6 | Blame yourself
6 | blame yourself
I knew I ought to get going, but I just couldn’t make myself move. Cosied up next to William, I had just snapped awake from a nap I hadn’t planned on, staring blankly at the black screen of the mammoth telly on the second floor of his penthouse. Sprawled on the sofa, we had both passed out after our latest steamy session. Since last night, we’d had sex a total of five times, and my vagina was now so sore that it would be out of service for at least a week.
I was shocked at us – at how insatiable he made me feel. My body had started complaining after round four, yet I just couldn’t get enough of him. I had planned to leave after breakfast, having polished off the delicious scrambled eggs he had whipped up for me. But then we were at it again, first on the kitchen island, then on the stairs, and finally on the sofa, which we hadn’t been able to leave since.
My gaze drifted to the floor-to-ceiling windows, now streaked with the heavy rain tumbling down. The sunny backdrop of our blissful date yesterday had disappeared. With a groan, I thought of the journey back to my flat. I had come without an umbrella, and my dress, white as it was, would turn see-through in a heartbeat. Maybe William had an umbrella I could borrow, but I didn’t want to wake him yet. He was out for the count, totally zonked out after satisfying my ravenous demands.
I snuggled closer to him, eyes closing as I tuned into the rhythmic tapping of rain against the windows. I was seconds away from drifting off again when the doorbell blasted through the quiet, yanking me back to reality. William’s eyes flew open as he shot upright, lifting his wrist to squint at his watch.
‘Bloody hell,’ he muttered, eyes going wide. ‘It’s one o’clock.’
Confused, I blinked up at him. ‘Are you expecting somebody?’
His gaze flicked to me, scanning my naked body. Then his face pinched with regret. ‘Alex and Andy.’
My breath hitched. ‘What?’
‘Lunch,’ he explained, clambering off the sofa. ‘I’m sorry, I must’ve passed out before I could give you the heads-up.’ He gripped his hip, fingers tangling in his hair.
Panic swarmed my mind. I glanced down at my body, a mess of our spent passions.
‘William – shit! I’m naked, I smell like a brothel, and I don’t even want to imagine the state my hair is in! I can’t meet them like this! Alex doesn’t even know me! This can’t be his first impression!’
William let out a long huff as he sized me up. ‘I don’t see how we can avoid this, love. They’re already downstairs. You’re bound to cross paths.’
I looked away, pondering whether hiding somewhere until the coast was clear was a feasible plan.
‘Distract them,’ I said. ‘Let them in while I hide in your room, then bring them up here, and I’ll do a runner.’
His eyebrows rose. ‘Are you having a laugh?’
I stared back blankly.
‘They won’t care, Cara. They already know about us. Besides, Alex has been itching to meet you for months. I’m not about to stuff you away like you’re something to be ashamed of. I’m not.’ He cast a glance at the stairs. ‘Go on, have a shower, freshen up. You can borrow some of my clothes – whatever you need. I’ll keep them busy for now.’
‘William, seriously! What?’
He held my gaze, his eyes twinkling as a slow smile stretched across his face. He gave a casual shrug of his shoulders, as if this were all just part of an ordinary day.
‘Have lunch with us.’
My mouth fell open. ‘Will, I can’t meet one of your best mates looking like I’ve just finished filming a set of some porno . Andy won’t let me live it down ever . You know that. I’ll be hearing about this till the day that I die.’
William pressed his lips together, his shoulders shaking as he desperately tried to contain his laughter. It was a losing battle; his mirth erupted, his laughter bouncing off the high ceiling.
‘See! You know it’s true!’ I flapped my hands in frustration.
‘So what? It’ll just make for a cheeky story to pull out at parties when we’re old and wrinkly.’
The doorbell chimed again before I could whip up a retort. Fuck.
‘Cara,’ William said, his gaze soft on me, as if trying to soothe my nerves. ‘Just stay. Please. I’ll give you a lift home later, and I’ll tell Andy not to tease you about this – that I practically trapped you in this situation.’
Give me a lift home? He had a car?
The relentless doorbell echoed through the flat again, derailing my train of thought. No time to think, no time to keep squabbling.
‘Oh, fuck it,’ I said, shooting off the sofa toward the stairs. If I had to meet Alex looking like the aftermath of a wild night, I would at least make sure I smelled nice. ‘I can’t believe you didn’t warn me!’ I hollered over my shoulder, the echo of my outrage trailing me as I sprinted down the stairs.
