28 | into the night
With a sense of foreboding, I stared at the brickwork of the building where Aaron lived. Initially, I hadn’t planned to go this far, but since I still hadn’t heard from him, I had decided to stop by after work. We needed to talk, but I had a feeling that it wasn’t going to be pleasant.
As I gazed up at the second floor, I glimpsed a silhouette moving past the windows. Somebody was home, but I didn’t know whether it was Tyler or Aaron. It could also be Valentina.
Huffing, I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and mounted the steps. I knew it was a bit extreme of me to show up unannounced – part of me wondered if it would be best to just leave Aaron alone until he reached out to me – but I hoped the gesture would help him see how precious our friendship was to me, and how desperate I was to save it.
My hand was shaking as I raised it to the intercom and pressed the button next to Aaron’s surname.
‘Hello?’ Tyler answered.
‘Tyler, it’s Cara. Is Aaron in?’
He hesitated. ‘No, he isn’t, but have you tried calling him?’
‘I’ve tried texting him, but he hasn’t replied.’
‘Maybe there’s a reason for that.’
I took a sharp breath at his insinuation. ‘Is he angry?’
‘Cara, please leave me out of this. ’
I took that as confirmation, and it made me grimace with misery.
‘Right, sorry. Could you let me in, though? I’ll just wait for him to come home.’
Silence.
‘Tyler, please. I’ll either wait here outside or you can let me in. One way or another, I’m not leaving until I’ve talked to him.’
I heard him groan before the door buzzed.
I dragged it open. ‘Thank you.’
When I reached the top of the stairs, Tyler stood in the doorway, leaning against the doorpost. His short, curly hair was damp, and his brown skin glistened. It looked like he had just come out of the shower. Despite this, he was fully dressed, wearing grey joggers and a plain black T-shirt. Perhaps he had just come home from the gym?
‘Don’t ask me anything,’ he said. ‘This is between you and him. I don’t want to get involved.’
I nodded faintly. ‘I’m sorry if I messed things up for you on Friday. I know Valentina had planned something for you.’
He shook his head. ‘Aaron didn’t come home that night. He went to Mary-Anne’s.’
‘Oh.’ My heart clenched at the thought of that. If he had told her what had happened between us, I hoped he hadn’t blackened my character too much, because I adored that woman. I didn’t want her to think badly of me.
‘Anyway, I was just about to order a pizza,’ Tyler said. ‘Have you had dinner?’
‘No, I’ve come straight from work.’
He stepped aside to let me in. ‘Right, should I order for you too, then?’
‘Yeah, why not?’ I walked in and took off my shoes.
‘Fancy a beer while you wait?’ he asked and sauntered into the kitchen.
‘No, I’m all right, thanks.’
Leaving my bag on the floor, I went into the living room and sat down on the grey, second-hand sofa that Aaron and I had spent so many hours talking and kissing on. As I gazed around, my eyes landed on the bonsai tree I had gifted him two years ago, which was thriving on the small, black table next to the television.
‘What pizza would you like?’ Tyler asked as he walked in, scratching his black stubble.
‘Have they got diavola? ’
‘Yeah.’
‘That one.’
Nodding, he focused on the screen of his phone.
Suddenly I heard a key being inserted into the front door. My whole body tensed. I stopped breathing.
Tyler cast me a worried glance. Turning, he looked into the hall and jerked his head. ‘Cara’s here.’
A bag dropped on the floor, and a loud, disembodied sigh followed.
‘I’m ordering pizza for us. What would you like?’
‘Diavola,’ Aaron said quietly, and I squirmed at the sound of his voice.
Tyler’s eyes flickered to mine when Aaron echoed my order. ‘Right. Well, it should arrive in about thirty minutes. I’ll leave you two alone in the meantime.’
He went into his room and shut the door.
My throat tightened as I heard Aaron’s feet travelling toward me. When he arrived in the doorway, my heart twitched with anxiety.
‘Hi,’ I said in a quiet voice.
His gaze eluded mine as he walked in and slumped down in the black armchair opposite the sofa. I studied him intently, trying to gauge his mood. He still seemed angry, and it only made me more nervous.
