Page 17 of The Haunting of William Thorn

“Maybe,” Edward said, releasing William when he sat on the edge of the bed.

Even in the dimly lit room William could see the levels of disbelief etched into Edward’s face.

“But you should try and get some more sleep. It’s like three in the morning or something.

You’ll be exhausted tomorrow if you don’t try and rest.”

As if it would be that easy. William never wanted to close his eyes again. “I’ll do my best.”

Edward turned his back on him, clearly feeling unwelcome in the bedroom.

William wondered what was going to happen next, like he sensed options but couldn’t name them.

That was until he watched Edward take steps to leave.

Suddenly, that wasn’t the option he wanted for himself, so he found words tumbling out of him. “I did see… it.”

Edward paused, back facing him. His stare was serious, an expression that was almost misplaced on his face. “See what, William?”

“You asked–” William swallowed hard, embarrassment swiftly overtaking his previous terror. “Nothing. Forget I said anything.”

Forget. That was all William wanted to do in that moment.

As Edward turned back around, he winced.

His lower lip caught between teeth, and he took a moment to gather himself.

His eyes fell on something to William’s side.

William followed the line of sight to find Robert’s journal resting amongst rumpled bedsheets.

“I think, just like you said, what you saw had just been a nightmare. That’s all.

Perhaps the talk of ghosts, deaths and your strange night-time reading choice is the cause of what happened.

You could be right about the wine as well.

Maybe it’s all one big melting pot of factors that resulted in you sleep walking.

Either way, you should at least try and get some more sleep otherwise the hangover tomorrow will be the least of your worries. ”

William didn’t have it in him to say that he actually believed sleep was going to be impossible, especially after what he saw. Let alone how he felt. However, Edward had just answered his previous question in a roundabout way, and William couldn’t unhear it.

“So you saw something too.”

“I didn’t see anything,” Edward affirmed, deep voice cracking. His eyes diverted, suggesting another answer.

“I don’t believe you,” William whispered, fisting the sheets. “Why did you just point at the journal and mention ghosts again? You asked me on the landing if I saw something too, and then pretended like you never said it.”

Frustration boiled over, replacing Edward’s hesitation almost instantly. Everything about his demeanour shifted. “What do you want me to say to make this better?”

Edward was scared. William could see it. The fear was so palpable he could almost taste it.

“I want you to tell me you saw that fucking man hanging above the staircase.”

As if that was even possible.

Edward shuffled on his feet. “I thought we agreed it was just the mixture of wine and our conversation, nothing else.”

“I’ve drunk three bottles to myself before and had the best night’s sleep of my life,” William bit back. “Half a bottle barely touches the sides these days.”

Edward sagged forward, his shoulders rolling, his back hunching. “I don’t want to frighten you.”

“Frighten?” William barked back. “Edward, I’m fucking terrified. There’s nothing more you can say that isn’t going to make this feeling get any worse.”

He found his hands gripping the bed sheets so hard until his trembling fingers paled from the tension.

Edward lifted his endlessly chestnut eyes, looking not at William but through him. Although he was silent, what he was holding back was practically deafening.

“Spit it out,” William said. “Please.”

“Hanbury has secrets, as we do. But those will have to wait until tomorrow. Everything is easier to make sense of beneath the light of day. Not to mention a little less… overwhelming.”

Edward was dancing around the conversation.

William knew it. But he also knew that Edward was right.

His head ached from exhaustion, and a little bit of his brewing hangover.

Apparently he wasn’t as resilient to alcohol as he’d come to believe.

William’s mouth was parched, his teeth furry from forgetting to brush them.

“Just try and get some more rest,” Edward encouraged again, backing away from the bed towards the door. “I’ll just be downstairs if you need me–”

“Wait,” William shouted, unable to stop himself. The prospect of being alone frightened him more than it ever had before. “Stop. Please.”

Edward stopped dead in his tracks. Both men looked at one another, waiting to see which one of them would break the silence first.

“What’s wrong?” Edward whispered.

“Please… just, don’t go. I… I clearly can’t be trusted. You said it yourself. Who knows where I’ll end up walking next time?”

“You’ll be okay.” Edward moved closer to the door. I can take the room across the hall if you are comfortable. I’ll keep the door open unless you feel safer with it closed.”

Little good that did last time . Hell, even the door was barricaded, and that didn’t stop William from leaving.

“Edward, trust me when I say I’m not one to beg.”

“I sense a but coming on.”

William took a deep breath in, held it, and let his desires rule him.

“ But please don’t go. I know this is a big ask, and I know it’s awkward as fuck.

But please, can you stay with me? I would feel…

” Feel what? More comfortable. At ease? Less of, how did Edward put it?

“Less of a liability to myself knowing you would be here to stop me doing something stupid the next time I sleepwalk.”

It was beginning to feel like the wrong thing to call what he was experiencing. Doing it once was a mistake, twice was a coincidence. But three times… that would be a habit and William didn’t want that to happen.

For a moment, William thought Edward was going to refuse. Of course, it was his choice, too. He couldn’t force a man to share his bed, even after what had happened.

Edward swallowed hard, the sound filling the silent room.

He looked to the door behind him, moved towards it and closed it.

He’d shut them both inside . William expected Edward to ask for further clarification into his pathetic request, but nothing came.

Instead, William shifted the quilt beside him and pulled it back, revealing the space in the bed for him to lay in.

“Okay, I’ll stay. One night.”

Relief was like a rush of winter again against red-stained cheeks. “Thank you.”

Edward surveyed the mattress with a straight face, lips drawn in contemplation. Then he got in, and the weight across William’s chest eased slightly.

The bed creaked with the addition of Edward’s weight. The sigh he exhaled as he laid his head back on the two-stacked pillows was long. “Better?”

“Yes, much,” William said, lying beside Edward and pulling the quilt to his chin.

“Mmhmm,” Edward replied, clearly ending the conversation before it could go any further. “Good.”

Is it?

“Listen, I know this is stupid,” William added after moments of silence. “That I’m stupid for asking this of you but–”

“No more buts. We can talk about your measures of stupidity in the morning. For now, you sleep.” Edward rolled on his side, putting his back to face William.

It was on the tip of William’s tongue to tell Edward that he could remove his clothes if he preferred.

Then he realised that this man was still a complete stranger, only sleeping beside him because William was trying to convince himself he’d not just seen a ghost.

Neither of them spoke again.

It took a long while for sleep to come for him. He dared close his eyes, scared to replay the vision he had seen. But keeping them open was no better. Every noise the house made, every rumble of thunder beyond the manor, made him believe that the phantom had returned.

It took close to an hour for sleep to finally claim him.

William hadn’t realised how badly he needed to hear the soft purr of steady breathing beside him.

It had been so long since he last listened to the rhythm of someone sleeping close to him.

The warmth shared, the subtle creak of the bedframe as a person got comfortable.

It was all the white noise William needed to draw his mind away from the horror he’d witnessed – even if he still didn’t know what he’d seen.