‘Blame yourself!’ he yelled back. ‘You’ve fucked my brains out!’
I dashed into the en-suite off William’s bedroom and quickly twisted the knobs of the shower. An involuntary gasp escaped me as an icy jet of water assaulted my skin. I gritted my teeth, willing my body to adjust to the initial shock of cold as I reached for the shampoo.
By the time I had lathered my hair into a froth of bubbles, the water had mercifully warmed up to a comfortable temperature. Just then, William breezed in, clad in nothing but a pair of white boxers. His eyes met mine and he flashed me a wide, warm smile, a chuckle slipping from his lips at the sight of my shampoo-laden hair. Without a word, he swiftly discarded his boxers and joined me in the shower.
‘Where are they?’ I asked, stepping into the cascading water to rinse the suds from my locks.
‘Comfortably settled in the lounge,’ he said, his hands tracing a tantalising path from my waist to cup my breasts.
‘Did you tell them I’m here?’
‘Andy noticed your handbag in the hall.’ He dipped his head, drawing my right nipple into his mouth with a firm suckle. I gritted my teeth, a vain attempt to suppress the rippling pleasure. His arm curled around me, pulling me flush against his body under the curtain of warm water. Then his lips claimed mine in a fervent kiss, and I knew, soreness be damned, there was no way I could resist feeling him inside me again.
His arousal nudged against my stomach, and my hand instinctively drifted downward, wrapping around his rigid length. His groan echoed in the confined space as I stroked him, and he pulled me even closer. I grinned, a sense of pride washing over me, knowing I had this effect on him time and time again.
‘Let’s be quick,’ I said, my arms winding around his neck in an intimate embrace.
A mischievous grin spread his lips. ‘Climb aboard.’
I leaped onto him with a giggle, my legs entwining around his waist in a secure lock. The subsequent glide of him inside me elicited a sharp gasp from my mouth, the jolt of pleasure undeniable, even if it was tinged with a hint of pain this time. But it was a fleeting sensation, soon eclipsed by the unbearable tension that rallied within me, seizing every muscle of my body in a tight grip. When it finally let go, it took every ounce of my self-control not to wail William’s name for the whole world to hear. But, judging by the glint in William’s eyes, perhaps he wouldn’t have minded the entire world knowing my pleasure, and that he was the artist behind it.
Emerging from the cloud of steam billowing around us, we stepped onto the beige slate tiles of the en-suite, the scent of shampoo and soap lingering in the air. I crossed into William’s spacious bedroom, my gaze settling on the discarded heap of my white dress from the day before, draped over the velvet, dark brown chaise longue near the windows. I picked it up, the soft fabric cool against my fingertips, but as I brought it closer, I was hit with the all-too-familiar scent of sex. I grimaced, remembering that William’s hands, coated in our passion, had been all over it last night. Wearing this was out of the question. Andy and Alex were bound to detect the smell.
Tossing the dress back onto the chair, I looked at William, who stood in the doorway of the bathroom, drying his beautiful chest with a white towel. ‘I can’t wear this,’ I said, pointing at the dress. ‘They’ll notice the smell for sure.’
William just smiled. ‘Then wear something of mine.’ He jerked his head toward the adjoining walk-in wardrobe.
I followed his gaze, peering through the open doors into a room that looked like a treasure trove of William’s personal style. Rows upon rows of neatly hung suit jackets, shirts and trousers greeted my eyes, arranged with an attention to detail that was characteristically William.
I walked in, my fingers skimming over the luxurious fabrics and expertly tailored designs when a sudden burst of colour caught my eye. Hanging amongst the sea of muted colours was a bright orange dress, a sunbeam in the uniform greys and blues. I stopped in my tracks, my fingertips ghosting over the silken material. Who did it belong to? A woman, obviously, unless William had a secret penchant for wearing dresses that he hadn’t disclosed to me.
A sense of unease stirred within me, sending my thoughts into a whirlwind. Was he entertaining another woman behind my back?
Biting back my mounting anxiety, I chose directness over speculation. ‘Whose dress is this?’
William entered the doorway, looking puzzled. As his gaze followed my pointing finger to the orange dress, comprehension dawned, replaced quickly by a flicker of guilt. ‘Ah, that’s Francesca’s,’ he said, a wince of apology forming on his face. ‘She left it here before we ended things.’