‘How was work?’ I asked, unsure of where to start.
He raised a brow as he looked out the window behind me. ‘Fine. Why are you here, Cara?’
I swallowed. ‘Well, you’ve been dead silent ever since Saturday, and you left me on read after I texted you last night. It’s not like you.’
His jaw flexed, but he didn’t say anything.
‘Listen, I know I messed up, but you know I didn’t mean for that to happen. I didn’t know he was going to be there, and—’
‘Yes, I know that,’ he interrupted and finally met my eyes. His stare was hard and bitter, and it sent a torrent of panic through me. I had never seen him like this.
‘Th-then what’s the problem?’ My pulse pounded in my throat while I fidgeted with my fingers on my lap. I was so anxious that I felt like I was about to vomit pure emotion.
‘I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure it out,’ he said, his eyes darting away again.
My stomach sank while my chest filled with tension. It was difficult to breathe normally. I could feel him withdrawing, and I hated it.
‘You’re still trying to figure out why you’re angry with me? You don’t know?’
Annoyance twisted his features, but he didn’t answer.
‘I don’t get it,’ I said, and I couldn’t help the frustration that permeated my tone. ‘I know it was awful how you found out, but I really didn’t mean for it to happen that way. I had planned to tell you once we got home, but I thought we’d be alone. I wasn’t aware that William—’
‘Cara, it’s not that! It’s the fact that you’ve fucked him that’s bothering me!’
His brutal tone struck me like a cannonball to the chest, making me jerk into the back of my seat. Staring at him, I could feel the colour draining from my face.
‘Because it’s him?’ I asked quietly.
He leaned forward and rubbed his face ‘Yes. No. I don’t know.’
What did he mean he didn’t know?
‘Aaron, we had an open arrangement.’
‘Yes, I know that.’ His eyebrows knitted and he shook his head. ‘And that’s why I find this so hard to deal with, because I know my anger isn’t justified.’
I didn’t know what to say to that.
‘Cara, was he the guy you mentioned?’ he asked then. ‘That man who wanted you to give him a chance a while back?’
I hesitated, my throat feeling tight. ‘Yes.’
He looked at his hands, nodding, and the sight of him right then made my eyes grow moist with tears. He looked so defeated.
‘I thought as much. When did you first sleep together?’
My face crinkled. I knew it would hurt him to know these things, and I wanted to spare him from it. But, at the same time, I owed it to him to be honest, and if it could help him reach closure, I would find solace in that.
‘In April.’
His brow arched again, but still he didn’t look at me. ‘That time you went for drinks with Livy?’
I released a heavy breath, but it didn’t lessen the ache in my chest. ‘Yes.’
‘So, when he walked in on us, you’d already slept with him.’
I covered my face with my hands and nodded.
‘That makes a lot of sense,’ he said. ‘I always had a weird feeling about him.’
I lowered my hands and looked at him, just barely seeing him through the tears that brimmed in my eyes. ‘Aaron, I would have told you, but we agreed not to tell each other about things like this.’
‘I know.’ He rubbed his neck. ‘Regardless, I think you ought to know that during the three years we’ve spent together, I’ve only slept with one other girl.’
My stomach coiled. I didn’t like where this was going. ‘I see.’
He folded his hands between his spread thighs and pressed his lips together. ‘It happened about three months into our arrangement, and it was fucking awful. It felt completely wrong, and that feeling has prevented me from doing it again ever since. And it wasn’t the girl, Cara –s he was perfectly sweet.’ He raised his gaze to mine. ‘It was because of you.’
My breath rasped in my throat. Realising what he was implying, I couldn’t bear to hold his gaze anymore.
‘I see,’ I mumbled. ‘I’m sorry, I ... I haven’t meant to ... ’ My lips quivered, and it took all my strength to keep my voice steady. ‘I haven’t meant to affect you like that.’
‘But you have all the same.’
A tear spilled down my cheek, and I hurried to wipe it away. I could feel him watching me, but I just couldn’t return his gaze. I knew it would break me to see how hurt he was.
