Page 52 of Killing Me Softly

Mel snorted. “Totally has thatI’ll choke youvibe.”

“Yeah. He does.”

Mel’s smirk dropped, and she held up a hand like a crossing guard at a red light. “TMI, bruh. I have to sit across from him in feedback.”

“You started it.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t need thebonus material.” She made a show of shaking off the mental image. “Bet your feedback sessions are glorious.”

Aaron snorted. “Depends. You talking academic or personal?”

Mel grimaced. But Jack pulled into the staff car park, so Mel eased Betty to a stop on the opposite side of the street and let the engine run. “What now?”

Across the road, Jack stepped out of his car, locking it with a sharp click, spinning his keys around his finger as if he didn’t have a care in the world. So Aaron shoved open the door, clambering out with more urgency than grace and darted across the street, barely registering Mel’s muffled“Don’t assault police!”as his shoes hit the grass mound to prove DI Bellend otherwise.

His steps faltered on the incline, but he pushed forward, reaching the entrance by the stupid, pointless water fountain. Jack was already ascending the steps to the station, his back to him. “Hey!” Aaron called out, unsure whether it was confidence or desperation that had him here.

Jack stopped. Turned. Furrowed his brow.

“Can we talk?” Aaron hated how shaky he sounded. Hated the vulnerability curling in his gut. That he was here, standing in front ofJack, putting himself out there. But that, as terrifying as it was, was everything.

Fucking feelings.

“You…here to report a crime?” Jack dropped down from the step as a couple of uniformed officers scooted around him toward the entrance.

“You tell me.”

Jack exhaled, long and weary, before tilting his head, gesturing for Aaron to follow. Aaron trailed behind him, stopping by the edge of the concrete water feature as Jack sat along the edge. The fountain’s rhythmic gushing did nothing to quell the storm building inside him.

“What’s going on?” Aaron stayed standing, crossing his arms.

“In what respect?”

“Don’t play innocent with me.” Aaron narrowed his eyes. “Why are you and Kenny going to the hospital together? Why are you calling him on a fucking Sunday when you should be sucking off your gladiator husband? And why is he then locking himself in his office all day like some kind of trauma response? Why is he leaning onyouabout his mother’s death instead of me?Me!”

“Aaron—”

“Fuck you, Jack. Seriously, fuck every last smug, self-righteous bit of you!” Aaron jabbed a finger toward him, anger flaring like a lit match. “If this is you trying to manipulate your way back into his bed, I don’t give a flying fuck if you’re police, I’ll still ram my fucking fist so far down your—”

“Hey. Stop.Breathe.” Jack shot to his feet, grabbing Aaron’s arm. “Thinkbefore you threaten a police officer on the doorstep of his headquarters, eh? Not even a government issued solicitor will get you offthatcharge.”

Aaron yanked his arm back, and he tried to sync his breaths with the rhythmic cascading water behind them—one, two, three—but the anger churned, restless and glinting, like the coins sunk beneath the surface of the fountain, their shine dulled but their presence undeniable.

“Then tell me what the fuck is going on.”

“Sit down.”

Aaron hesitated, feet rooted to the ground, but then the weight of it all—the uncertainty, the jealousy, the constantwondering—dragged him down. He slumped onto the edge of the concrete step, staring at the rippling water, trying to drown out the noise of his stampeding heart.

Jack sat beside him, silent for a beat too long. Then, calm and measured, “I’m sorry Kenny hasn’t told you himself.”

“Oh, go fuck yourself.” Rage surged through Aaron’s veins like wildfire. “And while you’re at it, you can shove your shitty apology right up your fucking arse, an’ all.”

Jack’s brows shot up. “Hang on a minute—”

“No, you fucking hang on a fucking minute. Can you even hear yourself? That one little sentence stuffed full of implication and bullshit. Fuck you,Jack.”

Jack’s mouth tightened. He didn’t argue. Good. Cause Aaron wasn’t done.

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