‘Oh.’ Francesca. The memory of her made me pause, my chest filling with a peculiar sense of guilt. Sometimes, I felt like I had stolen her man, even though I knew he had always wanted only me – he had never truly been hers.
It was strange to think that she had once shared the same intimacy with William that I now did – that, if I hadn’t come to my senses in time, she might have been the one standing here at this moment instead of me.
I vividly remembered the day she visited William at his office – the hopeless love brimming in her eyes as she talked about him, the conflicting emotions I endured, and the immense relief I had felt when William revealed he had already ended things with her; she was merely there to ask for a second chance.
I could feel William’s attentive gaze on me as I turned away from the dress, my eyes scanning his collection for something suitable to wear.
‘I’m sorry. I’d forgotten about it,’ he murmured, remorse in his voice. ‘I didn’t mean for you to see it.’
I gave him a small smile. ‘I’m not bothered, don’t worry. I was just confused for a minute.’
His brow furrowed, questioning. ‘Did you think, for even a second, that I might be involved with somebody else?’
‘I’d be lying if I said it didn’t cross my mind,’ I confessed, ‘but I considered it unlikely.’
With a few determined strides, he closed the distance between us, his fingers gently gripping my chin to tilt my head back. ‘I will never do that to you. You’re the only one I’ll ever want.’
My chest fluttered at the sincerity in his voice, at the unwavering conviction gleaming in his eyes. Unable to contain the buoyant grin spreading on my face, I tiptoed, stretching to place a tender kiss on his lips.
‘That’s mutual,’ I said affectionately, caressing his damp, bare chest.
Turning my attention back to the wardrobe, I spied a pair of white linen trousers hanging a little apart from the suits of William’s collection. Snagging the lightweight fabric off its hanger, I held them up against my waist, estimating the loose fit with a satisfied nod.
Next, I spotted a pristine white T-shirt, neatly folded on a wooden shelf. With a swift move, I slipped it off the shelf, the soft cotton fabric cool to the touch. Pulling on the oversized T-shirt, followed by the linen trousers, I rummaged around the drawers until I found a brown leather belt, which I used to cinch the waist of the trousers after stuffing my shirt into it. Then I made a final adjustment to the trousers, rolling up the turn-ups to expose my bare ankles.
Meanwhile, William had busied himself with his own attire, choosing an olive linen shirt that he left partly unbuttoned, revealing a sliver of his chest. He paired it with pressed, cream-white trousers that hung perfectly off his hips.
Now dressed, we both moved toward the living room, my heart pounding with anticipation. William opened the door, gesturing for me to step out first. As I crossed the threshold, the hum of relaxed conversation reached my ears. The familiar tones of Andy’s voice intertwined with another – deeper and steadier, like a calming lullaby. It could only belong to Alex.
Sauntering further into the living room, my gaze was instantly drawn to him. I paused, my breath hitching. Alex was arrestingly handsome, his dark hair and stubble offering a perfect frame to his striking, Romanesque features. His nose had a prominent bridge that brought character to his profile, and his hair was neatly groomed, the natural waves drawn back from his chiselled face, giving him an air of timeless elegance. He was dressed in a powder blue shirt, its top two buttons undone, and light-grey trousers. He sat with his legs crossed on the black leather sofa facing the front door, exuding a commanding aura, like that of a king quietly holding court. Opposite him was the jester, Andy, wearing a white shirt and brown trousers, his dark blond hair catching the soft daylight filtering in from the rain-kissed windows.
The door clicked shut behind us, prompting both men to gaze in our direction. Alex’s eyes caught mine, his square jaw tightening, eyebrows curving in clear surprise. A spontaneous smile bloomed on my face, despite a twist of nerves fluttering in my stomach. But it wasn’t Alex himself that put me on edge. It was his closeness with William. Earning his approval felt like a necessary hurdle, as if failing to do so might cause friction either between him and William, or William and me. From everything I had heard about the trio’s friendship, their mutual respect for each other’s opinions was undeniable.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, my eyes found William’s profile. A soft smile graced his face, his light-blue eyes warmly regarding his friends. His contentment resonated within me, calming my anxiety. Just being near him, just looking at him, brought a smooth, soothing rhythm to my heartbeat.