He sighed. ‘Cara, what I’m trying to say is that during the three years we’ve been sleeping together, I’ve essentially been monogamous. I haven’t minded the idea of you with other men before because I haven’t really known that it was happening. And, every time we’ve met, you’ve been so attuned to me that I’ve found it hard to believe that you could have been like you are with me with somebody else.’
He paused. ‘But I can’t...I can’t overlook this, I can’t ignore it. I can’t pretend like I don’t know this happened the way I could with others, because I’ve seen him, and I know it’s happened, and I can’t get the images out of my head!’
I flinched at his last shout. Was this truly happening?
‘And what makes it even worse,’ he went on, his voice ringing with resentment, ‘is the fact that he’s your fucking boss! You’ll be seeing him nearly every day for the next three months, and from the sound of him on Saturday, he has no intention whatsoever of letting you go. I mean, he said it himself – he’s got feelings for you. I can’t stand that, Cara, I really can’t, and I especially can’t when knowing you’ve fucked him before! More than once, too! You’re obviously attracted to him!’
A sob leaped out of my mouth. Trembling, I screwed my eyes shut and shook my head. I didn’t know what to say. How could I possibly fix this? The future of our friendship looked so bleak suddenly.
‘I don’t think I can do this anymore, I’m sorry,’ he said then, his voice calm and quiet.
It felt like my chest cracked. I couldn’t breathe.
‘The way I see it,’ he continued, ‘we can either upgrade this to an actual relationship – exclusive at that – or we’ll have to settle on being platonic. And, if you decide on the latter, you should know I’ll require some time to move on, so we shouldn’t be in touch for a while.’
Choking with emotion, my whole body shook. I could scarcely believe what I was hearing. He was giving me an ultimatum, and I hadn’t seen it coming. And the worst part was that I didn’t return his feelings. I would have to break his heart, and by doing it, I would break mine too.
‘I-I t-thought you said you w-weren’t interested in relationships right now?’ I said in my confusion. In my mind I was going back to our conversation that day, trying to understand how I could have been so blind as to not foresee this.
‘I said that because I was worried I’d scare you away if I said anything else. I mean, you’ve always been quite vocal about your thoughts on romantic relationships.’
I snuffled and wiped my eyes. I didn’t know what to think, let alone what to say.
I sensed him watching me for a long while until his sigh broke the quiet.
‘Right, you don’t have to say it. If you wanted to be with me, you would have said it by now, so just get out, Cara. Please.’
I shook my head, disbelieving of reality. It was evident that my obliviousness might have cost me one of my dearest friends, and I was terribly scared our friendship had been broken beyond repair. And to know that he had been in love with me this whole time – it made me question whether we had ever truly been friends at all. Had he always had an ulterior motive?
‘Cara’ – his voice had a pleading tone – ‘I don’t want to be mean, but I’d really appreciate it if you left. Looking at you right now is making me want to cling to you, and that’s not good for me in the long run. I’m running out of strength here.’
Sniffing, I stood up and went straight to the hall without looking at him. I couldn’t bring myself to say a single word. I was far too upset, and I worried it would just make me sob uncontrollably .
I put on my shoes and grabbed my bag. As I opened the door, I could feel his stare on my back, and it made me hesitate. Part of me hoped he would say something that could give me hope for a future reconciliation. But when several seconds had ticked by, I knew he wasn’t going to. Drying my face, I walked out and closed the door.
I moved slowly down the stairs, wondering if this was the last time I would descend them. He had said he would need some time to move on and that we shouldn’t be in touch for a while, but how long was that while going to be? Months? Years? What if, by the time he had moved on, he would feel no desire to rekindle our friendship? Would we inevitably drift apart in the wake of this? Would he become nothing but a cherished memory?
My heart brimmed with regret as I considered that. Whenever I had imagined my future, Aaron had always been part of it. Now I wasn’t so sure anymore.
I started bawling once I stepped out on the street, and I didn’t care that people could see it. Reaching into my bag, I grabbed my phone and called Olivia.
‘Hello?’ she answered.
‘L-Livy,’ I sobbed.
She took a sharp breath. ‘What’s happened? Are you crying?’
‘Y-yes.’
