Page 38 of When The Night Falls

‘She doesn’t dislike you,’ he would always say, ‘and she doesn’t fancy me that way.’

‘Ah, Cassie,’ Olivia said. ‘Of course.’

I chuckled. Olivia absolutely could not stand the poor girl since she had heard her gossiping about me in one of the common rooms two years ago. I hadn’t minded because I was aware that I came across as aloof and tended to make a terrible impression on people.

‘Retract your claws, Livy,’ I joked and adjusted my bag on my shoulder.

‘I can’t believe he doesn’t see it. She’s so taken with him, it’s almost painful.’

‘He insists she isn’t.’

Olivia raised a brow and faced me. ‘Would you be cross if he ever sleeps with her?’

Dumbfounded, I replied, ‘It’s far too early in the morning for this, but no, of course not. He can sleep with whomever he likes. We’re not in a relationship.’

‘What if they start dating?’

‘Then he’ll have my blessing.’ I shrugged.

While it was true that a small part of me worried that he would suddenly fall in love with someone else, it was only because I would ultimately lose him as a bed partner then, and I didn’t think I would ever find another Aaron. He was the ideal fuck friend, so I would be upset if I lost him before I was ready for it to happen. But I had been aware of that risk ever since the beginning of our arrangement, so of course I wouldn’t be so selfish as to get angry over it. If he fell in love, I would be the last person to stand in his way, because while I didn’t love him romantically, I loved him as a friend, and that meant that I would put his happiness first.

‘You’re so rational it should be criminal,’ Olivia said.

‘Hardly.’

‘Do you even have an ego?’

‘A huge one,’ I joked.

‘Oh, he’s seen us.’ Olivia turned her head and gave him a smile of acknowledgement. When I looked over, he was walking toward us.

Tall and lean, Aaron Myers was easy on the eyes. He had very short and curly black hair, and I had a habit of clawing it whenever he claimed my body. His eyes were nearly black, and they regarded me with tenderness as he approached. Below them, he had a strong nose with a slightly wide bridge, and full, dark brown lips that I loved to kiss. His stubble was longer than usual, though – it was almost a beard now. He clearly hadn’t trimmed it in a while.

I smiled as I studied his handsome face.

Aaron was one of the cleverest men I had met, and I had always adored his introverted nature. He was one of those people others loved to be around because of his innate calmness and tolerant attitude. He would always listen in silence and contemplate what people had to say before he would offer unique insights and impressive reflections.

We had met during our first year at UCL at a social event that the university’s student union had organised to provide students with an opportunity to make friends and start networking. He had been seated with a group of lads, but I had noticed him stealing glances at me while they talked. When I finally caught him, he didn’t look away. He gave me a demure smile instead, which I immediately reciprocated. Excusing himself from the others, he approached me, somewhat shy in his demeanour. I was easily the more socially confident one, and he seemed to appreciate that, because once I started talking, he didn’t express any desire for me to ever shut up.

That night, we ended up in bed together, and from there, our casual arrangement had been set into motion. In fact, one of the things I fancied most about sleeping with Aaron was that his schedule was aligned with my own, so finding time for a sensual round was never much of a challenge. We had done it in the toilets on campus several times, generally whenever we required a quick break from studying. Another bonus was the fact that Aaron wielded skills that were far above average. He was keenly attuned to my needs and always prioritised them, just as I made a point of prioritising his.

But the expertise of a certain man I had met last weekend forced him into the shadows. William possessed what I considered to be an X-factor. Aside from his outstanding talents between the sheets, there was something remarkably compelling about him, but I couldn’t put my finger on precisely what it was. He was just so assertive and self-assured, seemingly unshakable. I admired his apparent resolve about things. He knew what he wanted, and he didn’t hesitate trying to seize it. Like a breath of fresh air, he had been exceptionally stimulating. That was just it, he was exceptional.

‘Hiya,’ Aaron greeted and successfully distracted me from the dangerous lane of thought I had entered. I reminded myself not to think of William. It wasn’t fair to Aaron, and it wasn’t good for my sanity. William was the past. Aaron was the present.

But would I keep it that way?

‘Did you have a nice weekend?’ he asked and managed to steer me right back onto the thought of William.

‘It was quite dull, to be honest,’ I lied. Olivia cast me a glance, but I ignored it. ‘I finished unpacking most of my things, but I had to order a new wardrobe from IKEA since there wasn’t enough space for all my clothes. Bought a desk while I was at it.’

Aaron chuckled. ‘I’m not even slightly surprised. Jason help you out?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Good of him. You could’ve asked me, you know.’

‘I know, but I wanted some quality time with him.’

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