Page 10 of One Day Like This (Excess All Areas 1)

Matt huffed. “Know that feeling.”

When they pulled into the Deansgate-Castlefield station, the doors opened, and a flood of people left the tram and new ones clambered on board.

“Izzie?” she heard from behind her. “Oh. Matt.”

Izabel noticed Matt’s eyes widen as his jaw twitched, something Matt did when he was angry. Izabel turned to look over her shoulder. Harry. And the bitch she’d caught him fucking.

As if her world couldn’t get any worse today.

“Harry,” she said, curtly, and turned back to Matt. His eyes were on her. Like really on her, as if trying to read how she was doing. She shook her head infinitesimally, then looked down at the floor.

Matt gripped her arm momentarily, a squeeze of reassurance.

“I’m glad I’ve seen you,” Harry said. “I wanted to talk to you about Gemma and my brother’s wedding.”

Fortified by Matt’s touch, she took a deep breath and turned to face him again. “What about it?”

“Well, we’re both in the wedding party.”

“No shit, Captain Obvious.”

Harry rolled his eyes, then shared what could only be described as a knowing look with the woman. Matt gripped her hip, the move grounding her. She’d no idea why he was suddenly touching her again after avoiding her all this time, but it was almost worth dealing with Harry for it to happen.

“Please, Izzie. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I don’t want it to be weird. For Gemma and Ollie’s sake. And ...”

“And what?” she asked, as the tram jerkily came to a stop at Cornbrook.

“Well, and to remind you you’ll need to book your own room, and to let you know I’ll be bringing Sophia with me.”

Sophia.

Such a pretty name for a piece of trash with overly drawn-on eyebrows.

Wait.

Own room.Shit.Of course, they’d need two rooms now. In the upset of splitting up and moving out, it hadn’t even registered. Her immediate thought of why he got to keep the room was quickly quelled when she remembered he’d booked and paid for the damn thing.

And the idea of spending the day with the two of them getting all smoochy on each other.

Bleurgh.

Yeah, her day sucked. She debated jumping off the tram and waiting for the next one, but just as she made a move to go, the chimes of the door started, and the door closed.

“I spoke to my brother,” Harry continued. “And he said it was fine for you and me to add a plus-one to our invitation.”

She wondered if Gemma knew what Harry had arranged with Ollie, because she was certain her best friend would have mentioned it. Matt slipped his hand around her middle and pulled her close to him. “Don’t worry, Iz. We’ll get our own room.” His words rumbled through her.

Harry’s eyes went wide as Izabel’s heart bounced around inside her chest cavity like a ping-pong ball. “You two are a ... like ... are you dating? I don’t know what to think about that.”

Izabel floundered for something to say. Matt was surrounding her, and she clutched on to him like a life raft. How could she answer Harry?

* * *

“WhatIthink is it’s none of your fucking business.” Matt felt her skin against his lips as he spoke, and it was the only thing stopping him from wringing Harry’s neck. That, and the two transit cops standing part way down the carriage. “Once you took your dick out of your pants for someone else, you lost the right to give a shit about her.”

“Izzie?” When Harry finally decided to respond, he had the audacity to look wounded. Standing there like a jumped-up jerk in a fancy suit with the side piece he’d been banging.

Prick.

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