Page 122 of How Good It Was (Excess All Areas 3)

“Of course. Are you okay? It’s not the baby, is it?”

“No, just give me a minute.”

Willow threw her laptop, phone, and cables into her backpack, tugged on some sweats and Luke’s hoodie over her pyjamas, and headed up the stairs. The relief she felt at knowing that within seconds she wouldn’t be alone took the edge off her panic.

When Izabel let her in, the lights were on and the kettle bubbling. “Are you okay?”

“Someone leaked mine and Luke’s arrangement to the press,” she said.

Izabel pulled her into a hug. It was so unexpected that Willow wasn’t even able to raise her arms to hug her back, they were simply trapped down by her sides. “Miserable fuckers, whoever they are. Right. So, what do we need to do?”

“I tried to get hold of Luke, but you know how deep he sleeps and how shit he is with his phone.”

“I do. He’s useless. Okay. I’ll call Matt. And make tea.”

Willow grinned. She didn’t even like tea. But she’d drink it. She’d drink it because Izabel had asked what we were going to do about it. Because she’d opened her door at three in the morning to help her. Because she’d hugged her.

“Thanks, Iz.”

“It’s what sisters do. At least, I’ve always hoped that’s what they do. Having never had one, I’m making shit up as I go. But Cerys seems to accept it, and so will you.”

Family.

Sometimes it was blood. Sometimes it wasn’t.

Sometimes they sucked you dry for everything you could give them.

And other times they made you tea at three in the morning and told you that you were important to them.

“I will. I do.”

Izabel squeezed Willow’s shoulder. “I’ll take the ‘I will’. Save the ‘I do’ for Luke when he pulls his head out of his arse and proposes. Let me go see if I can wake Matt.”

Willow called Luke again, but no answer.

“I was just dreaming about you,” Matt’s voice rumbled from Izabel’s phone. Willow watched the gooey smile appear on Izabel’s face as she smiled at the screen.

“Hope it was a good dream.”

“The best. Everything alright, babe?” Matt asked.

“You need to go wake Luke. Call his room. Knock on his door. Just get him to call Willow.”

“Everything okay with the baby?” Matt asked. “Is Willow okay?”

“She’s here, but she needs him. Shit’s hit the fan. Someone leaked their agreement.”

“Motherfucker. Look after her, babe. I’ll go get Luke. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Izabel put the phone down on the kitchen counter and went about making the tea. “Any idea how they found out?”

Willow sighed. “None. I mean. Perhaps I’ve been hacked. Like my laptop files. I’ve gone through each of you in my mind and can’t believe that anyone would hurt Luke like that.”

“We wouldn’t hurt you like that, Willow. Anyone with half a brain looks at the two of you and sees two people who love each other. And for those of us who have loved Luke longer than you have, we all saw him riding an edge he couldn’t stay on. We’re rooting for the two of you.”

“Thank you,” she said, taking the cup Izabel offered. “Seriously.”

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