Page 112 of How Good It Was (Excess All Areas 3)

“What you said. About what’s happened to us. Think of everything that has happened in the last twelve months. Iz and I got together nearly a year ago. Then, Willow made that video. We go to Detroit to record an album. Jase meets Cerys, and you multitask and make a kid in parallel.”

“I should be offended by the way you phrased that.”

Matt laughed. “But you’re not because it’s funny. Now, there’ll be ten of us on tour.”

“All that stuff with Izabel. How you feel about her. I get all of it. I get why you didn’t feel like you could tell me. I’d become a person I’m struggling to understand right now.”

“How’s therapy going?”

“It helps. A lot. Funny how your head can get so fucking muddled. Like, I thought I had everything straight. But every wire in my head was crossed.”

“And now?”

Luke huffed. “Long way from perfect, but it’s good that I see it. Here. What do you think of this?” He handed Matt the notepad.

Matt read the lyrics, then read them again, tapping his foot and nodding his head. “I have some music that I’ve been messing around with. Might work for this. Want to work on it after the gig?”

The final piece of his puzzle settled in his chest. Writing songs again with Matt. There was only one thing more important. “After a quick phone call home, yeah?”

Matt grinned. “Yeah. After a phone call home.”

It all felt ... normal. “You and me? We’re good, right?”

Matt slapped him on the shoulder. “We’re golden, mate. At least, we are for now.”

“Guys,” the stage manager shouted. “I’m going to need you onstage in five.”

Luke waved acknowledgement, then turned to Matt, his chest tight. “What do you mean, for now?”

Matt grinned. “Seeing yours and Iz’s dad passed away, I figured I should probably ask you if you’d be cool with me proposing to Iz on our one-year anniversary.”

Where he would once have been furious, he found himself feeling happy. Happy that his best friend and sister had found something as strong as what he and Willow were building. “I’m glad she’s got you,” he said, pulling Matt into a hug before stepping back.

Matt’s smile dropped; his eyes filled with sincerity. “Honestly?”

“Yeah, mate. Honestly. You’re a good man and have always felt like the brother I never had. I like the idea of being your brother-in-law.”

Matt swallowed and ran a hand along his jaw. “You think? Because I sometimes feel like I got one over on the man, finding a girl who’s so much better than me, and yet I managed to convince her to love me.”

“She is better than you. Not going to argue with that.” Luke grinned when Matt frowned. “But yet, if she wants to, I’d be more than happy for you to marry my sister.”

“Did you just say marry your sister?” Alex said as he walked over with Ben.

“Who’s getting married?” Jase asked, joining them.

“I’m going to propose to Iz on our one-year anniversary.”

Luke noticed the way Matt looked at Jase when he said it. For some reason, Jase had always angered him more because he had slept with Luke’s sister first, but it was three years in the past. And for some reason he couldn’t put his finger on, it suddenly didn’t seem so wrong, to be lonely and want someone to love you.

Jase pulled Matt into a hug and whispered something into his brother’s ear that made Matt nod vigorously. Then, in a move that shocked Luke, Jase hugged him, too. “Thanks for letting him have this. We all deserve this kind of happiness.”

Luke dropped his head onto Jase’s shoulder, which should be fucking weird, but wasn’t. “We do,” he admitted. “We fucking do.”

Ben hugged Matt. “A tour, an engagement, and a baby in the band. Can we slow things down a bit?”

Jase laughed. “No babies from me yet. Cerys has this life plan she wrote two years ago, and babies aren’t on it for another three.”

“I like the way we all grew up together, though,” Luke said. “A couple more babies might be a good idea so they can grow up together.”

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