Page 56 of Dream a Little Dream

“I’m sorry—”

“It’s in the past.” Jack shook his head, counteracting in his body language what his mouth was saying.

Kenny knew it wasn’t. “Is it?”

“It has to be.”

“You left abruptly. Without even talking to me.”

“And what good would that have done? You’d have told mewhyI felt the way I did. Why you did what you did. You’d give me all the excuses and all the reasons, then psychobabble your way out of it. Like you always did.”

“That’s not…” Kenny let the lie die on his tongue.

“I left because I couldn’t take it anymore. And we both needed me to. You had no space in your obsessions for me. And I couldn’t keep being your…” He closed his eyes, then shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. It did me the world of good to leave everything behind.”

“Then I’m glad.” Kenny meant it. He wanted Jack to be happy. To have found someone. To have somethingnormal. After all, it’s what he wanted for himself. “I’m happy you’re happy.”

“And you have Heather, so perhaps it was the best thing for both of us.” Jack checked over the notes on his pad. “Anyway, what can you tell me about Aaron Jones?”

Jack probably thought that was an easier conversation.

Little did he know it was a larger can of worms than his and Jack’s tumultuous relationship.

“Not much.” Kenny scratched through his beard. “He’s a first year. I’ve taught him four times so far.”

“Uh huh.” Jack stood and peered out of the small window overlooking the campus.

Kenny joined him, watching Aaron beneath the building, vape in hand and inhaling some before rushing off to wherever he had to go next.

“Tell me you quit,” Jack said, eyes still focused on Aaron tumbling away and blowing out the vapour.

“I quit.”

“Didn’t go onto vapes?”

“No. They don’t give the same hit.”

“Good.” Jack smiled at him. “But you switched it for what other vice?”

An awkward silence blanketed over them. What he’d filled it with was far, far worse than nicotine. And way more hazardous.

“Cadbury’s Crème Eggs.”

Jack snorted. “You always ate far too many of those, too.” He bumped his shoulder to Kenny’s. “Remember that cake you tried to make with them all inside it?”

“You were sick. And I vowed never to bake again. Upheld that, as well. If you were interested.”

Jack chuckled, but when he peered back up, the veil on their shared reunion draped over him and Jack returned to the DI he now was by glancing out the window. “He’s…familiar.”

Kenny said nothing.

Jack cocked his head. “Do you not think?”

“I don’t know him.”

“I didn’t ask if you knew him. I asked if you thought he was familiar?”

“I teach hundreds of students each year. Some look like him.”

---