10 | the way of the world
Chelsea lost, and I didn’t need to see the result to know that, because William and Jason’s constant whining made it obvious. The only thing that finally shut them up was the dinner that arrived, which William insisted on paying for.
‘You’re students,’ he said dismissively when Jason and I tried to object. ‘If you’d like to contribute, you can set the table.’ He closed the front door once the delivery guy had handed over our dinner.
Jason shook his head. ‘It’s useless to try and argue with him,’ he said to me. ‘We won’t win.’
‘You definitely won’t.’ William turned and faced us with a smirk. ‘I argue for a living.’
I chuckled at his witticism. ‘First you help me out with my wardrobe, and now you’re buying me dinner?’
His lips twitched, and there was a glimmer of humour in his eyes. ‘Is the strong, independent woman triggered?’
I laughed. ‘Full-on quaking.’
‘Well, you might as well get used to it. I’m all for gender equality, but I won’t let it get in the way of basic chivalry.’
I looked at Jason. ‘I thought you said he could be a bit of a dick?’
‘He doesn’t know what a dick looks like,’ William said. ‘He hasn’t got one. ’
I chortled.
Jason grabbed William’s shoulder, and his grin was splitting his face apart. ‘Proof enough?’ he asked me.
I shook my head, still laughing. ‘I’ll set the table, then.’ I turned to go into the kitchen. ‘What would you like to drink?’
‘Just water for me,’ William said.
‘Same here.’
When I came into the dining room, they were discussing the stock market.
‘The tech sector?’ Jason echoed as I put a plate in front of him on the pale wooden table.
‘Yeah. I bought some shares in three different companies last night,’ William said.
‘Who tipped you?’
‘Nobody.’
Jason nodded. ‘Well, I’ll look into it.’
‘Do you pay attention to the stock market, Cara?’ William asked as I gave him a plate across the table.
I shook my head. ‘I’m busy enough as it is.’
‘That’s a shame. It could be worth your time.’
‘Maybe, but I know next to nothing about it, so I wouldn’t know where to start.’
‘There are plenty of guides out there, not to mention advisers at the bank.’
‘True. I keep a relatively decent sum in a mutual fund, though. Does that count for anything?’
He smiled. ‘That’s a good place to start, yes.’
‘That’s the money from when you worked at Starbucks, right?’ Jason asked as I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and put it on the table.
‘Yeah,’ I said and sat down beside him.
‘You’ve worked at Starbucks?’ William asked, curious. My thoughts travelled to the one at the ground floor of his residential building, though I hadn’t worked there.
‘Yeah, before I started studying law.’
He seemed to hesitate. ‘How come? Were you unsure about whether you wanted to study anything?’
‘No, it was all part of the plan. My parents are covering my tuition fees, but I still have to cover the cost of living, and since I didn’t want to get distracted by a job while I was studying, I decided to work full-time for a couple of years before I started. This way, I don’t have to take up a loan, nor do I need a job on the side, so I can dedicate all my time to my studies to ensure better results.’ I looked between them. As children of wealthy parents, they had probably never had to worry about the same.
William looked impressed. ‘That’s some wise thinking, especially for a person so young.’
‘Thanks.’ I beamed.
‘And who gave you the idea to put it in a mutual fund?’ he asked as he blended a rich amount of wasabi in his soy sauce. My eyes widened. He clearly loved spicy food.
‘My mum. She’s an economist.’
‘Is she?’ He sounded pleasantly surprised. ‘What’s her name?’
‘Lillian. She inspired my sister, actually.’
‘You’ve got a sister?’
‘Yeah. Phoebe.’
‘Is she younger or older?’
‘Younger. She studies business at Columbia in New York.’
‘Your parents have made some clever children, I hear.’
I chuckled. ‘I could say the same to you.’
‘Mine failed with one out of two,’ he said and looked at Jason.
Jason merely showed him the middle finger.
‘Anyway, how does Phoebe like New York?’ William asked as he brought a few pieces of sushi onto his plate.
‘She loves it.’ I sighed.
He tilted his head. ‘Why the sigh?’
I shrugged. ‘She’s got a girlfriend there, so sometimes I worry she won’t move back.’
‘I see. Well, I can’t say I blame her – New York is fantastic, and I’m sure her girlfriend is too – but I hope for your sake that she will.’
I nodded.
