Page 57 of Killing Me Softly

“But you don’t, do you?”

Aaron sighed, heavier this time, then clicked his pen closed. “It’s not personal, but I don’t really trust anyone. If you’ve been where I’ve been, you learn real quick that no one is ever foolproof, and you can’t predict people’s reactions.” He knew that firsthand. One, from the bloke he’d been seeing for months when he was fifteen, who then raped and beat him when he found out who he was. And also from Taylor. Hence his reasons for ignoring his call. Cause Taylor could go to hell.

Mel raised an eyebrow. “You should tell Dr Lyons that. We’re literally learning how to predict people’s reactions.”

Aaron let out a dry laugh. “Sure. We have brilliant minds like Kenny’s, and all these world-class experts working topredict human behaviour, yet somehow, murders still happen. People still kill.” He silently reread the title of his thesis. “And sometimes it’s the people we least expect.”

“Aaron Jones?” Dr Pryce poked her head out of the classroom door.

Aaron snapped his books shut and stuffed them into his bag.

“Good luck,” Mel whispered to him. “Let me know about tonight cause I just swiped right and got a date.” She waggled her phone.

“What happened with Lottie?”

“You’re not the only one with drama in their life.”

Aaron slung his bag over his shoulder. “Go on the date.”

“Enjoy your birthday blowjob.”

“Enjoy your date with a psycho.”

“Enjoy getting graded on your…” she made quotation marks with her fingers while jabbing the inside of her cheek with her tongue, “’performance’.”

Aaron flipped her off, then strode toward Dr Pryce.

She smiled as he approached, but it didn’t reach her eyes. And she lingered a beat too long, as if she were studying him. “Come in.” She gestured into the classroom.

Aaron was hyper-aware of the subtle shift in her posture as she watched him.

“Sit wherever you like.” She motioned to the empty tables. “Sorry about the venue. I don’t have an office. Yet.”

Aaron slid his bag off his shoulder and dropped it onto a table of four. She followed, settling at a right angle to him, her laptop already open in front of her.

She leaned back in her chair. “You’re very familiar. Have we met before?”

Was she pretending? Testing him? The way she’d poked at Kenny earlier, bringing up Barcelona, had seemed too pointed to be coincidental. And now this, pretending they hadn’t laid eyeson each other over a breakfast spread in Barcelona. The woman who had come from Ravenholm, where his sister had spent years, then turned up at the hotel Kenny had booked privately and not as part of the conference package, and now here? There was no way this was random. None.

But he played along. “I work at the campus shop. Maybe I sold you a cheese and pickle on brown?”

She let out a small laugh. “Maybe you did.” She tapped something on her laptop. “Well, my, my. You’re a clever boy, aren’t you? Your grades are exceptional. Very impressive.”

Aaron said nothing.

“Have you thought about what comes next? After you graduate? With grades like this, you’d sail right onto a master’s program. And I’m sure you’d get a glowing reference from Dr Lyons, no?”

Aaron narrowed his eyes. “Don’t think my bursary stretches that far.”

She tilted her head as if confirming something. “Ah, yes. I see you’re on a full scholarship here.” She peered up at him. “Estranged from your parents?”

“Severed.”

“Sorry to hear that.”

“I’m not.”

“No, I doubt you aren’t.” She held his gaze for a moment too long, then clapped her hands together. “Now, do you have your completed form?”

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