and shoved his chest. “Any more fun and we’ll be in a whole world of trouble.”

He stepped out into the hall, grinning as the door slammed shut. As he reached the bottom of his nan’s bed, footsteps thundered up the stairs. Luke appeared on the landing and hammered on the bathroom door.

“I’m not coming out no matter what you say.” Iz’s voice filtered through the door. It was playful. Happy.

Shit. She thought it was him.

Matt’s heart drummed in his chest. “Luke,” he shouted, louder than he really needed to. “Come give me a hand with these chairs.”

“I might be a drummer, but it’s not destroyed my hearing yet, mate. I need a piss. Leave a stack by the door and I’ll bring them on my way back down.”

Izabel opened the door with a frustrated huff. “Dude. Could you not give me two seconds in there?”

Luke gently gripped her shoulders and switched their places. “Less time bitching and more time moving, Sis. I know how long you can be in there.”

“In the morning, when I shower,” Iz hissed through the door. “You arse.” She glanced over at Matt and winked. “I like to spend a long time in the shower.”

As he leaned the chairs against the wall, his thoughts flashed back to when the two of them had sex in his. “Unfair,” he muttered, making a show of adjusting his dick.

Izabel ran her fingers along the handrail as gently and delicately as she’d played with his dick, then blew him a kiss before she headed back down the stairs.

After everybody had a plateful of food, Nan clinked her fork on the side of her glass of Chardonnay she’d told everyone she picked up for four quid at Aldi.

Everyone paused and looked in her direction. “When I look at you lads, I see little football kits and think about ironing grey school pants and white shirts on a Sunday. I see days when me and your Auntie Pat wondered if you were ever going to make it through high school, let alone pass any exams. But you’ve made us proud. You’re working hard with all the music. And this woman on the phone dance thing gave you a big lift when she picked your song. And it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving bunch. Anyway, here’s to the band.”

“The band,” everyone replied.

His Auntie Pat put her hand over his shoulder. “You especially,” she said quietly. “I know this is all you and your hard work, keeping everyone going. I know it’s not easy. But I’m very grateful you didn’t do this on your own. I’d have been just as proud of you. But I’m glad you took your brother and cousins and friend with you, Matt. Says a lot about the kind of man you are. And my sister is as dumb as two rabbits because she was never able to see it.”

He turned to his aunt. “Do you ever hear from her?” he asked.

Pat shook her head. “Not directly. Someone gave me a social media address for her once. I checked it out about three years ago because I’m nosey. Seems to have moved on. New life. New fella. Don’t know if the kids in the picture are hers or his, but I’m guessing you’ve either got half-siblings or stepsiblings. You want the address? I can dig it out if you do?”

Matt shook his head. “Nah. This is family enough for me.”

He looked around the room at the band, at Iz, at Chaya. His nan and aunt, even his deadbeat uncle. It was enough.

As the party came to an end and the guests left, Matt was left alone with his nan, returning the chairs to the bedroom. He slid them under the bed, thinking about his mum. For a moment, he allowed himself to wonder whether she’d seen the news somehow. Perhaps she was on the app Willow Warner was on. Perhaps she’d seen one of the headlines about their sudden success.

Then he pushed her to the back of his mind.

Nan was in the kitchen loading the dishwasher.

“Are you sure you don’t need me to help with anything else?”

Nan stood. “No. You go on home. I’ve put a bag of leftovers for you next to the door with your name on it.”

He knew there had probably been one for everyone at some point. “Thanks, Nan.” He kissed her cool cheek and made for the door.

---