Page 153 of When The Night Falls

He chugged his glass of water and then exhaled loudly, shrugging his shoulders. ‘I actually took your side.’

My eyes widened. ‘Did you?’

He nodded, putting the empty glass on the worktop behind him. ‘I know you wouldn’t have slept with Aaron. But I can still understand why Will doubted you for a minute, especially since you’ve got a terrible track record with him in terms of telling lies. I mean, even when you met, you were lying, and then you asked him to keep me in the dark about what happened between you...So you’ve come across as a tad deceitful to him from the outset, I’m sorry to say it.’

I grimaced, my stomach clenching in a knot. ‘It sounds so bad when you put it that way. I don’t understand where it’s come from – it’s not like me.’

‘It really isn’t.’ Jason shook his head and crossed his arms. ‘But in every case where you have lied, the common denominator is Will.’

I frowned, unsure of where he was going with this. ‘Okay?’

‘Well, what I’m trying to say is that you should bear that in mind – try to be more conscious of it. If I were you, I would stop lying wherever he’s concerned.’

I folded my arms. ‘It’s not like it’s been my goal to lie to him. Things have just kind of happened that way. I mean, when we first met, I lied about my identity because he’d acted like an arsehole. Then I decided to maintain the lie because I didn’t want him to be able to find me. He seemed very interested, so I just thought it was the best way to ensure a clean break. And when it comes to you, I omitted, but it was only because—’

‘I know all this, and there’s no doubt you’ve had good intentions. But having good intentions doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing the right thing. When it comes to Will, the right thing to do is always to tell him the truth. You don’t have to worry about preserving his feelings – he’s a grown man. He can handle that himself. What he can’t handle, however, are lies.’

I pushed my bowl away. I had lost my appetite. ‘Well, I certainly won’t repeat it. I had enough of a fright last night. I really thought he would end things with me at one point.’

‘Did you?’

‘Yeah. In fact, after hearing this, I struggle to understand how he can still be interested in me. I mean, most people would have considered my actions to be a giant red flag, wouldn’t they?’

His lips curved into a gentle smile. ‘Will knows your reasons better than anyone, so he doesn’t see it that way. He understands why you’ve done it, so he’s writing it off as the exception to the rule.’

I let out a breath of relief. ‘Good, because it was.’

‘I know – I told him that.’

I looked at him with gratitude. ‘Thanks for having my back, Jason.’

‘Of course. Just please don’t give me a reason to regret it.’

‘I definitely won’t.’

‘Good.’ He looked at the floor, seeming to contemplate something. ‘Have you heard anything from Aaron since last night?’

I stared miserably at my bowl of cereal, my lips protruding. ‘No.’

‘I’m sure he’ll get over it soon enough,’ he said and walked over to me. ‘Aaron’s not the bitter type.’

‘I hope you’re right,’ I said as he rubbed my back. ‘I think he feels betrayed, though, and he’s probably a bit disappointed since he’ll have to find a new bed partner now.’

‘I don’t think he’ll have much trouble with that. He’s an attractive guy.’

I nodded. ‘He is.’

He grabbed the seat beside me, and some silence elapsed.

‘Cara, I’ve been wondering.’

‘What?’

He scratched his cheek. ‘It’s going to sound very wrong, but I’m just so curious.’

‘What?’

‘Is Will really that good in bed?’ he asked, a little intimidated. ‘I remember you said he was the best you’d ever been with.’

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