‘What about your father? What does he do?’
I peeked at Jason, fearful that he might find William’s curiosity a little conspicuous, but he didn’t seem remotely suspicious.
‘Jamie is a sixth form philosophy teacher,’ Jason said as he helped himself to some sushi. ‘Lovely man.’
‘Really? I love philosophy.’ William smiled.
I wasn’t surprised to discover that. He had given me the impression he was learned on the subject the night we’d met. But I smiled back all the same .
‘Do you?’
He dipped a piece of sushi in his soy sauce. ‘Yeah. I read plenty of books on it in my spare time. Nietzsche is one of my favourites.’
‘Ah.’ I crossed my arms, amused. ‘I haven’t read Nietzsche.’
‘You should. It’s hard, but it’s seriously rewarding.’
‘Dad says the same.’
‘He’s probably read all his works.’ He filled his mouth. After swallowing, he went on, ‘I’m reading him chronologically. I just finished Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Plan is to start Beyond Good and Evil this summer.’
Suddenly my phone rang on the table. Eyeing the screen, I saw that it was Aaron. My heart jammed in my throat and I tensed. When I looked up, both Jason and William were peeking at my screen. It took all my self-discipline to raise my hand as if I wasn’t fazed and press the lock button to silence the ringing. I knew I had mentioned Aaron’s name to William, but I hoped he didn’t remember.
‘Is Aaron coming over tonight?’ Jason asked as he raised a piece of sushi to his mouth.
I stole a glance at William, but he wasn’t looking at me. Instead, he seemed strangely fascinated with his plate.
‘No.’
Jason nodded. ‘Well, feel free to answer him.’
I shifted, feeling uncomfortable. ‘It can wait.’ I grabbed my chopsticks.
Jason looked at William. ‘Aaron is Cara’s . . . ’
Shut up, Jason, I almost said.
William raised a brow when Jason trailed off. ‘Boyfriend?’
Jason chuckled and shook his head. ‘Sort of, only Cara doesn’t date.’
‘Oh.’ William finally looked at me. ‘Why not?’
I swallowed and averted my gaze, trying to recover my equilibrium. Why was he asking me this again? I had already explained why.
‘Well, because this is my only chance to be selfish,’ I said and met his gaze.
‘By “selfish” you mean . . .?’
Feigning nonchalance, I brought a few pieces of maki onto my plate. ‘That I want to take advantage of my freedom while I still can. As soon as the time is right for finding a man to settle down with, my personal aspirations, like my career goals and things like that, will have to take a backseat. He’ll be my main priority then, and I’m not ready for that to happen just yet.’
‘Right.’ He took another bite .
‘I just feel like I can contribute to this world with more than my ovaries, or the role of a girlfriend.’
A faint smile bent his lips. ‘Are you trying to say that finding love isn’t really your goal in life?’
I shook my head. ‘I wouldn’t phrase it like that.’
‘How would you phrase it, then?’
‘It’s more precise to say that finding love isn’t myonly goal, and as of now, it definitely isn’t my main goal.’
Jason gave me a smirk. ‘But it will be later? Your main goal?’ His playful tone elicited a chuckle from my mouth.
‘Perhaps. At least I won’t dismiss the idea. But for now, I really love law, and I think I can be good at it. I’d like to practise it for a few years, nurture my passion for it, before I consider other aspects of my future.’
William cocked his head, studying me. ‘You are quite the anomaly.’
‘What, because I’m a careerist? Aren’t you the same?’
He scratched his cheek. ‘Not really. I’m ambitious, yes, but I’m not mainly concerned with advancement in my profession.’ He shrugged. ‘I think that applies to most people, to be honest. I mean, it’s my impression that people in general tend to be searching for a partner to settle down with. That’s why your lack of interest in it seems a bit ... unusual to me.’
‘Well, our situations are different, so maybe that’s why you can’t relate. You’ve already got your foot in the door, so you can afford to consider stuff like that. I haven’t. I still have to claw my way in. Plus, you’re John’s son. That’s bound to give you more leeway.’
Jason snorted. ‘I’m sorry, Cara, but that’s bullshit. Will has worked extremely hard his whole life to get to where he is. In fact, he has to work twice as hard as everyone else in the firm because he’s Dad’s son – he constantly has to prove that he was hired for his abilities and not because of nepotism. Honestly, being Dad’s son just raises people’s expectations of him. They don’t cut him any slack, and Dad least of all.’