‘Why? Tell me what happened.’
‘I went to see Aaron a-and . . .’
She waited a few seconds before she prompted me. ‘Yes?’
‘He g-gave me an ultimatum.’
‘What? What sort of ultimatum?’
‘He said that we could either try an exclusive relationship, like a romantic one, or we couldn’t be friends for a while.’
She gasped. ‘What? You mean he basically confessed he’s got feelings for you?’
‘Y-yes!’
‘But I thought you said you’d talked about this recently!’
‘We did, but he essentially admitted he’d lied when we had that conversation. He said he was worried he would scare me away if he said anything else.’
‘Shit.’
‘I know!’
She paused. ‘Well, this isn’t your fault. He’s a grown man. He had a responsibility to tell you – there’s no way you could have known this.’
‘I don’t care whose fault it is – I don’t want to lose him as a friend!’
‘Oh, darling, I’m so sorry.’ Her voice quivered with sympathy. ‘Where are you now?’
‘I’m on my way home.’
‘Is Jason there?’
‘No, he’s with Stephen and Jon.’ I wiped my eyes and saw spots of black on my fingers. My mascara was probably all over my face at this point.
‘Would you like me to come over? I don’t want you to be alone right now.’
I inhaled deeply, trying to calm down, but my chest kept trembling. ‘I love you for that, but I’d actually like to see Will,’ I said, my voice wobbling.
‘Then go to him!’
‘I can’t.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because I’m currently crying over another guy! I hardly think he’ll want to see that.’
‘I really don’t think he’s going to care. I’m sure he’ll just be grateful for the chance to comfort you.’
I huffed. ‘He’s probably still at work anyway.’
‘Cara, call him. Please.’
I stopped walking and looked sightlessly around, hesitating.
‘Do it, or I’ll do it for you,’ Olivia said strictly.
‘All right, all right.’ I shook my head. ‘I’ll call him.’
She sighed with relief. ‘Good. Ring me back if he’s busy and I’ll come over instead.’
‘Okay. I love you,’ I said, high-pitched.
‘I love you too.’
I hung up and searched for William’s name in my contacts. I had never called him before, so it felt a bit strange. Nevertheless, I dialled his number and raised the phone to my ear.
He answered after a single ring. ‘Hello?’ He sounded puzzled. It must be a strange experience for him too, I thought.
I swallowed a lump in my throat and hoped my vocal cords wouldn’t fail me. ‘Hi.’ My voice cracked.
He was quiet for a beat. ‘Cara? Is everything all right?’
‘N-no.’ I sniffed .
‘What’s going on?’ His tone was loaded with worry.
‘I-I went to Aaron’s after work and . . .’
He waited.
My face twisted. ‘Basically, we’re not friends for the time being.’
Silence.
‘Will?’
‘Sorry, I just . . . Is there anything I can do?’
I bit my lower lip, trying to find the courage to ask. ‘Are you busy after work?’
‘No. Would you like me to come over?’
‘If it’s not too much to ask.’
‘Of course it isn’t. But I’ve got a few things I need to finish first. Will you be okay in the meantime? It’ll take me two hours tops.’
‘That’s fine.’
‘Is Jason at home?’
‘No, he’s with Stephen and Jon.’
‘Right. I’ll work as fast as I can.’
A vague smile flickered across my lips. ‘Thank you.’
‘Anything for you, love. I’ll see you later, then.’
‘Yes.’
He rang off.
Sighing, I resumed walking and opened my front camera to check my make-up. As expected, it was a whole mess. I did my best to remove the lines of mascara that had stained my cheeks, but I still looked as if somebody close to me had just died. In a way, it kind of felt like it, too.
§ § §
Olivia kept me company via FaceTime as I waited for William to arrive. For the most part, we didn’t really talk; she watched TV while I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. Now and then I would repeat myself, asking her how I could have been so blind, but she always gave the same answer: I couldn’t put the blame on myself when Aaron had intentionally misled me.
It was nearly eight o’clock when I heard somebody unlock the front door. I thought it was Jason at first, but then I remembered that William had a key.
‘Cara?’ William called, and the sound of his voice made my chest tingle with relief.
