Page 175 of When The Night Falls

‘Tell me.’

His eyebrows furrowed as he took my hand and squeezed it. ‘Well, I’m just not really that surprised. When I saw him on Saturday, I thought it was obvious that he is in love with you. I’m sorry to say it.’

My breath hitched. ‘What? How was it obvious?’

‘The way he was defending you – it was excessive. It just kindled a suspicion in me.’

I looked away, thinking back to the scene he was referring to. I hadn’t thought it was suspicious at all, because Aaron had always been protective of me. But maybe that was the problem. I had thought it was just who he was –I hadn’t realised it stemmed from his feelings for me.

‘But I’m sorry it turned out this way all the same,’ William said and released my hand. Wrapping his arm around me, he lay down and brought me with him. I snuggled closer and rested my head on his chest. His lovely scent drifted into my nose, slowly calming my troubled heart.

‘I just feel so...deceived,’ I said after a while, my voice light and feeble. ‘I mean, the whole thing makes me wonder if we were ever actually friends, or whether he’s always had an ulterior motive.’

He kissed my head and rubbed my back. ‘I’m sure there’s been genuine friendship at the root of it all. He just wanted more, and I can’t say I blame him.’

I let out a loud breath, wondering whether all casual sex arrangements were doomed to end this way. Then I remembered that William and Violet had had a similar arrangement, but as far as I was aware, the outcome hadn’t been the same at all.

‘What was it like for you and Violet?’ I asked. ‘Did she react like this?’

He brushed his hand over my hair. ‘Far from it. Vi was actually the first to suggest we should end things.’

I stiffened. ‘What?’ That wasn’t the impression I’d had.

‘Yeah, but hold your horses. It was because I told her about you. To put it this way, she beat me to it. Right after I told her I had feelings for you, she suggested that we should go back to being strictly platonic. She was worried that if we kept sleeping together, it could ruin my chances with you. The irony is that I obviously brought it up for a reason – I had already planned to end things with her. Anyway, the answer is no. Vi did not react like Aaron did.’

I was surprised at that. I knew Violet was supportive of William and me, but I hadn’t thought it went this far. ‘I am continually impressed by this woman. How come you never developed feelings for her? She seems incredible.’

He kissed my hair. ‘Because she’s not you.’

‘Will, be serious.’

‘I am.’

I huffed, my lips protruding.

‘To be honest, I’m not entirely sure,’ he said, and there was a note of amusement in his voice. ‘Maybe it’s because she’s too different from my mother.’

I gasped as I caught the reference to the Oedipus joke I had made when we first met. A giggle snuck out of me then, and it amazed me that he was able to make me laugh under these circumstances.

He chuckled at the sound of my laugh. ‘On a serious note, I think it’s because we’re just too similar. It would be like dating myself, and I’m not really interested in that. There needs to be some friction,something to make it stimulating.’

‘Hm.’

‘And that’s where you come in. Yes, we’re similar in a lot of ways, but we’re also different in a lot of ways – in the best ways if you ask me.’

I looked up at him then, and for the first time since my conversation with Aaron, a wholehearted smile claimed my lips. ‘I’m glad you see it that way. I do too.’

He squeezed me against him and pressed a kiss to my forehead. ‘Good.’

‘I’m surprised Violet never wanted more with you, though. I mean, you’ve definitely changed my mind about romance.’

‘Just how the world works, I guess. One man’s meat is another man’s poison, as they say.’

My stomach rumbled then, and I flushed with embarrassment at the loud sound. ‘Sorry. You shouldn’t have mentioned food.’

‘Have you eaten anything since you left work?’ he asked, audibly worried.

‘No. I kind of lost my appetite.’

---