Page 111 of One Day Like This (Excess All Areas 1)

“Fucking glorious, Izabel.” Luke folded his arms. “My band just collapsed.”

“Will you let me explain? I really need you to understand.”

Luke glanced up at Matt. “How could you do this, Matt? How could you destroy everything? The band. Our friendship. Your own brother.”

“I love her,” Matt said simply. “I’ve had feelings for her for a really long time.” Matt moved to the chair opposite the sofa. “You made me promise never to touch her. I watched her grow into this amazing woman. But I couldn’t have her. You want to know why I fucked around. Because I was trying to find Iz in every woman I slept with, and, shocker, she wasn’t there. I saw her watch me. I saw how she was always home when I came over. I just loved being around her, Luke. And it destroyed me when she slept with Jase. At least as much as it messed with you. He ploughed straight through his promise to you, and I wasneverable to settle that score with him ...because you would have fucking known how much I loved your sister.”

Luke huffed. “So, you’re shit at keeping promises. We’ll add that to the list of fuckups.”

“Luke,” Izabel pleaded. “I know you’re mad at the world right now. But acting like this isn’t helping anyone.”

“Oh, sod off, Iz. Do you feel shitty right now?”

Izabel nodded. “Shittier than I’ve ever felt.”

“Good. Then you understand fifty percent of what I feel. Because both of you let me down. You have no fucking idea what it felt like when Jase—one of my bandmates, a guy who can barely stand some nights, a guy who is a manwhore—violated you.”

She could feel Luke’s hurt. “Why I slept with Jase that night is utterly complicated, but let me be clear, Jase didn’t violate me. He didn’t do anything without consent. It’s my consent that’s all fucked up. I shouldn’t have given it. Not because of Jase, but because of Matt. And it shouldn’t have been an issue because you were wrong to make Matt promise to stay away from me. The part you need to take responsibility for is thinking and acting that you had a say in who I fell in love with.”

“That isn’t what I did, Iz. I just wanted someone better than my mates for you.”

“But it wouldn’t have worked. Ever. Because I love Matt. And he loves you as much as he loves me. It’s not fair to tear him apart like this. You know who he is.”

Luke looked over at Matt. “I can’t stand to look at you right now.”

“I know,” Matt said. “And yet, I’m still here. I’m here because I’m dating your sister, and one day, I’m going to marry her. I’m here, because you’re my bandmate, and we are so close to the dreams we’ve had for years coming true. I’m here because Izabel’s right. I love you more than my own brother.”

Luke rubbed his hand over his face. Izabel could feel how raw Luke felt. But she could also feel they were breaking through. It was in the dropping of his shoulders. It was in his sigh. It was in the way he unfolded his arms and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.

She knew her brother, and the elastic band around her chest loosened slightly.

“We’re all we’ve got,” she said quietly. “Please don’t make me choose between you and Matt. I don’t have anywhere near as much family as I want, Luke. You’ve been the only constant.”

Luke blew out a breath, much like she had in the hallway, and then he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her tight. “You don’t have to choose, Iz. But I don’t have to like it.”

“I know. But it’s not fair to forgive me and not forgive Matt. It’s not fair to tell me I don’t have to choose, when you’re making Matt choose between his best friend and me, his band and me. Play it out, Luke. What if he chooses you? It’ll destroy me. These months together have been the happiest of my life. Matt’s given me the confidence to tackle the concert, to get Gemma to stop taking advantage of me, something you didn’t even notice, because you were so wrapped up in yourself and the band. He’s made me happy, Luke. What if he chooses the band?”

“Babe, you know that’s not going to happen,” Matt said. “Knowing you have my back makes me feel like I can handle all this.”

She glanced over at him and voiced the fear she’d been guarding. “Not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But there’s every chance that at some point in your life, you’ll look back at this moment and wish you’d chosen differently. If you don’t get another chance like this one. If you move on from music as a career. I couldn’t bear it if you look at me with regret.”

“Fuck it. Will the two of you stop it withThe Notebookshit?” Luke stood up and turned to Matt. “You broke my trust. No, you destroyed it. You lied to me for months. I can’t trust you any further than I could throw you, right now. And that kills me. She was there that night. She’s Candle Girl, isn’t she?”

Matt stood. “She is. And I’m so fucking sorry. But I promise you. She’s my everything.”

Luke looked over to Izabel. “You certain, Sis?”

Izabel nodded. “You know he’s a good man, Luke. This is the first time he’s ever let you down. But it’s only because of a promise you put in motion, one you should never have forced any of them to make.”

Luke studied the floor for a moment. “I don’t know how we move forward.”

“I’ll make it up to you, I promise, Luke. I’ll show you how sorry I am,” Matt said.

“It’s going to take a while. To be honest, I don’t even want to see your faces right now.”

Matt offered his hand toward Luke. “I know. Just let us try and put this train back on its tracks. It starts with you, Luke. With you, we can fix everything else. With the band fixed, I hope even Jase will forgive me.”

Luke took Matt’s hand and shook it. When Matt pulled Luke in for a hug, tears stung Izabel’s eyes. Luke whispered something to Matt that Izabel couldn’t hear properly, but Matt nodded viciously.

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