‘I’m in my room,’ I said as I sat up and grabbed my phone. ‘William’s here,’ I told Olivia.
‘All right, good.’
‘Thanks for keeping me company in the meantime.’
‘Of course, love. I hope you’ll feel better soon.’
‘Me too.’
William arrived in the doorway just as I rang off. When he saw how puffy my face was, his eyebrows curved with compassion, and the corners of his mouth dipped downward.
‘Tell me, what happened?’ He moved over and sat down on the bed.
His question triggered a new chain of tears to surface in my eyes, as it forced me to remember the painful details of my conversation with Aaron.
‘Basically, he gave me an ultimatum,’ I said, my voice brittle.
William raised his hand to my face and wiped a fallen tear away. ‘What sort of ultimatum?’
‘He said we either had to try a romantic relationship, or we couldn’t be friends for a while.’
William grimaced. ‘Did he?’
‘Yes.’ I started sobbing again. ‘I just don’t understand – I was so sure he didn’t want me that way.’
William’s eyes darted around the room, and I could tell from his expression that something was on his mind.
‘What is it?’ I asked, sniffing.
He shook his head. ‘It’s nothing.’
‘Tell me.’
His eyebrows furrowed as he took my hand and squeezed it. ‘Well, I’m just not really that surprised. When I saw him on Saturday, I thought it was obvious that he is in love with you. I’m sorry to say it.’
My breath hitched. ‘What? How was it obvious?’
‘The way he was defending you – it was excessive. It just kindled a suspicion in me.’
I looked away, thinking back to the scene he was referring to. I hadn’t thought it was suspicious at all, because Aaron had always been protective of me. But maybe that was the problem. I had thought it was just who he was –I hadn’t realised it stemmed from his feelings for me.
‘But I’m sorry it turned out this way all the same,’ William said and released my hand. Wrapping his arm around me, he lay down and brought me with him. I snuggled closer and rested my head on his chest. His lovely scent drifted into my nose, slowly calming my troubled heart .
‘I just feel so ... deceived,’ I said after a while, my voice light and feeble. ‘I mean, the whole thing makes me wonder if we were ever actually friends, or whether he’s always had an ulterior motive.’
He kissed my head and rubbed my back. ‘I’m sure there’s been genuine friendship at the root of it all. He just wanted more, and I can’t say I blame him.’
I let out a loud breath, wondering whether all casual sex arrangements were doomed to end this way. Then I remembered that William and Violet had had a similar arrangement, but as far as I was aware, the outcome hadn’t been the same at all.
‘What was it like for you and Violet?’ I asked. ‘Did she react like this?’
He brushed his hand over my hair. ‘Far from it. Vi was actually the first to suggest we should end things.’
I stiffened. ‘What?’ That wasn’t the impression I’d had.
‘Yeah, but hold your horses. It was because I told her about you. To put it this way, she beat me to it. Right after I told her I had feelings for you, she suggested that we should go back to being strictly platonic. She was worried that if we kept sleeping together, it could ruin my chances with you. The irony is that I obviously brought it up for a reason – I had already planned to end things with her. Anyway, the answer is no. Vi did not react like Aaron did.’
I was surprised at that. I knew Violet was supportive of William and me, but I hadn’t thought it went this far. ‘I am continually impressed by this woman. How come you never developed feelings for her? She seems incredible.’
He kissed my hair. ‘Because she’s not you.’
‘Will, be serious.’
‘I am.’
I huffed, my lips protruding.
‘To be honest, I’m not entirely sure,’ he said, and there was a note of amusement in his voice. ‘Maybe it’s because she’s too different from my mother.’
I gasped as I caught the reference to the Oedipus joke I had made when we first met. A giggle snuck out of me then, and it amazed me that he was able to make me laugh under these circumstances.
He chuckled at the sound of my laugh. ‘On a serious note, I think it’s because we’re just too similar. It would be like dating myself, and I’m not really interested in that. There needs to be some friction, something to make it stimulating.’
‘Hm.’
‘And that’s where you come in. Yes, we’re similar in a lot of ways, but we’re also different in a lot of ways – in the best ways if you ask me.’
