Page 40 of When The Night Falls

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It was nearing time for dinner when Olivia decided she had revised enough for the day. Shortly after she had left, Aaron leaned back in his chair, and I felt his eyes on me.

‘Have you heard back from Day & Night yet?’ he asked.

Looking up from my laptop, I met his eyes and nodded. ‘Yeah. I’ve got to sign a new contract, so I’m stopping by on Monday next week at ten.’

‘I’m very happy for you, Cara. This is big.’

‘It is, and I wouldn’t have managed it without you.’

‘What do you mean?’

I raised a brow. ‘You know what.’ I focused on my screen again. ‘My marks wouldn’t be half as good without your help.’

‘You’re giving me too much credit. You’re helping me just as much.’

‘Our brains were made for each other.’

‘They were,’ he said, and his tone was conspicuously fond.

I thought our conversation was over, but since I sensed him continuing to observe me, I asked, ‘What?’

‘Have you got any plans tonight?’

My blood slowed in my veins. I knew where he was going with this, so I kept my eyes on my laptop.

For the first time, I dreaded sleeping with him again, and it wasn’t because I felt like I was keeping him in the dark. I had faced him the day after sleeping with someone else several times before, and it had never posed a problem. Not once had my conscience suffered. Besides, for all I knew, he could have scored last weekend as well.

The truth was that I dreaded sleeping with him again because William had left a lasting impression. I hadn’t yet recovered from the power of his attention, so a quick fix with Aaron wasn’t something I had the mind for. Moreover, I didn’t want to ruin my experience of Aaron’s talents in bed. But if we slept together so soon, it would inevitably result in that.

‘I’m sorry, but I’m just not feeling up to it today,’ I said.

‘Fair enough.’ He nodded and focused on his textbook again.

Even though I knew I could only delay it for so long, I released a quiet breath of relief.

§ § §

On Monday the 22nd of April, I was about to sign my new contract. I was tense as I waited for Ms Ainsley in the grand reception area of the Day & Night building on Cannon Street, but she wasn’t the one to collect me; a middle-aged man exited the lift and called my name.

‘Miss Darby?’

‘Yes?’

His piercing light-blue eyes, which were the first thing I noticed about him, locked with mine, and something about them struck me as familiar. Scattered throughout his dark brown hair were silver strands, but his cheeks were neatly shaven, making him look years younger than he probably was. He was one of those men who made age his friend.

As he moved toward me, I admired his elegance. He had a level of class I could only dream of managing. Mirroring his grin, I wondered who he was. Was he the lawyer I would be shadowing?

‘It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard great things,’ he said as he halted in front of me. He extended his hand, and I was quick to take it. His grip was firm, and I appreciated that.

‘Have you?’

‘Yes. You must be wondering who I am.’

‘Well, we’ve not met before, have we?’

‘No, I’m afraid not. I’m John Night, Jason’s father.’

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