Page 118 of Perfect Liar

Will and I looked at each other. He put out his hand.

“Get up, baby. You’ve done enough. I’ll get him to bed.”

Will carried John to the sofa, covered him with the quilt from our bed, and before turning away, he put a protective, loving kiss on John’s forehead.

It was unexpected and so beautiful.

My heart swelled. Tears filled my eyes again.

Will turned, and when he caught my watery smile, he caressed my cheek.

Lost in him, I slid my hands up his arms and whispered his name.

His lips parted, he lowered his head, and then he kissed me with tenderness.

“I should go see my mother,” he said.

“Yes, go. Your family needs you, Will.”

He let out a weighted exhale.

“I won’t be long.”

As he closed the door behind him, I lay on the bed, shut my eyes, and listened to the rhythm of John’s breathing. When Will climbed back into our bed, I didn’t open my eyes. I put my head on his chest, and our legs instinctively tangled.

I held on to him with my whole life.

Because deep down, I knew the next couple of days could break us.

CHAPTER 33

A sliver of sunshine broke through the draperies, warming my shoulder, and Will kissed me on the same spot, waking me. He turned to the nightstand to check the time.

John let out a hangover groan.

“Goddamn it,” Will snapped.

I traced Will’s jawline with my fingertips and urged him to go easy on John.

“He doesn’t know what to do with himself, Will. Show him.”

“He’s softer than we were at that age.”

“Does it really matter?” I asked.

“Yes, it matters. He’s a Hastings.”

“But do you plan to give him the same kind of life you were given?”

The moment Ethan had died, Will became the family patriarch by default, and the Hastings family remained constant in many aristocratic traditions. Not only would Will be the estate’s primary source of support, but also, his decisions would determine how they all would move on.

He hesitated for a minute.

“I want John to have more choices than the rest of us had.”

Some hair fell onto my cheek, and he pushed it away, his tone softening as he went on.

“You see, Elle? I can’t do this without you. Everything about you is lovely, and that makes me want to find something better in myself.”