Page 105 of One Day Like This (Excess All Areas 1)

Ben wrapped his arms around Luke. “Listen to him, Luke. Matt’s a good guy. Yeah, he let you down, but I’ve talked to him about it, and he means what he says. Just listen to him.”

Luke shrugged his way out of Ben’s hold.

“Mate. Sit down and talk with me and Iz. I love her, she loves me. We were going to talk to you tomorrow, once this concert was out of the way. We’re in it for the long term. Honestly. Things have—”

“Congratulations, brother. After years of telling me I’d fuck the band up, you did it yourself.” Jase was in his face. “Just when we were actually on the brink of something. You have to fuck it up for all of us.”

Matt shoved his hands in Jase’s chest and slammed him back against the table, sending pint glasses flying, shattering on the floor. “Fuck things up? You realise this ... Iz ... the secrets ... is partly because of you, you twat. And you, I don’t have a problem hitting.”

“Me? The band has been simmering for years. You and Luke and your songwriting that excludes the rest of us. Well, you know what, we don’t need you. You’re fired.”

Matt tugged his hands through his hair. “Fine, but you realise you can’t play any songs, right?”

Jase scoffed. “You’re so arrogant you think we can’t play them without you? Like you once said to me, you’re good, but you aren’t irreplaceable.”

Matt shook his head. “You never did get the business side of things. I own the songs. You can’t play them without my permission. But this isn’t what this is about. The band is the last thing I care about right now.”

Jase reared back, raising his fist, but Alex shoved his palms to Jase’s chest. “Back up. I’m not going to let you hit him.”

Jase looked at Alex, shock etched in his eyes. “You’re taking his side?”

“There aren’t sides here, Jase. Life is fucking messy and complicated at times. I love you both, and beating the shit out of him isn’t going to help.”

Matt turned to Luke just as Izabel hurried from the interview. One look at Matt and Luke’s faces must have told her everything she needed to know. She passed Luke and hurried to his side. Matt opened his arm and pulled her in close.

“They know,” she said.

Matt nodded at the understatement. “Yeah, sweetheart, they know.”

“Luke,” Izabel implored.

“My best-fucking-friend, Iz?”

“I’ve loved him since I was a teenager. I just wanted to know what one day of having him in my life was like. And once I found out, I didn’t want to be without him.”

Matt’s heart squeezed. They’d been selfish in their pursuit of their own happiness. “I didn’t know another person could make you feel so complete. And, yeah, I know you’ve seen me with other women, but Luke, you’ve known me long enough to hopefully know I’m a decent guy. We talked about this the other day at the apartment. She’s the reason why I want to settle down with someone. It’s Izabel, Luke.”

Anguish covered Luke’s features and he turned to Izabel. “Didn’t sleeping with Jase teach you anything, you idiot?”

Matt pushed Izabel slightly behind him. “Luke,” Matt warned. “I really don’t want to hurt you but call Iz an idiot again and I will.”

“Nowyou’re the big man.Nowyou step up. Fuck both of you.”

Izabel stepped from behind him and reached for Luke. “Please. We’re all we’ve got, right?”

Matt watched Luke carefully, even as his heart cracked wide open at the hurt in Izabel’s voice.

“Not anymore, Iz. Not anymore. You’ve apparently got Matt. So, pack up your shit and get out of my apartment. I’m done looking out for you.” His eyes turned to Matt. “You wanted her; you’ve got her. And keep your fucking songs, even though I helped write plenty of them. I wouldn’t play your songs again for any amount of money.”

Luke grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair, whipped it over his shoulder, and stormed out of the convention centre.

Ben sighed. “I told you to sort this shit out. If you had, things wouldn’t be going down like this. But ... I get it. You can’t help who you fall in love with.” There was something painfully wistful in his words.

Alex continued to hold Jase back. “You should get out of here.”

“Thanks. I’m sorry I lied to you all, but I can’t be sorry for me and Izabel. I meant it when I said I love her. I hope we can find a way through this, but I can’t let Izabel be a bargaining chip in us continuing to perform together.”

As he wrapped his arm around Izabel, he felt his world tilt. Like that feeling when you dive out of bed too quickly in a morning and the blood rushes to your head, making the world spin and your vision blur. While the feeling of Izabel’s arm around his waist reassured him he’d made the right call, he’d just detonated the rest of his life.

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