Page 69 of I Knew You Were Trouble

‘To the flat?’

Maybe he wants to ravish me on that giant bed.Gah, bloody inner voice – shut it!

‘No,’ he replies, ‘to the part of the conversation where you got angry with me.’

‘Oh, well, I wouldn’t sayangry, more annoyed.’

His lips disappear between his teeth for a moment, and he stares at me intently before releasing them. ‘Kate, I want you to see this situation through my eyes.’

‘Sorry,’ I say. ‘Go ahead.’

‘A couple of months ago, Ady told me about Dunn – that she’d met this man, that he was older and different from the men she’d dated before – actually, they were more like “boys”,’ he says with a snort, and I recall what Adriana told me about her exes.

‘Anyway, at the time, I didn’t think much of it – Ady’s her own person. But then a few weeks ago, suddenly they’re engaged. Nowthatraised my suspicions. I hadn’t met him, our parents hadn’t met him… And they’d only been together, for what? Two months? That’s strange, right?’

I nod, even though Jon and I hadn’t been together long when I agreed to marry him – a little over three months. But even that was considered fast by most people’s standards. My parents apparently thought so, and Margot certainly did. She’s never shut up about it.

‘But when I initially looked into him,’ Willem continues, ‘I didn’t expect to find anything.’

‘Really?’ I ask.

‘Well, no, nothing like this. It was simply due diligence, a way to set my mind at ease. Like I said, I’ve always been protective of Ady, so I planned to conduct a cursory search, appease any concerns I had, and never mention it to Ady.’

‘And then you found me,’ I say quietly.

‘And then I found you. You may notneedmy help, Kate, but I wish you’d let me give it. Just like with Ady, I feel protective of you. Dunn is a horrible man, and I hate what he did to you – to both of you – and I want to play my part in exposing him. I want to make sure he never does this again.’

My breath hitches and I swallow the lump in my throat. I had no idea when I first laid eyes on Willem that he might become someone I felt emotionally safe with, but that’s what’s starting to happen.

‘That’s… I appreciate that, thank you.’

‘So, you’ll accept my help?’ he asks.

‘Sure,’ I reply.

One word, but it speaks volumes.Sure, Willem, I’ll let you adopt the role of big brother, vigilante, and protector of foolish women everywhere.

It’s probably for the best, him seeing me that way. Now I won’t be distracted by lustful thoughts of Willem –orromantic ones – while I excise Jon from my life.

Hah! If only that were true.

17

KATE

Lunch was absolutely delicious.Sodelicious, I set aside my wayward thoughts and feelings so I could properly enjoy thebrasatoall’Amarone, beef that’s been slow-cooked in Valpolicella, a regional red wine – accompanied by a glass, of course. That’s after devouring two slices of thick-cut bread I drizzled with olive oil.

I am full as a tick, as my dad would say. Willem may have to give me a piggyback ride after that meal.

Also, something occurred to me over lunch and after the waiter clears our plates, I broach it. ‘I was thinking,’ I begin, and Willem drags his eyes from our river view. ‘We planned on being here the whole weekend in case Lucia wasn’t around today, but with her in Greece, we don’t have any reason to stay. We could change our flights and leave this afternoon?’

‘You don’t want to go to the opera?’ he asks, that cheeky glint in his eye.

‘The opera?’ I ask with a mocking smile. ‘Youlike going to the opera?’

He leans back in his chair and laughs. ‘What? A man like me isn’t supposed to like opera?’

‘It may not seem like it, but I didn’t mean to be insulting. I’m surprised is all. You seem like the type of bloke who— Never mind,’ I say, cutting myself off.

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