‘So, who’s the real Will here?’ Andy quipped, his eyes sparkling with mischief as they darted between our outfits.
A blush spread across my cheeks as I caught Alex’s gaze once more. ‘I’m so sorry,’ I said to him, a bit flustered as I gestured to my borrowed clothes. ‘I wasn’t aware you were coming.’
‘No,’ Andy interjected, his smirk growing wider, ‘you thought it’d just be you and Will who would be coming.’
Alex rolled his eyes at Andy’s innuendo, giving him a look that fell somewhere between exasperated and unamused.
‘Well, Andy,’ Alex said, an undercurrent of humour lacing his words, ‘if you weren’t so dim, perhaps Chloe would have come, too.’
Beside me, William struggled to keep a straight face, his shoulders quivering. A muffled chuckle escaped his tightly pressed lips, betraying his amusement, while Andy’s face turned bright red.
Careless of their reactions, Alex smoothly rose from his seat, capturing my attention. I blinked at the sheer height of him. He was even taller than William, and just as brawny. Approaching with a confident stride, he extended his hand, his winsome smile revealing a flawless set of pearly whites.
‘Hello, Cara,’ he said, his large palm enveloping my hand in a firm, friendly handshake. ‘I’m Alexander, but everyone just calls me Alex.’
‘Hello, Alex. It’s great to finally put a face to the name.’
‘It is, isn’t it?’ His eyes, reminiscent of deep-blue sapphires, glinted with recollection. ‘But you know, we nearly met once before,’ he said. ‘I was at the table last time Jason hosted poker night. It’s a shame we didn’t get to meet then.’
A knot formed in my stomach, and I sensed William tensing beside me. That night was a minefield of unpleasant memories, littered with misunderstandings and revelations.
‘Smooth move, Alex,’ Andy said with a chuckle.
Alex’s eyes widened in recognition of his faux pas. ‘Oh, right. I’m so sorry. I forgot about…’
Aaron.
‘No, it’s all right,’ I assured him quickly, though his words sparked a moment of curiosity. Just how much did he know about my past with Aaron? ‘I’m glad we didn’t meet back then, though.’ The memory of what I had looked like that night made me cringe internally – my puffy, tear-stained eyes, my cheeks flushed from crying, my lips red and swollen. Meeting Alex in that state would have been less than ideal, to say the least. ‘I was far from presentable.’
‘And now you are…?’ Andy asked, looking pointedly at my outfit.
William walked straight toward him and delivered a swift smack to the back of his head. ‘Would you please stop?’
Andy laughed, rubbing his scalp. ‘Sorry, mate. She makes it too easy. I can’t resist.’
‘Don’t listen to him, Cara,’ Alex said, sliding his hands into his pockets. ‘What that clown is really trying to say is that we’re glad you’re finally giving Will a chance.’ He gave a small, knowing smile, his eyes briefly meeting William’s.
‘No lie there,’ Andy conceded with a nod, his playful demeanour replaced with a brief bout of earnestness.
I flashed them a grin. ‘Well, so am I.’
‘Good to hear – me too,’ William chuckled. ‘Now, about lunch. Have you made a decision?’ he asked, looking at the lads.
‘Yeah,’ Andy replied. ‘We’re thinking poke bowls.’
William’s eyes swung in my direction. ‘Does that work for you?’
‘Yeah.’ I glanced between Alex and Andy. ‘But honestly, if you guys would rather have a boy’s lunch, I wouldn’t mind stepping out.’
Alex shook his head. ‘No, we’d much rather you stayed. I’m getting rather bored of hearing about you on the grapevine. It’s high time I got to know you first-hand.’
‘She’s usually a lot cheekier,’ Andy said, shooting me a sly smile. ‘I don’t know why she’s suddenly put her halo on. I’m normally counting my blessings if I escape with my dignity still intact.’
‘What dignity?’ I asked.
William gave a hearty laugh. ‘You’ve popped the champagne too soon, Andy.’
§ § §
Alex stood out as the quintessential gentleman among the trio. William was handling me with kid gloves, most likely out of guilt for roping me into this awkward situation. As for Andy, even though he was trying to temper his teasing instincts, there were moments when he just couldn’t help himself. Thankfully, Alex’s knack for putting people at ease came to my rescue, and soon, I was volleying back at Andy with unabashed cheekiness, to Andy’s great amusement. His laughter felt genuine, as though it temporarily swept aside the cloud of his ongoing issues with Chloe, his partner of ten years. It was a welcome distraction for him, I suspected.
