Page 128 of Heart of The Night

I was bursting to tell him I loved him, but I resolved to wait until we were alone, and he was more lucid. As things stood, it wasn’t the right time – his mind was too scattered.

‘Here,’ John said, stepping back from William’s bed and giving me an encouraging nod. ‘Give him a kiss, love. He deserves it.’

I hurried over at once, eager to oblige. With utmost gentleness, I cradled William’s sharp jaw in my hands and pressed my lips tenderly against his smiling mouth. The fact that he kissed me back wasn’t something I took for granted. Those perfect lips could have been cold and lifeless if it hadn’t been for Andy, but instead they were warm and soft, moulding against my own in that exquisite, familiar manner.

His heartbeat quickened under my touch, prompting a smile from me. But, as it kept racing faster and faster, concern crept in, urging me to pull back. I quickly withdrew, a tear falling from my eye onto his cheek. Just as I was about to remove my hands from his jaw, he grasped my wrist tightly. His eye squeezed shut as he began to tremble, tears trailing down his cheek. A profound silence enveloped us, punctuated only by his muffled sobs. The sound was heart-wrenching, betraying a fear he had masked with bravery.

Suddenly, he released my wrist and brought his hand to the nape of my neck, pulling me close once more. Wanting to comfort him, I planted soft kisses on his lips as he wept.

‘I was so worried about you,’ he whispered. ‘I was terrified someone had hurt you.’

‘William,’ I whimpered, my face twisting as I caressed his cheek. ‘I’m fine, now that I know you’re going to be okay.’

‘Do you know who attacked you?’ John interjected.

William drew back slightly and looked at John over my shoulder. ‘No. The last thing I remember is dancing with Cara.’

I stepped aside slightly, allowing them an unobstructed view of one another.

‘His name is Oliver Seymour,’ John said.

William’s visible eye widened with shock. ‘Oliver?’

‘Yes.’ John nodded. ‘How do you know him, Will?’

A pained expression crossed William’s face, signalling his distress at the revelation. He recoiled as if experiencing a sudden surge of pain in his head. Clutching his forehead, he groaned softly, struggling to manage the intense discomfort.

‘That’s enough, John,’ Daphné intervened sharply, shooting her husband a stern look. ‘He needs to rest.’

‘I met him while I was studying at Cambridge,’ William murmured. ‘He was Kate’s friend.’

John knitted a brow. ‘That’s not the whole story, though, is it?’

‘What do you mean?’ William’s tone could have fooled me, but it did not fool John.

‘You’ve definitely got an idea, Will.’

William clenched his teeth, his gaze dropping to his lap. I knew he hadn’t told his parents about Francesca’s pregnancy – he didn’t want them to know unless he turned out to be the father. But now, with everything that had transpired with Oliver, it seemed inevitable that the truth would emerge.

‘I had…’ he mumbled, his frown deepening. ‘I had a casual arrangement with his ex a few months ago.’

‘She wasn’t his ex,’ John corrected.

William’s gaze snapped up to meet his father’s. ‘What?’ Confusion clouded his features.

I hated seeing him like this, so bewildered. It was painfully obvious Francesca had kept him in the dark.

‘Apparently, they were still together,’ John explained. ‘The detectives told us when they were here earlier.’

‘What?’ William’s voice rose in shock. ‘She told me they’d split up!’ He winced, clutching his head as pain flared. ‘Ah, fuck.’

‘John, enough,’ Daphné intervened sternly. ‘You’re angry, I get it, but don’t take it out on William. He’s hardly to blame here. I doubt he would’ve gotten involved with her if he knew the truth.’

‘Of course not,’ William said, looking earnestly at John. ‘I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean for this to happen.’

‘No, I’m the one who should apologise.’ John sighed, his expression softening. ‘Your mother’s right.’

William’s brows corrugated in a deep frown as he stared at his lap. ‘I can’t believe she lied to me,’ he murmured. ‘Why would she do that?’

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