His hand was on the table and I instinctively placed mine over it as I thanked him for being so understanding. His fingers entwined with mine, sending electricity zipping up my arm and round my body, my heart pounding as he held my gaze.
‘I asked them for your number but, of course, they couldn’t give me it.’
‘I tried to find you later but I couldn’t find any music and drama teachers called Will. But, of course, there wouldn’t be… James.’
He grimaced. ‘I can’t believe you tried to find me.’
‘I had to. I had to tell you what had happened. I couldn’t let you think you meant nothing to me.’
‘I wish you had found me.’
‘Me too.’
The intensity of Will’s eyes on mine was almost too much to take. I wanted to sweep the drinks aside, pull him towards me and kiss him as though there was no tomorrow. Was he thinking the same?
‘Did you tell Cliff about me?’
‘No.’
He looked down at our entwined hands. ‘I have to ask…’ He paused and looked up. ‘What would you have done if you had found me?’
It was a fair question and it deserved an honest answer. ‘I told a friend about us recently. I’d kept it secret for all this time and it was eating away at me so I needed to let someone in. She asked me that same question and I told her what I’m going to tell you. I don’t know. All I can tell you for sure is that, that night in the hotel and the morning after, I was ready and willing to end my marriage.’
Will still had hold of my hand, which surely had to be a good sign but, as I thought that, he let go and picked up his drink. My hands slipped onto my lap.
‘Any other questions?’ I asked. ‘Anything you want to know more about?’
‘Probably, but I think I’ve interrogated you enough for now. I know that can’t have been easy to share and I appreciate your honesty – then and now.’
I wasn’t sure whether that was the end of our evening together but I didn’t want it to be. Even though I’d told him I’d chosen him before the phone call, it felt as though my inability to confirm that I’d have chosen him after the accident was casting a dark shadow over us. That couldn’t be our final conversation.
‘Why don’t you tell me more what’s going on with you? I’m a good listener, remember.’
‘I know. I remember everything about you,’ he said, the intensity returning to his gaze, the atmosphere between us crackling once more. ‘And everything about that night.’
‘So do I. And I’ve relived it over and over and over.’
My hand was on the seat beside me now and he shuffled a little closer. His fingers brushed against mine and he kept them there. It was the loosest connection but it was enough for me for now.
‘Okay, here goes,’ he said. ‘Fen’s already told you a few things so I’ll come back to them in a bit but I know she didn’t expand on the work situation so I’ll start there. As you know, I taught music and drama when we met. I still do that although I’m a department head now, which is why I live in Keswick – moved here for the promotion and to be closer to my family who, as you’ve discovered, live here. Outside of work, I’m also the co-director of a music school owned by my best mate, Aaron. He’s the nicest, soundest bloke you could ever hope to meet. I’ve been friends with him since primary school and we’ve always had each other’s backs but someone accused him of something really bad.’
He took a sip of his drink and I noticed his hand shaking as he put the glass down.
‘I still can’t believe this happened. I teach piano at the music school and Aaron teaches guitar and drums. One of his guitar students boasted to her best friend that Aaron was having sex with her during her one-to-one lessons which, of course, was a blatant lie. The friend told her mum, the mum reported it to the police and, quite rightly, they had to investigate. It became a huge thing. Except the girl had made it all up and we could prove it because all lessons are recorded for safeguarding reasons for the teachers and the students. All parents know this up front and sign a document to give their consent and all students should know this too but I guess the girl never thought it would go further than her friend. As soon as the police mentioned video footage, she admitted she’d lied and that Aaron had never once said or done anything inappropriate.’
‘Why would she do that?’ I asked, shocked that somebody could make up something so dangerous.
‘She said she and her friend were talking about attractive older men and she mentioned that her guitar teacher was hot. Next moment, she’d made up a whole lie to impress the friend. So Aaron has been through hell and, even though the police know there’s no case to answer to, mud sticks. The accusation spread like wildfire and parents started pulling their kids out of the music school – even from lessons which Aaron doesn’t teach – which has left Aaron facing financial ruin. With so few students left, income has plummeted to the point where he can’t pay the mortgage on the school and he’s struggling with his house too. That’s why I was selling mine. I was going to downsize and give him the difference to tide him over but it’s fallen through so I can’t even do that.’
‘That’s horrendous. I’m so sorry for your friend and for you.’
‘It’s mainly about Aaron. I’ve got no financial investment in the music school and there were never any accusations about me, although losing a stack of my students doesn’t look good. The head at our school knows all about what’s happening and the authorities know too, just in case anything creeps out of the woodwork down the line. It hasn’t been a pleasant experience for me but it’s been nothing compared to what Aaron has been and still is going through.’
‘Is there anything he can do legally?’
‘The girl was stupid and naïve but she didn’t do it maliciously. Aaron doesn’t want to destroy her life too and, even if he did pursue a civil case and won it, what good would it do? He’d still have lost his reputation and possibly his home and business.’
‘Does he have a wife and kids?’