The ghost of a smile flickered across William’s lips as he watched Jason, and there was clear gratitude in his gaze.
‘He’s just super family-oriented,’ Jason went on as he lifted a piece of sushi. ‘He’s wanted a big family for as long as I can remember.’
Feeling remorseful, I focused on William. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to belittle your efforts.’
‘No worries.’ His smile oozed forgiveness. ‘I get your point, anyway.’
I sighed. ‘Basically, I just think there’s more to this life than chasing love. It’s so primitive. Procreation? Really? Is that all there is?’ I shook my head. ‘It’s not – not to me. There is the option to make the world a better place for those already in it, there are intellectual challenges, there’s personal growth – really, the meaning of life doesn’t have to be about reproduction, and certainly not exclusively.’
The curve of William’s brows told me that he had not anticipated the conversation to take such an existential turn.
‘No, I agree,’ he said. ‘Procreation doesn’t have to be the sole meaning of life. But without it, there’d be no life. So, in the end, without life – without reproduction – there’d be nothing to add meaning to.’
I tittered. ‘Valid point, but still, I said “exclusively”.’
I watched as his familiar crooked smile surfaced on his mouth, and this time, the vulnerability it veiled was clearer than ever. ‘I’m assuming now that, by “reproduction”, you also mean love.’
‘Well, I suppose you can love without reproducing. But, genetically, we’re wired to fall in love in order to ensure reproduction – that’s my understanding, at least. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that there’s so much I want to explore before I go down that route, so I need things to happen in a specific order. First, I establish my career, and after that, I’ll probably be open to finding a partner.’
William swallowed another bite of sushi. ‘So it’s about self-realisation.’
‘I guess you could call it that.’
The corner of his mouth tugged up briefly. ‘You’re surely at the top of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.’
‘Yes. I’m privileged that way.’
William gazed away for a moment, looking contemplative. ‘Have you ever been in a relationship before?’
I frowned. He already knew the answer to that. ‘No, but what’s that got to do with anything?’
‘Well, it just sounds like you’re severely overestimating what’s required of you.’
‘What do you mean?’ Jason asked.
William met his gaze. ‘That having a relationship doesn’t have to equal stunting your professional life. When two compatible people are together, it usually works out with little effort. Compromises are made and, frankly, it offers a support system that might even help you prosper and reach levels you otherwise would not. I just don’t think it’s necessary to choose one or the other. It’s possible to do both. You can have a relationship without it jeopardising your career, as long as it’s with the right person. ’
Jason faced me. ‘He might be right,’ he said, shrugging. ‘He speaks from experience.’
Did he? I looked at William, curious.
‘Anyway, back to Nietzsche,’ William said, and I chuckled. He clearly wasn’t interested in discussing his romantic life.
Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined this interaction to unfold the way it did, but we remained at the table for a good while, talking about everything between heaven and earth. Jason and William shared heart-warming stories about their childhood together, and I adored listening to them. The strength of their bond was truly something I admired, because it was even deeper than mine and Phoebe’s.
Tales from William’s days as a student were particularly riveting, because his inexorable drive was clear between the lines. We dived into politics, too, and I was amazed when I learned that William and I shared the same view on almost everything. From there, the conversation travelled to music and art, films and literature. We even discussed celebrity gossip, although none of us boasted much knowledge on that.
The whole experience was so intense that I caught myself wondering once more if I would regret not pursuing anything more with him. Our chemistry was more apparent now than ever, and I wasn’t blind to it.
But he was still Jason’s brother.
And he was still going to be my boss.
In other words, he was totally off limits.
Pursuing him was a terrible idea for so many reasons. So why couldn’t my heart seem to agree?
‘You should take it,’ Jason said when Aaron called again, his tone strict. ‘It might be urgent.’
‘Yeah, you’re right.’ I sighed and excused myself from the table.
‘Hello?’ I answered as I walked into my bedroom.
‘Sorry, were you asleep?’
The sound of Aaron’s voice made my chest ache with guilt. He hadn’t the faintest idea that I was currently having dinner with one of my previous bed partners, and he definitely didn’t know that I was enjoying every second of it. I felt like I was cheating on him, even though I wasn’t.
‘No. What’s up? Is everything all right?’