Getting to know Alex, however, proved to be more of a challenge. He was far more reserved than I had expected, seldom volunteering personal details. I had managed to learn he was a real estate developer, specifically the CEO of Winton Properties. I was taken aback when he casually dropped this bombshell, as I realised he was none other than Alexander Winton – a billionaire, and one of the UK’s most eligible bachelors. But while he was slow to talk about himself, he was quick to ask questions about me. At times, it felt a bit like I was being grilled in a job interview, but I wasn’t put off. I reckoned it had more to do with him being protective of William. Made sense he would want to make sure his best mate’s interest in me was well-placed.
‘Ivy adapting well to the job?’ William asked Alex, smoothly changing the subject and giving me a breather.
Alex met his gaze, the look on his face an unreadable blend of casual indifference and tight control. ‘She is. She’s a natural.’
Andy chimed in, ‘How convenient to have the woman you fancy as your personal assistant. Round-the-clock charm offensive, I presume?’
‘Bit of a double-edged sword, really,’ William interjected, a fleeting glance shot my way. ‘One wrong move and he could be facing a harassment complaint. Makes outright flirtation a bit of a risky strategy.’
‘I doubt Alex would overstep,’ Andy said, a chuckle warming his words. ‘He’s as gentle as they come. And Ivy? Filing a complaint against him? Nah, can’t see that happening, either. They’ve been friends for ages – long before she became his PA. I reckon she’d sooner quit the job than march up to HR with a complaint.’
Alex sighed, looking between them. ‘Either way, she doesn’t seem to be picking up on my subtle attempts at flirting. It’s like my “charm offensive” is simply hitting a brick wall. Might as well be fifteen years ago, for all the progress I’ve made.’
Noticing my bemused expression, William filled in the gaps. ‘Ivy’s been a close friend of Alex’s since childhood. After she lost her job when her former employer downsized, Alex swept in and hired her as his PA. He’s been smitten with her since we were kids.’
A smile danced across my face as I turned to Alex. ‘How sweet.’
Alex shifted uncomfortably, rubbing his neck. ‘Sweet, yes, but also agonising. Longing for someone who’s always close, yet consistently just out of reach… Watching from the sidelines as she gives other men the attention I’m absolutely pining for – it’s no joyride.’
He exchanged a look with William, their gazes linking in a silent, shared understanding.
‘I barely managed a few months,’ William said with a nod, his eyes flickering in my direction. ‘I can’t fathom enduring it for years.’
I felt a pang of guilt. ‘Perhaps there’s something holding her back,’ I said, partly to defend myself.
Alex shrugged, the hint of a mirthless smile tugging at the corners of his lips. ‘Yeah, like a lack of interest.’
William scoffed. ‘Or, more likely, oblivion. With your subtle style, Alex, I’d wager Ivy thinks you’re just being friendly, not putting the moves on.’
‘I’m backing Will on this one,’ Andy agreed. ‘You’re hopeless when it comes to women, Alex. You’re on par with Jason, man, and that’s saying a lot.’
Alex pinched the bridge of his nose, a crease forming between his eyebrows. ‘I’m working on it,’ he said, a note of frustration edging his voice. ‘But I certainly didn’t do myself any favours by hiring her. As if I wasn’t struggling enough, now I’ve got the added challenge of trying to charm her without overstepping the professional boundaries.’
My heart twisted for him. He had woven himself into a difficult web, and I couldn’t see how he could untangle it. William and I, our romance had sprung from an undeniable mutual attraction. But Ivy and Alex, their roots lay in a deep-seated friendship, which painted a completely different picture. If things went pear-shaped, he risked losing not just an employee, but a cherished friend, too.
‘Don’t give up,’ William said with a faint smile. ‘You’ll figure it out eventually.’
‘Even if it takes you another decade and a half,’ Andy chimed in, a playful grin splitting his face.
‘Or I’ll just die single.’ Alex leaned back with a sigh. ‘Who knows.’
‘Good thing you like cats, then,’ Andy said amusedly.
‘Watch him start a cat shelter,’ William chuckled.