I looked up at him then, and for the first time since my conversation with Aaron, a wholehearted smile claimed my lips. ‘I’m glad you see it that way. I do too.’
He squeezed me against him and pressed a kiss to my forehead. ‘Good.’
‘I’m surprised Violet never wanted more with you, though. I mean, you’ve definitely changed my mind about romance.’
‘Just how the world works, I guess. One man’s meat is another man’s poison, as they say.’
My stomach rumbled then, and I flushed with embarrassment at the loud sound. ‘Sorry. You shouldn’t have mentioned food.’
‘Have you eaten anything since you left work?’ he asked, audibly worried.
‘No. I kind of lost my appetite.’
‘I really think you should eat something. I can cook for you if you like, or would you rather we order something?’
I hugged him tightly, utterly charmed by how attentive he was being. ‘I don’t want you leaving the bed. I’m dependent on your cuddles right now.’
He smiled winsomely. ‘We can order something, then. What would you like?’
I frowned, thinking. ‘Indian. It’s my comfort food.’
‘Good to know. Indian it is.’ He dipped into his pocket and withdrew his phone.
Just then, the front door opened and closed.
‘Oh my God,’ Jason said. ‘You again!’
Had he seen William’s shoes in the hall?
‘You know, Will,’ Jason went on, ‘if you wanted to move in with me, you could’ve just asked. You didn’t need to seduce my flatmate to make it happen.’
William grinned from ear to ear. ‘Plan is to slowly force you out of your own home.’
‘You cunning bastard.’
‘Anyway, we’re about to order some food. Are you hungry?’
‘Yeah, I could eat. ’
‘Cara wants Indian.’
‘Chicken biryani specifically,’ I said.
‘Oh, I’d like some dal makhani, then,’ Jason said, ‘and perhaps some king prawn dish.’
‘How spicy do you want it?’ William asked as he opened an app on his phone.
‘Medium plus would be good,’ Jason replied.
William smirked suddenly, looking highly suspect.
‘What are you smiling at?’ I asked, squinting my eyes.
He shook his head, his smirk stretching into a grin. ‘Nothing.’
‘Is it safe to come in?’ Jason asked then, and it sounded like he was standing near the door to my room.
William looked at me, making it clear that he thought I should be the judge of that.
‘Yeah, you can come in,’ I said and wiped my cheeks in a last effort to look somewhat presentable.
But it didn’t help. As soon as Jason entered the doorway, his eyes popped.
‘What’s the matter?’ he asked. ‘Have you been crying?’
I took a deep breath, my shoulders sinking. ‘Yeah. I went to see Aaron after work, and it didn’t end well.’
Jason walked in and sat down on the bed, his light-blue eyes oozing concern. ‘What happened?’
Sighing, I started recounting my conversation with Aaron, but this time, I didn’t cry; the sheer comfort of having William near kept them at bay.
‘I’m so sorry, Cara,’ Jason said and reached for my hand. ‘I’m sure he’ll move on soon enough, though. Just give him some time.’
‘Yeah.’ I nodded. ‘I hope you’re right.’
He squeezed my hand before he let go. ‘I’ll leave you two alone. I need a shower.’
As he walked out, I cuddled up to William again, and we lay there caressing each other until our dinner arrived.
When we came into the dining room, Jason had already set the table.
‘Fancy a beer, anyone?’ he asked.
‘I’m good, thanks,’ I said.
William nodded. ‘I’ll have one, thanks.’
A brief while later, we were loading our plates with the flavourful dishes. Jason was the most eager; he seemed ravenous .
‘It’s been ages since I’ve had Indian,’ he said as he tore off a piece of naan. He soaked it in the dal makhani on his plate, added some rice, and then stuffed as much as he possibly could into his mouth. His cheeks were so big right then that he reminded me of a chipmunk.
‘What?’ he asked when William raised a brow at him. ‘I’m fucking starving.’
‘Good thing Mum isn’t here. She’d have paled if she saw your lack of table manners.’
Jason rolled his eyes. ‘Sorry, have I offended your grace with my peasant behaviour?’