‘Yeah, sorry. I just spoke to Mum, and she asked whether you’d like to come for dinner next Friday.’
‘Oh, that’s great. Tell her I’d love to.’
‘I’ll ask Livy and Tyler if they’d like to come too.’ Tyler was Aaron’s flatmate of five years.
‘Great.’
‘How’s the wardrobe coming along?’
I looked at it and wrinkled my nose. ‘Well, it’s not done yet, but I plan to finish it tonight.’
‘I could always come over and help you if you like.’
‘I appreciate that, but I’m all right.’
‘Well, feel free to call me if you change your mind.’
‘I doubt I will, but thanks.’
‘I’ll tell Mum we’re coming next Friday, then.’
‘Yes.’
‘Don’t stay up too late.’
‘I won’t.’
‘Good night, love.’
‘Good night.’
I rang off and huffed. Part of me wanted to hang out with Jason and William for a while longer, but seeing my unfinished project had reminded me that I still had exams coming up that needed my attention; I needed my desk for revising.
I went back to the dining room to let them know.
‘I need to get back to my project,’ I said and grabbed my plate.
‘No worries.’ Jason nodded. ‘Aaron all right?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Good.’
‘Well,’ William said, ‘we should do this again sometime.’ He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
‘We should.’ I reciprocated his smile. ‘You’re lovely company.’
His eyes widened slightly, as if he hadn’t expected me to say that. ‘So are you.’
I turned around to leave, and I felt his eyes on my back as I walked out.
Though I wasn’t usually one to eavesdrop, I kept my bedroom door slightly ajar so I could overhear their conversation. I couldn’t help myself; William piqued my curiosity like no one else. For the most part, it wasn’t that rewarding since they mainly discussed football and work, but when the time was nearing eleven o’clock, it took a different turn.
‘I should probably think about leaving soon,’ William said.
‘You heading to Violet?’ Jason asked, and I didn’t like the way my heart reacted. It clenched and twisted before it sank in my chest. Given what time it was, it was likely Jason had referred to a woman who played a particular role in William’s life – a sexual role.
The name echoed in my mind. Violet. I vividly remembered a beauty named Violet at his workplace. I had encountered her in the lift with William just when I had been about to leave after signing my contract. He had said then that she was his partner for a transaction he was currently working on. Was she his partner on other fronts as well? Was she the regular bed partner he had mentioned?
At first, the possibility intimidated me, but when I realised where my thoughts were headed, I frowned at myself. First of all, I had no claim on him, and secondly, I had no plans to ever sleep with him again. Ultimately, this information shouldn’t have bothered me.
But somewhere deep within, it did.
Just my ego, I thought. Get a grip, Cara.
‘Yeah,’ William finally replied, and my heart sank even lower.
‘Why the hesitation?’ Jason asked.
‘Well, my head’s got a mute button reserved for your voice, so I just wasn’t listening at first.’
‘God, you’re such a tit.’
‘Anyway, yeah.’
‘How are things going with her?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Has anything changed since we last spoke about her?’
I should not have been as relieved as I was when William laughed.
‘Changed?’ he echoed. ‘Are you asking whether things are evolving into a relationship?’
‘Considering your reaction, I gather they’re not.’
‘Not even close. It’s just sex, J, and always will be.’
‘What does that mean for Francesca, then?’
Freezing, I stared blankly ahead. Francesca? William was involved with yet another woman?
Somewhat repelled, I wondered how long his list of lovers actually was. Disappointment came next. For some reason, I hadn’t thought him a womaniser. I had thought him above that. The impression he had given me was that he was fastidious about his choice of partners. Clearly, I had been na?ve to think that. Then again, considering his unconventional charm and attractive appearance, it shouldn’t have surprised me that he had a queue of women just waiting for scraps of his attention.
For the first time, I experienced a moment of pure gratitude that I had rejected him. To have to battle for his attention wasn’t remotely appealing. I wouldn’t settle for anything less than a man who recognised my worth from the outset and treated me accordingly. To fight to persuade him to pick me, to urge him to see that he should favour me above the rest – my integrity would never let me sink so low. Just like every devoted woman, I deserved to be treated like I was the only woman in the world for him when it came to matters of romance.
