Page 115 of Next Time I Fall (Excess All Areas 2)

When she pressed her forehead to his chest, he kissed the top of her head and slid his arms around her. “You okay, babe?”

“Yeah. Wobbles. I like that.”

Jase huffed. “Yeah. Well, wobble over. Today, we get reacquainted, find our feet. Then, tomorrow, we’re going over to Matt’s to drop his car off, and I thought it might be useful for you to meet Izabel.”

She looked up at him and pinned him with her gaze. “Isn’t one wobble enough?”

“There’s no need for another wobble. Izabel was a mistake I’ve moved on from. But we can’t avoid her for the rest of our lives. And she’ll be at Nan’s tomorrow. We go every Sunday we aren’t working. Thought you might like to meet Izabel for the first time when there isn’t anybody else around. I actually think you’ll like her.”

Cerys buried herself back against his chest. “You said something when I first got here. Something about how being with me in Detroit was a slice of heaven and wanting it to be the same here. I guess the difference is that Detroit was this weird bubble where real life didn’t really interfere. Now we’re both back there are realities to face and stuff.”

He stroked her hair as the weight of her words struck him. She was right. That was the difference. But with her in his arms, it all felt conquerable. “I think we’re bigger than the realities, Cerys. But we don’t have to go if you’re not ready. We can cry off. Say you’re knackered or feel shitty after your flight or something.”

Cerys stepped back. “No. I think you’re right.” She reached for his hand and gripped it, squeezing his fingers. “Izabel meant something to you once, and means everything to Matt. That’s something worth respecting.”

He kissed her then, as the tap dripped, and the fridge gurgled, and dust motes floated in the light streaming through the kitchen window. He could feel the two of them tipping back in synch. Could feel the nerves about reuniting dissipate until there was just the two of them.

Dancing to silent music only they could hear.

19

Cerys glanced in the mirror. She couldn’t do anything about the bags under her eyes from flying across the Atlantic.

“I look a mess.” Cerys aimed a glum face at the camera on her phone and continued to sign. “I should have let Jase get us out of going.”

Zoe shook her head. “You look gorgeous. And you can always leave if it turns into a shit show.”

“Tempted to do that now and just skip the whole thing.”

Jase stepped into the bedroom, looking all kinds of swoony in jeans and a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up over his inked forearms. “You ready, sunshine?” he asked.

“Nearly. Just catching up with Zoe.”

He waved his palm in a semi-circle as he smiled. Just like Cerys had taught him at the cottage.

“Hey, Jase,” Zoe said.

Zoe flipped to sign. “She’s probably as nervous as you are. Think about it. You aren’t the chick who banged both brothers.”

Cerys nodded. “True. Listen. I have to go. Give me a day or two to figure out what’s going on and then I’ll come see you. Or you can come here and stay maybe. I don’t know.”

“Sounds good.” Zoe gestured her away. “Now go. Try to relax and enjoy yourself.”

“Bye, Zoe.”

Ten minutes later, they stood outside Matt’s apartment door, Jase holding on to the flowers she’d bought for Nan. “You’re breaking my fingers,” Jase said, kissing the top of her head. “I promise you, this will be fine.”

The door swung open, but neither of the participants inside acknowledged them. Izabel, with her blonde hair up in a messy bun, shoved Matt through the door. “Honestly, go,” she said. “It’ll be fine. We’ll come down to Luke’s.”

“What’s going on?” Jase asked.

“Iz has got this wild idea that—”

“I can speak for myself, Matt.” Izabel reached for Cerys’s wrist and tugged her inside and then slammed the door on Matt.

“I have a key, you know,” Matt yelled from the hall.

“Use it and I’ll donate your trainer collection to the shelter. Jase, Cerys is fine. Please don’t break the door.”

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