Page 64 of Heart of The Night

I froze in disbelief. My thoughts swirled, trying to process what I was hearing. The moans grew a little louder, confirming that I wasn’t imagining things. Jason definitely had a woman in his room.

But who? He hadn’t mentioned being interested in anyone to me. Was it a one-night stand? That was so unlike him. We’d lived together for months now, and as far as I was aware, he hadn’t slept with anyone during that time.

I stood there for a moment, battling the urge to sneak up to his bedroom door to hear better, maybe even recognise the voice behind the moans. Curiosity gnawed at me, but I hesitated, knowing it was none of my business. I racked my brain, trying to piece together any clues I might have missed.

Then, like a penny dropping, I remembered Olivia’s trainers in the hall.

Could it be her?

The idea seemed absurd. Olivia and Jason?

My eyes widened as I considered how much time they had spent together lately – Jason helping her out with job applications, Olivia lingering to hang out with him after I had gone to bed, the stories they had shared of each other on social media. More moments flashed through my mind: their late-night laughter as they watched films together, their whispered conversations, the way they seemed so comfortable around each other.

I blinked, staring blankly in the direction of Jason’s bedroom door. The idea was almost too surreal to accept, yet the pieces seemed to fit. But wouldn’t they have been more careful if it was truly Olivia in there? Or had they simply not expected me back so early? Maybe they just didn’t care whether I found out.

The moans from Jason’s room grew louder then, more intense. My heart pounded in my chest, intrigue rooting me in place even though I knew I should respect their privacy and leave.

Then, clear as day, I heard Olivia’s voice cry out in ecstasy, unmistakable and irrefutable.

Shock washed over me, a crimson heat flooding my cheeks. There was no denying it now. My two best friends were sleeping together, and I hadn’t had the faintest idea.

What was I supposed to do now? Confront them? Wait for them to come clean on their own?

As I struggled to comprehend the situation, another thought popped into my mind: did William know about this? Or was he just as clueless as I had been?

So many questions, so few answers. But I reminded myself that this wasn’t the time to probe into it. In fact, I wasn’t sure there was a right time at all. After all, this wasn’t about me. They were my best friends, yes, but that didn’t mean they owed me any transparency on this matter. No, I would let them tell me in their own time – if they ever wanted to. While I desperately wanted to know what was going on, I couldn’t be so selfish as to put my own curiosity above their right to privacy. With that in mind, I resolved to leave unnoticed.

As I headed to the hall and quietly put on my shoes, everything felt bizarre, as if I were trapped in a strange dream. My thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion – I couldn’t focus on a single one. It was as though I were moving in a trance. But just as I was about to walk out, the door to Jason’s room opened. My head snapped around at once, my hand lingering on the doorknob.

Olivia stepped out, completely naked, her blonde hair tousled. I immediately shut my eyes, embarrassment prickling my cheeks. While I had occasionally seen her naked before, the current circumstances made me feel like a voyeur.

Suddenly, she yelped, and I surmised from the sound that she had spotted me.

‘Sorry!’ I called out, still keeping my eyes tightly shut.

‘Cara!’ she exclaimed, mortified.

‘Cara?’ Jason echoed, his tone loaded with confusion.

‘I’m so sorry!’ I shouted again, wincing.

‘Wait, Cara? How – why are you here?’ Jason asked, his question laced with shock and panic, clearly struggling to process my unexpected presence.

‘She lives here, Jason,’ Olivia barked back, sounding further away now. Perhaps she had returned to Jason’s bedroom to find something to cover up with, but since I couldn’t be sure, I kept my eyes closed.

‘I…’ I swallowed hard, trying to gather my thoughts. ‘I didn’t mean to intrude. I was just leaving. Will and I are going to the gym.’

‘Cara, wait,’ Olivia urged, sounding closer again. ‘You can open your eyes. I’m sorry you had to see that.’

I slowly opened one eye and saw Olivia standing in the corridor, now wearing one of Jason’s red T-shirts. On her short, voluptuous figure, it looked more like a dress, the fabric draping loosely around her curves.

‘Did you…’ Her eyebrows twitched. ‘Did you hear…?’

‘I did.’

She flushed a deep shade of pink, her arms crossing over her ample chest. ‘Sorry about that. We didn’t expect you’d be home so soon.’

Behind her, I could hear Jason moving around in his room, the rustling of clothes and muffled footsteps adding to the tension. A moment later, he appeared in the doorway, dressed in grey joggers. His hair was dishevelled, eyes wide with surprise.

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