Groaning, I asked myself why I was even entertaining this lane of thought. A relationship with William was out of the question, so why should his conduct with other women matter to me? I should have been happy about this. He had just reinforced my resolve about not pursuing anything more with him. And yet, despite this, disappointment still dominated my feelings, and I scolded myself for it. Who did I think I was? I had no right to be disappointed that he was seeing other women.
‘Why should my arrangement with Violet have anything to say with regards to Francesca?’ William replied, sounding confused.
‘So you plan to see her again, then?’
‘I haven’t decided yet.’
‘Because she’s Kate’s friend?’
Who on earth was Kate? Yet another lover?
‘For example.’
‘What other reasons are there?’
‘Well, she’s not my type – too sensitive and emotional.’
‘Yeah, that’s a bad match.’
‘And she seems rather keen, so I’m worried I’ll end up hurting her.’
‘How shockingly empathic of you.’
‘Besides,’ William said, ‘there’s another girl I haven’t told you about.’
My heart climbed to my throat. Was it yet another girl, or was he referring to me ? Panicking, my gaze dashed to the door, and I dared not even breathe for fear of drowning out what would come next.
Would he break his promise?
‘What?’ Jason sounded surprised. ‘Who?’
‘I met her last Friday, at Disrepute. We slept together, but she rejected me the next morning. Said she’s not interested in dating, and I’m still a bit gutted about that, so it wouldn’t be fair to Francesca if I start seeing her when I’m still hung up on someone else.’
My pulse pounded in my throat. Though I hadn’t met him last Friday, but rather the Friday before that, I got the feeling he was referring to me. The similarities were too conspicuous. It couldn’t be yet another girl, could it ?
‘Are you being serious?’ Jason asked disbelievingly.
‘Yeah.’
‘But you don’t do one-night stands.’
‘Yeah, well, I made an exception.’
‘Shit. You must have really liked her.’
‘I do.’
‘Damn,’ Jason said, astounded. ‘What’s her name?’
‘Sandra.’
I gasped. Dropping the screwdriver, I sat back on my heels and stared at the door with shock. Had I actually just heard that? He couldn’t genuinely be that affected, could he?
Trying to make sense of it, I considered my own feelings. I had already acknowledged that he had left a lasting impression, but I hadn’t thought I could be guilty of the same. I had thought he was just joking earlier – when he had said he found me ‘riveting’. I hadn’t realised he was being entirely serious.
‘Well, Sandra clearly doesn’t know what she’s turning down,’ Jason said, sounding unimpressed.
‘Yeah, it blows.’
‘Have you tried hunting her down?’
‘I did, but the mission failed. Besides, I think I should respect her decision. All I need is some time to get over it, because she was...Well, let’s just say that I seriously doubt I’ll ever meet someone like her again.’
‘And she rejected you solely on the basis that she’s not interested in dating?’
‘Mainly. She studies medicine in Edinburgh, so there was that issue as well. Apparently, she just didn’t see us working out.’
He was definitely referring to me, and it completely obliterated the disappointment I had experienced earlier.
‘Well, I hope for your sake that she’ll change her mind,’ Jason said, audibly displeased.
‘Same. Anyway, I need to get a move on. It’s getting late, and Vi’s a bitch about tardiness.’
Jason laughed. ‘In general, or specifically when it comes to this sort of appointment?’
‘Both.’
‘Well, keep me posted on Sandra, then, yeah?’
‘Sure, but you need to stop living vicariously through me when it comes to women, J. You ought to get your arse on the market. ’
‘There’s no time for it.’
‘You sound just like Sandra now.’
‘Damn. I guess it’s a curse haunting every med student.’
‘Well, on the bright side, by not sleeping around, you won’t tempt anyone to chase the unattainable the way Sandra did.’
‘That’s exactly why I’m avoiding it. I’d hate it if I ended up hurting someone.’
When I heard them start to clean the table, I dashed to my bedroom door and closed it before either of them could walk out and notice. Not much later, someone knocked.
‘Yes?’
William opened the door. Our stares collided, and I wondered if he could tell that I had overheard every word as he confided in Jason. From the piercing power of his gaze, I got the impression that he knew, but since his lips formed a brooding line, I wasn’t certain. If he truly suspected me of having heard him, I would have expected him to present his typical crooked smile, as its cunning shape would have revealed that it had never been unintended.
‘I see you’re nearly done,’ he said and studied my new wardrobe.
