Page 120 of When The Night Falls

She intrigued me. Did she like me, or did she not? I really couldn’t tell. All I knew was that she didn’t come across as a person who cared much about men. My impression of her was that she was not the type to grow bitter and petty just because I often interacted with her past lover. On the contrary, I found her integrity rather apparent.

‘Well, you’ve impressed me during every meeting,’ I said as I washed my hands.

‘Have I?’ She smirked. ‘Has Will impressed you as well? I think he wants to.’

I froze. Was she jealous? When I gazed at her, she gave me a knowing look.

‘Listen,’ she said and brushed a lock of her raven tresses away from her face. ‘He told me you know about us.’

My lips parted. Why had he done that?

‘It’s not my business,’ I squeaked and avoided her eyes.

She grabbed my arm. ‘Cara, don’t worry. I just need you to listen for a second.’

I met her eyes, my throat feeling tight.

She sighed and shook her head. ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this,’ she murmured.

Doing what?

‘Just...’ Her eyebrows curved downward. ‘Please, give him a chance. He’s completely besotted with you, I can tell. Aside from Andy and John, I know him better than anyone else in this firm, and I’ve never seen him like this.’

I stared at her with shock, my face prickling as fresh colour emerged on my cheeks. ‘I...I appreciate your sentiment, but Will’s my boss and—’

‘I know, and I’m sorry for meddling.’ She smiled embarrassedly. ‘I just can’t help but think you’re making a mistake. If you actually have feelings for him, giving him a chance is the best thing you can do. I swear you’ll be rewarded tenfold.’

A half-suppressed laugh escaped me. I was just so shocked. ‘I hadn’t expected you to be so supportive.’

She chuckled. ‘Did you think I’d be bitter?’

‘Not really, but I definitely hadn’t expected this.’

‘Well, he’s all yours. I’ve never had feelings for him. Only respect and a friendly fondness.’ Was William to her what Aaron was to me? ‘And maybe a little lust, but honestly, he’s a bloody gorgeous man, so who could blame me?’ She shrugged. ‘Anyway, I’ll stay away from now on. I hope you’re not angry with me for sleeping with him.’

‘Vi, I’m not remotely angry with you. He’s not...mine, for lack of a better word.’

‘Oh, but he’s made it very clear that he is,’ she said with a shrewd smile. ‘Give it a thought, Cara. You’re just a trainee. It won’t get in the way of you being hired later. People marry their colleagues all the time. As long as you conduct your relationship in an appropriate manner, nobody’s going to care. Besides, I’m sure John would be delighted to have you on board regardless of you and Will. You’re a clever girl. You’d be an asset without a doubt.’ She folded her arms.

‘And I’d love to see you make him happy,’ she went on. ‘I’ve had a few cocktails already, so excuse me for speaking out of turn about all this, but you know as well as I do that he is exceptional in bed. Why settle for any less when you can have him?’ She sounded baffled. ‘So yes, he’s a bit of a challenge on certain fronts, but overall, he compensates for that with his intellect and personality. Honestly, he’ll make you feel like a goddess if you just give him a chance.’

I could scarcely believe how candid she was being with me; I barely knew her. But I did appreciate it. She was authentic, real, and clearly a bit drunk, but at least her heart was in the right place.

‘Just give it a thought,’ she repeated and gave me a wink as she went to the door. When she opened it, she eyed me over her shoulder. ‘Oh, and this conversation never happened. He’d break my neck.’

I swallowed the massive lump that had gathered in my throat and nodded. As soon as the door closed, I propped my hip against the basin and released a pent-up breath. She and William really were remarkably similar. Perhaps that was why I found myself slightly attracted to her as well.

Turning toward the mirror, I studied my reflection. I had gone for smokier eye make-up than usual, but it looked good. I hadn’t overdone it. According to Jason, it didn’t look like somebody had tried to punch me to death, which he had said as he drooled after my figure sauntering toward the front door. Like his brother, Jason was terrific at giving compliments – his body language even more so. I had felt like a million quid when I left our flat today, confident in my strut.

When another woman came in, I was dragged back to reality. It was time to step outside again. I was quite sure that a certain someone had been counting the seconds I had spent in here. So, with my chin raised, I returned to the bar, where I saw that a group of men had replaced William and Andy, and they were all chatting with Ellie.

Glancing around, I eventually spotted William and Andy at the bar. A herd of women surrounded them, circling the two lads like vultures. There were six of them, and they looked slightly older than me.

William’s eyes caught mine across the room but I quickly looked away. After Violet’s speech, I was more conflicted than ever, so I didn’t feel like interacting with him right then.

My gaze settled on Ellie, and I decided to come to her aid. Surrounded by three strangers, she was visibly uncomfortable. I was certain she had already told them she was engaged, but not everyone respected boundaries.

‘Hi,’ I said when one of the men looked over. He wasn’t particularly handsome. He had a pointed nose and mouse eyes, with thin lips and a narrow head, but his gawk made up for it because it boosted my ego.

---