I blinked, a touch surprised by their reactions. I had half expected them to reply with something along the lines of: ‘There’s plenty more fish in the sea.’ Yet, both of them seemed to acknowledge that Alex might stay single if he failed to win Ivy over. That in itself spoke volumes about the depth of Alex’s feelings and the years of unwavering devotion he had shown her. William and Andy’s quiet agreement suggested a recognition that Alex’s heart was set, and no other woman would ever alter its course. I was amazed by that, and caught myself hoping that William’s loyalty would mirror Alex’s.
‘I’ll name the stupidest cat after you,’ Alex said to Andy. ‘And the ugliest after you,’ he went on, looking at William. They burst into laughter at that.
The conversation trickled to an end shortly after, the lunch hour slipping away as quickly as it had come. As we all started to clear the table and say our goodbyes, I couldn’t help but reflect on how genuinely nice Alex was. Despite his impressive status and evident wealth, there was a sincere, almost humble quality about him that was disarming. He was quite unlike any bachelor stereotype that floated around in the media.
After we saw Alex and Andy out, the flat fell into a comfortable silence. The door shut with a soft click, and the previous laughter and chatter seemed like a distant echo. Now it was just William and me again.
Leaning against the front door, William gazed at me, a hint of a smile on his face. ‘Fancy a lift home, then?’
‘Since when have you got a car?’ I blurted out, the question that had popped up in my mind earlier resurfacing.
He frowned. ‘What do you mean? I’ve always had a car.’
‘But you always take the Tube to work, don’t you?’
He chuckled. ‘That I do.’
‘Why?’
He shrugged. ‘Well, it’s quicker, there’s no stress about parking – a luxury in London, as I’m sure you’re aware – and, quite frankly, my seniority doesn’t warrant a parking spot at work yet.’
‘Then why keep a car at all?’
‘Because I enjoy escaping from the city at the weekends,’ he said, a twinkle of fond memories in his eyes.
I smiled, recalling that Jason often joined these trips. ‘That makes sense.’
Turning around, I quickly gathered my things: my dress, my pastel blue purse and the medal William had given me the night before. With my belongings collected, we headed to the building’s underground car park, where a black Tesla Model X was neatly parked in a corner spot. The car’s matte finish seemed to devour the dull glow of the overhead lights, making it look rather formidable. William led the way toward it, prompting a knowing grin from me.
‘Of course you’ve got a real-life Batmobile,’ I teased, referencing our shared fondness for Batman.
William chuckled, taking a moment to appraise the car with newfound respect. ‘You know, I never saw it that way, but you might be onto something there. It does look a bit like the Batmobile, doesn’t it?’
I laughed, adding, ‘I bet your love for all things Gotham subconsciously steered your choice.’
‘Probably.’ He swung the passenger door open for me. ‘After all, every Bruce Wayne needs his Batmobile, right?’
‘Absolutely,’ I said, my smile widening. As I prepared to slide into the seat, William gently grasped my hand and brushed a kiss across the back of it.
‘But he’d never be complete without his Catwoman,’ he said, his words sending a soft thrill through me, prompting a giggle to bubble up.
‘We’re so corny sometimes,’ I said.
He chuckled. ‘A lot of the time, to be honest. But I love it.’
‘Me too.’
Once I was inside, he closed the door and walked around the car, slipping in behind the wheel with an easy grace. The electric engine purred to life, a soft hum in the silence as we began the drive to my flat.
‘Alex really is a genuinely good guy, isn’t he?’
William smiled. ‘He is. He’s always been more about substance than show.’
His words resonated with my own impressions, and I nodded in agreement. ‘I’ve got to ask, though… From what he said about Ivy, has he ever been with another woman?’
At this, William pulled a face. ‘Yeah. He’s tried moving on from Ivy several times – usually when she starts seeing someone else – and ends up trying his luck with other women. But he’s never been able to shake off his feelings for Ivy. He had something going with a woman named Abigail for a bit, but that ended recently.’
A suspicion kindled within me. ‘Is Ivy recently single?’
‘Yeah.’
‘So did he split from Abigail before or after he found that out?’
William shot me a quick look. ‘After…’
My eyebrows arched. ‘Wow.’
‘Yeah.’
‘He should take a break from dating other women, then. It’s not fair on them if he’s always thinking of Ivy. And he’s delusional if he thinks another woman is going to help him get over her. That’s not how it works.’
‘Don’t worry, he’s realised that.’
‘That’s a relief,’ I said, letting out a long sigh.