I nodded. ‘Only the doors left.’
‘Good job.’
‘Thanks.’
His eyes homed in on my bed then. Without asking, he walked over to it and picked up my textbook on Advanced Contract Law.
‘If it isn’t Contract Law,’ he said, flipping through the pages. ‘I selected this module in my third year as well.’
‘Did you?’
He nodded, but his attention remained fixed on a page. ‘Which modules are you taking, exactly?’
‘Advanced Contract Law, Company Law, Commercial Law and Law of Taxation.’
‘Private law is your forte, I hear.’
‘Of course. That’s why I should fit right in at Day & Night.’
He looked up then, and the smile he offered was small but sincere. ‘You certainly will.’ He shut the book and dropped it on my bed. ‘Well, give me a bell if you ever need any help while you’re revising for your exams.’
‘That’s very kind of you.’
He shrugged. ‘I’d be delighted to help you out in whatever way I can. ’
His statement evoked the memory of when he had insisted that he would never get in the way of my education should I opt to give him a chance. He seemed to be recalling the same memory, as his gaze lingered on mine for a moment.
‘Anyway, just thought I’d say goodbye. I’m heading off. Good luck assembling the rest of your’ – he glanced at the box containing my desk – ‘furniture.’
I gave him a smile even though I wasn’t comfortable knowing where he was headed.
‘Thanks for your help,’ I said. ‘I’ll have you to thank if my wardrobe doesn’t collapse.’
He chuckled as he went to the door. ‘Let me know if it does.’
‘You know I won’t,’ I said playfully and trailed after him to see him out.
While Jason and I watched him put on his shoes, the younger brother asked, ‘Sunday, then?’
‘Yeah.’
‘You’re coming for dinner on Sunday?’ I asked, enthused.
‘Well, yes, but I think Jason was referring to the gym.’ William’s eyes flickered to Jason’s while he grabbed his jacket.
‘I was. Speaking of, how about you join us, Cara? You’re a gym rat just like us.’
‘You lift?’ William asked.
A chuckle slipped past my smirk. ‘Yeah.’
‘Impressive. Too few women do.’
‘I know, it’s a shame.’
‘She mainly trains lower body, though,’ Jason said. Suddenly he grinned and looked highly amused. ‘All those squats and hip-thrusts have made her bum a magnet for attention, in the gym or otherwise. I’ve witnessed it first-hand.’
‘Which is why I like to cover it up when I’m training,’ I said as blood sprang to my cheeks.
A carnal memory seemed to flare in William’s eyes when they landed on me. ‘I’m sorry you have to go to such measures in the first place.’
I shrugged. ‘Me too, but such is the way of the world.’
‘So you’ll join, then?’ Jason asked, but I hesitated.
‘Come on.’ William smiled. ‘It’s important to work out when you’re revising for exams.’
I knew I should avoid spending time with William whenever it was possible without raising suspicion, but part of me was eager for his company. Not only that, but I also felt I had to earn back some of the respect I had lost when he caught me failing to assemble my wardrobe. I wanted him to find me competent because, for some ridiculous reason I couldn’t quite understand yet, I wanted to impress him. Besides, it wasn’t like we would be able to do much talking. We would be there to train, not have tea.
Finally, my desire to see him again capsized my reason. ‘Okay, I’ll join.’
William’s smile broadened into a grin. ‘Great. Looking forward to it. Sunday, then.’ He opened the door.
‘Yeah.’
‘Have fun with Violet.’ Jason gave him a wink.
Without looking at me, William said, ‘I’d rather it was Sandra, to be honest, but such is the way of the world.’
His bold declaration shocked me. I barely managed to remain composed while he closed the door between us. Either he already knew I had eavesdropped, or he had said it to make it clear that he had mentioned me to his brother. One way or another, he obviously wanted me to know that he was still interested in me.
‘Sandra is this girl he met recently,’ Jason explained as he locked the door after him.
‘I see.’
He turned toward me with a grin. ‘Anyway, that went well, didn’t it? I knew he’d like you.’
All I managed for a response was a faint smile, because my feelings were colliding into an unsolvable mess.
‘I’m so glad you get on,’ he said. ‘My two favourite people in the whole world. What a trio we’ll make.’
‘Me too.’ I nodded. ‘Anyway, I should finish my project.’ I went back to my room.