Page 116 of One Day Like This (Excess All Areas 1)

Just do it, Izabel.

With her new black gel pen, she wrote a title on the first page. Fundraising Consultant Business To-Do.

The words looked good. Without overthinking it, she started the list.

Business name.

Website.

Bio.

Percent commission rates.

Social media platforms.

Nothing on the list scared her. Even talking with Ibrahim that morning had gone smoothly. Her plan—to drop down to three to four days a week at the shelter so she could lend her expertise to other organisations looking to boost their funds—had been greeted with a huge smile.

“I’m surprised it’s taken you so long to realise you are capable of so much more than this,” he’d said. “I was half expecting you to quit, so the fact I get to keep you some of the time is more than I anticipated.”

And maybe a time would come when she would leave the shelter altogether. With her new business as a fundraising consultant, she could help so many more people. She glanced out of the window and noticed her stop was close.

Quickly, she put the notebook away, and ten minutes later, she unlocked the door to the flat she now shared with Matt.

Home.

Finally.

Packing her things up and moving them to Matt’s had been emotional. Leaving Luke in exchange for finally feeling that she had a place in the universe. When she’d hung her clothes in their closet, the pain that had been wrapped around her chest forever finally began to release.

Together, they’d assembled their new desks and put them along one wall, unpacked her books onto the new bookshelves, and moved the rest of the living room furniture around to make everything work together.

Voices hit her as she walked in. The rest of the band were still there. She dropped her bags and shook out her wet coat and hung it on the hook.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Matt said, as he stepped over to her, cupped her cheeks, and kissed her deeply.

“I’m too fucking happy with our news to be pissed off, but watching the two of you is seriously killing my buzz,” Luke said, gruffly.

Playfully, she pulled her tongue out at her brother. “How did it go?”

Matt grinned. “We decided. We’re going to go see Upper Street with or without Jase.”

Izabel looked to Alex, who was sitting on her office chair. “You haven’t heard from him then?”

Alex shook his head. “Nah. He needs his own space right now.”

“I’ve left him a voicemail about the possible deal. Sent him a couple of messages, as well. Not a lot else we can do.” Matt squeezed her hand.

“Urgh. I’m so sorry this has all happened,” she said.

“Not your fault,” Ben said. “We don’t blame you.”

Luke coughed loudly.

Ben slapped Luke on the back. “Let’s remember your part in this whole thing. Normal people don’t have to hide their relationships from an overbearing older brother.”

Alex laughed. “I think I might have hidden some from you over the years.”

“When it comes to you and your proclivities, there are some things I never want to know about.”

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