Page 35 of Love You Like That (Excess All Areas 4)

“We should call Mum, see how she’s doing before I drink more of these.” He shook the glass in his brother’s direction.

“I thought we needed to talk about you and your weird but good moment with Zoe.”

Alex shook his head. “Beginning to think I just imagined it,” he lied. “Mixed messages. A moment of gratitude.”

Ben grinned. “Let’s go out tomorrow when we aren’t sleeping on the tour bus.”

“Just the two of us, yeah.”

“You sure? Like, if this thing with Zoe could grow into something, you sure you want to be out tomorrow?”

“That’s part of the weirdness. She’s the opposite of what I’d want if I was settling down. Maybe that’s part of the confusion. She wouldn’t tell any of us if she needed anything. And today I heard her mum give this whole speech about her approach to her hearing being about needing to be independent as a reason for not learning to sign. Imagine knowing you’ll need to rely on something eventually and your parent not even bothering to learn because of some fucked up lesson.”

Ben leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “You mean like Dad?”

“What do you mean?”

Ben sipped his whiskey and sighed. “Dad tried to teach you lessons in pretty harsh ways, right. The night he locked you out after you wore those silver pants and eyeliner.”

Yeah. On fucking New Year’s Eve. He’d deliberately put the chain on the door so Alex couldn’t get back in the house. No amount of hammering had roused them. Or at least so he’d thought, but he’d seen his dad peeping through the bedroom curtains. He’d had to walk to Nan’s and hammer on her door until she’d woken up.

Then there was the time he’d brought his first boyfriend home. His dad had ridiculed them both to the point where Joshua had felt unsafe and left. They’d broken up exactly three days later.

Alex reached for the bottle. Today was definitely a get drunk day.

“Dad never bothered to learn who you are, Alex. And at first, he used to frame it as he was trying to toughen you up so you wouldn’t take a beating out in the real world, when really he was just a cruel dick.”

“I’d never go back to their house if I could help it. Mum’s just scared of what the world looks like if she’s divorced and on her own.” Alex flopped back with his glass.

“Anyway, all I’m saying is Zoe might be good for you. Even at face value, you both have more in common than you can see. Both talented musicians, both with less than supportive parents, both operating outside of the mainstream. I’m sure there is more. You don’t normally look so…perturbed when you speak about the people you hook up with.”

“I think that’s the point though, right? I haven’t hooked up with her.”

“Yet. But I’ll make one of those bets you are so fond of right now that you will. You never know how you find the one, Alex”

“The one. Tell me you don’t believe in that horse shit.”

Ben eyed him carefully. “Totally. There are plenty who will do. But there’s only one.”

“Chaya?”

“Should we dial Mum and tell her about what we’ve been discussing? About her getting her own place?”

“Swift change of topic, there.”

Ben huffed. “Yeah. Some things won’t change, no matter how many times you talk about them. But I was serious about Mum. I want to help her get out of her house.”

“I’ve been thinking the same. But when we’ve mentioned it in the past, she’s always said no.”

Ben tugged his hands through his hair. “Yeah. But I think it’s because she knew back then it would have been a financial burden for us. Now, we earn more than enough. We got paid more than twenty grand a month each for the last few months. And mine’s increasing, just stacking up in the bank.”

Alex nodded. His was doing the same, although his lease would be up on his house soon, and he was thinking of buying his own. Put some of it into bricks and mortar. Perhaps finally get around to investing. But his mum’s safety would always come first.

“I’m in. Let’s give her the deposit for a house of her own and give her some cash. Who knows, if the income keeps growing, we could pay it off for her.”

Ben looked at him. “Wouldn’t that be something, eh? To take care of Nan. Mum.”

“Nan won’t let us. But Mum might. Let’s call her.” Because the need to head over to Zoe’s room and kiss her was still at the front of his mind.

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