William shook his head. ‘Close your damn mouth. I don’t need to see the food turning into porridge in it.’
Suddenly Jason stiffened, his eyes springing wide open. ‘Shit!’ Hunching over the table, he spat out his mouthful.
I grimaced with disgust. What the hell was he doing?
‘Oh my God!’ He stuck his tongue out and snatched his pint from the table. My lips parted as I watched him chug the whole glass. What was going on?
‘William!’ Jason charged up from his seat and tugged at his collar, and I noticed that his skin was becoming moist. His whole face was flushed. ‘That is not medium plus!’
William burst out laughing then.
‘What the hell did you do to my food?’ Jason dashed into the kitchen. ‘Cara! I’m eating your Greek yoghurt!’
I looked at William beside me. Tears leaked from his eyes as he shook with mirth, but he was laughing so intensely that he was barely making a sound anymore. The more I watched him, the more contagious his laughter became. Suddenly I was laughing my head off as well while Jason panicked in the kitchen.
‘I swear I’ll get you for this!’ Jason roared with anger, but that only made William laugh harder.
All of a sudden the doorbell rang.
‘Cara, are you expecting someone?’ Jason shouted, and I could hear that his mouth was full of the Greek yoghurt.
‘No,’ I said, though I couldn’t stop guffawing.
‘I-it’s me,’ William said then, wiping his cheeks. ‘I’m expecting someone.’
‘Then you can get the fucking door!’ Jason barked as he returned to the dining room. When he looked at his brother, his nostrils flared. His face was bright red.
William rose from his seat, his lips twitching while occasional bursts of laughter escaped his mouth.
When he came back to the dining room, he was carrying a new dish.
‘Here,’ he said and put it in front of Jason. ‘That should be medium plus.’
Jason cast him an irritated look. ‘You’re a fucking dick, do you know that? What a waste of precious food.’
Descending into his chair, William reached over the table and grabbed the spiciest dal makhani. ‘No, I’ll eat it.’
‘You can’t eat that. Nobody can eat that.’ Jason shook his head.
‘Then I suppose I am nobody.’ Wearing a grin, William grabbed a piece of his naan and dipped it in the brown lentil dish. Jason and I watched him with awe as he raised it to his mouth, and we waited in suspense for a reaction. But barely any came. William merely nodded and tore off another piece of his naan.
‘I’ll admit it’s quite hot.’ He shrugged. ‘But it’s perfectly edible.’
‘You’re not normal,’ Jason grumbled.
‘You’re just a wimp. Haven’t you lived in Mumbai? What have you got to show for it if not this?’
Jason rolled his eyes. ‘You have to maintain a tolerance like that.’
William shrugged again. ‘Well, you should have. You’re missing out.’
‘You just lack taste. Make of that what you will.’
William glanced at me. ‘How rude of you to insult Cara like that.’
Jason snorted. ‘Not counting Cara. She’s the only choice you’ve ever made where you’ve shown good taste.’
I couldn’t help giggling. Their antics were so entertaining that it distracted me from thoughts of Aaron, so much so that when William and I finally settled to sleep, the main thing on my mind was how happy I was to have both him and Jason in my life. I hated to think I might have lost a cherished friend, but at least I had gained William, and I wouldn’t change that for the world, because something told me he would be there for the rest of my life, making my days brighter and happier than ever.
Snuggling deeper into his embrace, I smiled in the dark. He was so warm and big, and he smelled so good. Nothing could beat this feeling. I had never felt so at home in an embrace before – like I belonged.
‘William?’ I whispered, unsure if he was asleep.
‘Mm?’
‘Thank you. ’
‘For what?’
‘For being there for me – for being you.’
He squeezed me against him and nuzzled his nose in the crook of my neck. ‘I’ll always be there for you.’
My chest brimmed with rapture as I closed my eyes and reminisced about the moment when we first met. Thank goodness I had gone with Olivia to that bar, and thank goodness I had succumbed to those spellbinding blue eyes and that enchanting, crooked smile. When the present was this promising, I could only imagine what the future held.
Riding on that train of thought, I finally fell asleep, drifting into the night on dreams of our future.