Page 103 of Next Time I Fall (Excess All Areas 2)

Because the only woman he wanted wasn’t with him tonight. He grabbed his phone and pulled up the ongoing chat he had with Cerys.

Just thinking about how much I wish you were here with me tonight.

When the little dots at the bottom of the text bounced, his stomach flipped.

A photograph appeared, obviously taken secretly. Jimmy’s back. And a new band sitting on the studio stage with the same look he and his band had on their first day.

Newbies. No idea what’s about to happen to them.She included a crying laughing emoji.

Stay away from the lead singer, no matter how troubled he might be.

I can only handle one lead singer at a time, and there’s already one I have my eye on.

Good. I miss you, sunshine.

Miss you too. Gotta go. Sorry. Chat later. Smooches.

He grinned and slipped his phone back into his pocket.

“Feels a bit weird sitting here without a high, a hangover, or an attitude. Got a call from Steve at the pub last night, desperate because he was three staff down, so I went and filled in for the night.”

“You know you don’t need to work in the pub anymore, right?” Matt said.

“I know. But I had nothing else to do, and I owe Steve a favour for dealing with my shit. Meant I could talk to Cerys when I got home because she was just wrapping up work.”

Matt studied him. “You miss her.”

The surprise in Matt’s tone caught him off guard. “What do you mean by that?”

Matt placed his guitar on the sofa. “I wondered if ... look, I know you and her had something really good going in Detroit, but I kind of wondered if, when you got back, the novelty would fade.”

“The novelty?” He’d not had a big wave in a while. But this one felt pretty choppy and tumultuous, like he was about to be tossed around like flotsam.

“Cool your heels, mate. This, you, us, Cerys. It’s all new. And for what it’s worth, it’s good. But I wondered if you might get caught back up in old habits when you got back here.”

Jase pursed his lips and blew out a steady, controlled stream of air. He visualised his initial response, to fight Matt’s words, leave his body. Digging deeper, he searched for why it hurt and whether there was truth in Matt’s words.

“Itisnew. All of it. And I have to think about what I’m doing because none of it feels natural yet. So, I get what you’re sayin’.”

Matt just stared.

“What?” Jase asked.

“I just realised that I still brace when I talk to you sometimes. Like, I prepare myself for the rebuttal, for the angry words, to be ready to fight when you lash out.”

“Fuck, Matt. I’m sorry.”

“I think we agreed in Detroit that we know each other is sorry for what happened, right?”

“Yeah. But it doesn’t make it easier to hear, that you’ve been such a dick that your brother is scared of you.”

Matt shook his head, a slight smile on his face. “Don’t flatter yourself, tough guy. I never said I was scared. Just that I braced so I could battle however you responded. Anyway, we got off track. Cerys. You miss her.”

Jase rubbed his palm over his heart, his new tattoo healing beneath his shirt. “Yeah. I woke up this morning thinking about her. Scribbled some lyrics down in a notebook she sent me that arrived a few days ago. Then ordered some flowers to be delivered to the studio. And yesterday, I spent a fucking fortune at the post office sending off some stuff she was missing from home. A shit ton of Curly Wurlys, a bar of Cadbury Fruit and Nut, and a bag of Jelly Babies. Went shopping in Tesco’s for them. Before I knew it, I’d thrown in two facemasks because I know she likes using them, a black sparkly nail polish, because I know she loves shit like that, and a candle with my initial because I’m a possessive bastard who wants to make sure she doesn’t forget about me. So, yeah. I miss her.”

Matt grinned. “A candle with your initial?”

“Fuck you.”

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