Page 131 of When The Night Falls

When Jason found his voice, it was low and cold. ‘Are you taking the piss?’

‘No,’ William said. ‘It was sort of an accident at first, but I’ve every intention of doing it again, so I thought you should know.’ His voice was devoid of emotion. He might as well have been reading a sheet of instructions.

‘What the hell, Will? That’s my fucking flatmate! She also happens to be my best friend!’

‘Yes, I know. I would say I’m sorry, but I’m not.’

Jason whirled around in my bed and grabbed my shoulders, and he shook them so hard that I would have been an idiot to pretend I was asleep.

‘Cara! Tell me he’s joking!’

‘He’s joking,’ I said.

‘Are you lying?’

‘Yes,’ I squeaked.

He quickly released me. ‘What the actual fuck, Cara? And you haven’t told me?’ He was fuming.

Tears brimmed in my eyes. I was far too drunk to handle this right now.

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to have sex with him.’ My voice was light and feeble and broke at several points. ‘I wasn’t aware he was your brother at the time. Had I known, I would never have done it.’

‘For fuck’s sake, you guys. This is unbelievable.’ Jason groaned and dropped his head between his hands.

‘Jason, I’m really sorry.’ My tears ran over. ‘I didn’t want to tell you because it was an accident, and it had only happened once. I thought it would be best to just leave it at that.’

Clearly despairing, Jason shook his head. ‘I honestly can’t believe this has happened.’ He turned and glowered at his brother. ‘You really are an absolute prick, Will.’

‘Really?’ William frowned. ‘And how is that, exactly? It’s not like my intention here is to make your life any harder. I can’t help that she’s...Well, that she’s her.’ He gestured to my figure in the bed.

I looked at William, my tears coursing down my cheeks. He had betrayed me, and for what? Why had he done this? I was so upset with him, so angry.

‘Why did you tell him?’ I asked. ‘You promised me you wouldn’t.’ I snuffled and wiped my face. ‘Don’t you think you could at least have warned me before you decided to drop the bomb on him?’

Jason gaped at me. ‘You made him promise not to tell?’

‘I was scared of how you would react,’ I said, my voice quivering. ‘Jason, I was scared you’d be angry with me – that you’d stop being friends with me.’

Jason turned to William. ‘Does Dad know about this?’

William raised a brow. ‘Of course he doesn’t, and I wouldn’t tell him either if I were you.’

‘When?’ Jason asked.

William frowned. ‘When what?’

‘When did it happen?’

William shrugged and rubbed his neck. ‘April.’

Jason gasped. ‘April!’

‘Yeah. She was at Disrepute, with Olivia. Remember I told you I’d met a girl named Sandra there?’

Jason was quiet for several seconds, seemingly struck by shock. ‘Oh my God,’ he breathed out. ‘Sandra? That was Cara?’

‘Yeah.’

---