‘Tired?’ he asked, his hand coming to rest lightly on my thigh.
‘Totally spent,’ I admitted, fatigue starting to wash over me.
‘I thought as much. On the bright side, though, Alex seemed rather charmed by you.’
‘Really?’ I asked, unable to mask my excitement.
‘Yes.’ He took my hand, lifting it to his lips for a brief kiss as we eased onto the main road. ‘Thank you for staying. It meant a lot to me.’
I squeezed his hand and leaned over to peck his cheek. ‘I’m glad I stayed, too.’
§ § §
Olivia’s shoes in the hall gave me pause.
‘Livy?’ I called, nudging the front door closed with my foot.
‘So you’re alive after all,’ came her cheeky reply.
‘Barely. How come you’re here?’ I asked, kicking off my shoes and wandering into the living room. No sign of her there.
‘Well, I crashed in your bed. Hope that’s all right,’ she said, her voice drifting from the kitchen. ‘Jason and I watched Braveheart last night. I conked out about halfway through. By the time Jason woke me up, it was late, so I decided to stay over.’
‘Fair enough.’ Entering the kitchen, I found them holed up at the table, their faces lit by the glow of their laptop screens. ‘What’s all this?’ I asked, eyeing their setup. Jason barely looked up, his brows furrowed in deep concentration.
Olivia swivelled to face me. ‘Jason offered to help me with my job applications’ – she nodded toward him – ‘so I nipped home this morning to grab my laptop. We’ve been on it since then.’
My eyebrows shot up as I glanced at Jason. ‘How kind.’
He shrugged. ‘No big deal. Dad, being a lawyer and all, gave some great advice when I rang him, so I’m just helping Livy weave that into her cover letters.’
‘You owe me a pint,’ Olivia said, eyeing him. ‘But you’ve been such a help, I might let you off.’
‘No, you’ll get your pint,’ he replied, a half-smile pulling at his mouth.
‘Why does he owe you a pint?’ I asked, leaning against the doorpost.
Olivia grinned. ‘He was sure you wouldn’t come home till tomorrow. I knew you’d be back today, late or not.’
I laughed. ‘I would have stayed longer if I weren’t scared of myself.’
‘Scared of yourself?’ Jason looked confused.
‘Yeah. I can’t seem to keep my hands off him, but I’ve got to. I’m sore all over – can’t even sit without feeling like he’s still inside me.’
Jason and Olivia’s jaws dropped comically.
‘Goodness,’ Olivia said, putting her hand on her chest. ‘I take it the date went well, then?’
‘More than well,’ I said, smiling. ‘He’s beyond dreamlike.’
Olivia dragged out the chair beside her. ‘Right, have a seat. I want to hear every last detail.’
Chuckling, I ambled over, settling down for an exhaustive recap of the date.
‘He didn’t tell me about the medal,’ Jason said once I was done recounting, a bemused expression on his face.
‘Didn’t he?’ I asked.
He shook his head.
‘Maybe he was worried you’d find it cheesy or something,’ Olivia said.
‘Maybe.’ Jason shrugged. ‘But I don’t – not at all. If anything, I find it rather creative.’
‘And a great keepsake,’ I said with a contented sigh. ‘Anyway, I need my bed. Barely slept a wink last night.’
Jason chuckled. ‘Before you go, Livy and I were wondering if you’d be all right with us hosting a small party here next Friday. You’re obviously invited, and so is Will.’
I tipped my head to the side, unsure. The idea of a long night drinking, and wasting the subsequent days recovering from it, wasn’t particularly tempting. ‘I don’t mind you hosting anything, but I can’t promise I’ll attend. I might be swamped with work, even at the weekend. But in that case, I’ll just sleep over at Will’s, or my parents’.’
Jason nodded. ‘All right, thanks.’
‘Of course.’ I turned to Olivia. ‘You’re welcome to crash in my bed again if you want to stay late tonight.’
She gave me a sweet smile. ‘Thanks. I just might, to be honest.’
‘Great. Good night, then.’
‘Good night,’ they echoed.
Sliding my chair back, I took my leave, the low murmur of Olivia and Jason’s focused conversation trailing me as I made my way to my room. As I got ready for bed, I slipped into the T-shirt William had given me the morning after we first met, then tucked the medal from last night under my pillow. Sleep came to me quickly, a contented smile lingering on my lips .