Page 4 of Let Me Love You (Excess All Areas 5)

Which, in truth, it wasn’t; always hovering right on the line of friends who were almost lovers.

But in the months since Chaya and Asher had met, there had been a rift between Chaya and himself so deep that he couldn’t see the bottom of it.

Because she’d picked Asher.

The proof had been the final nail in the coffin.

The jet doors opened, and everyone made their way to the front. Jase was out and over to his assigned car without waiting for their suitcases. “Grab my bags, will you, Matt? I’ll pick ‘em up later.”

“Will do,” Matt said, stepping onto the tarmac.

Luke dropped his bag and ran toward the terminal where Willow and Zale stood just outside the door, Willow making Zale’s pudgy little hand wave. Ben grinned when Zale, now nearly six months old, realised his dad was running towards him. Little legs and arms flailing.

He’d missed the little fella, and liked babysitting for Luke and Willow so they could get a break occasionally.

There came that envy again as Luke scooped them both into his arms.

Ben grabbed all of his bags and dumped them in the trunk of the car assigned to him, Zoe, and Alex. Their instruments were being shipped separately. Once inside, Ben checked his phone.

“Ah, crap,” he muttered.

“Everything okay?” Alex asked.

“Nan wondered if I could pop round. The tap in her kitchen has been leaking for four days and the drip is driving her mad.”

“You know you can pay someone instead? You don’t have to fix everything for all of us anymore.”

Ben shook his head. He found joy in the art of repair. Peopleandthings. He’d been a mechanic before the band took off, and some days he missed the simplicity of it. It was the place his life had value. “Nah. I’ll go get my toolbox and drive over there.”

The car fell quiet as Zoe dozed against Alex’s arm.

He shouldn’t look, but Ben couldn’t resist opening Chaya’s social media page. Perhaps it would have helped if she wasn’t so damn photogenic. But she looked stunning in every single picture. Long brunette hair, so thick and glossy, he’d always loved the feel of it, and a smile so bright it never ceased to make his day. One with two of her girlfriends outside the CrossFit gym on the parkway. A family dinner with her sister and brothers. Three with Asher.

Looking all smarmy and comfortable with Chaya’s family.

One with Chaya’s dad’s arm over his shoulder in welcome. Something her father had never done with Ben.

Even after he’d rescued Chaya all those years ago, he’d never been particularly welcoming.

He closed his phone and opened up the news.

Is Ben King heading for a breakdown?

Is it all too much too soon for Sad Fridays’ guitarist?

New in: Guitarist falls off stage while drunk.

Ben turned his phone off, rubbed his hand over his face, and closed his eyes. The band’s PR team had reassured him it would blow over. Apparently, some celebrity A-List couple was about to issue a statement about the state of their marriage, which would wipe him off the top of the headlines.

He could only hope so.

When he pulled up outside his nan’s house an hour later, toolbox at the ready, she was brandishing her phone at him through the window before he’d even stepped into the garden.

“Benjamin Ashton King. Do you want to tell me why there are photos everywhere of you falling off the stage and being too drunk to climb back on it?”

She’d used his full name. An immediate clue to how mad she was.

He slipped his free arm around her and squeezed. “Hey, Nan. I missed you too.” He hissed as the action hurt his ribs.

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