Page 11

CHapter ten

Suspicious Minds

“Happy Birthday!”

Aaron opened his door on Monday morning to Mel, tiny cupcake in hand, a single candle flickering in the breeze caused by students bustling by to claim their time in the bathroom.

He forced a smile and leaned forward, blowing out the flame.

“Hope you made a wish.” She handed him the cupcake.

“Always.” He plucked out the candle and threw it behind him into his bin, then peeled back the wrapper and bit into the cake, a sweet, slightly stale taste settling awkwardly on his tongue. He then locked the door behind him, falling into the rhythmic shuffle of the morning.

Their residence block was alive with muted chaos. Doors creaked open, snippets of laughter and conversations echoing down the corridors as the first years began settling into the rooms. Aaron’s floor of ten had filled up, and it was the usual excitement and nerves with the first years starting later, so it was just him and Mel mooching about as they headed for their first lecture.

The vast expanse of the university stretched out as they bundled out of the block, a mix of old stone buildings from yesteryear dotted between modern glass-and-steel structures. Paths snaked through wide green lawns and under towering oaks where the leaves were turning shades of amber and red to mark the start of autumn and the end of summer.

The end to Aaron’s summer bubble.

Their destination loomed ahead. The lecture hall where Dr Kenneth Lyons would lead a session on final-year research projects. Aaron’s stomach fluttered at the thought of seeing him again, their secrets woven into the very walls of that room. At the end of last year, sitting in Kenny’s lectures while they were sleeping together had felt daring. Thrilling . But now, it was different. It felt as though they’d crossed a line. They weren’t just fucking anymore. They were…something more.

Weren’t they?

Even if all they did was fuck. And catch the occasional campus serial killer together…He hoped there weren’t going to be any more of those.

“Did you hear about Archie?” Mel pulled him from his tangling thoughts as they walked along a grassy mound sloping toward the winding path leading to the heart of the campus.

“Archie? The bloke from my flat in first year?”

“Yeah. He was going out with Scarlett. Y’know, from my Anime society?”

Aaron didn’t know. Nor did he really care. Archie was a prick. And a bully.

“Gone missing.”

“Missing?”

“Yeah…Fucked up his second year. Scarlett reckons he decided not to come back. But hiding it from his folks. Probably jumped on a plane to avoid having to face them. You know they’re proper rich, don’t you?”

“No. Nor do I give a fuck. How do you know everything about everyone?”

“Ear to the ground.” She shoved his shoulder. “And I talk to people. I’m nice.”

“Can’t say a better man deserves failure.”

“Yeah, thought you’d like that. Anyway, is your mystery man taking you out tonight?”

Aaron scarfed down the last of the cupcake, wiping his hands on his jeans. “Doubt it.” He spluttered crumbs through a mouthful, then swallowed. “He’s… dealing with stuff about his mum.”

“Oh. Shitter.” Her face softened. Mel, for all her eccentricity, had a knack for cutting through to genuine sympathy when it mattered.

“Yeah.” But as Aaron hadn’t ever really celebrated his birthday, he wasn’t too bothered that Kenny might have forgotten. Especially with everything going on for him right then. Even if the date was a different sort of anniversary for them both.

But Aaron hadn’t told Mel everything— couldn’t tell her everything—even if the need to offload was fierce. He couldn’t even tell his therapist who he had to see this week. Because it wasn’t his secret to tell. And the fragments weighed on him. He’d thought about going back to Kenny’s place last night after his shift at the shop. The day had been hectic, a steady stream of first years and their parents swarming the aisles, leaving him bone tired. Still, he’d hovered his thumb over Kenny’s name on his phone while staring at the blank ceiling of his room late at night.

He hadn’t called.

Part of him wanted to. Wanted to check on him. Bridge the growing distance that worry had carved between them. But something had stopped him. Maybe it was respect for Kenny’s privacy. If anyone knew about keeping things quiet when they needed to, it was him. Or maybe it was the gnawing fear that there was more to Kenny’s silence than he was letting on. And Aaron didn’t know how to ask without tearing open wounds that might never heal and potentially shatter the only good thing he’d ever had.

Dramatic? Yeah, sure. Warranted? Abso-fucking-lutely.

“Well, if you’re not going out.” Mel bumped her shoulder with his. “We could go do something. I mean, not on campus cause the freshers will be out in force tonight. But maybe I can take you out in Betty?”

They reached the main lecture theatre, where the scent of fresh coffee drifted toward them from the vendor outside and students gathered in loose groups, clutching takeaway cups and murmuring about the year ahead. Aaron grabbed a tea while Mel opted for her usual sugary concoction, and they joined the others queuing to step into the future they’d spent two years building toward.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “All right. Sounds good. But…”

“But if your man calls, you’ll drop me quicker than a trend on TikTok.”

“ Mel …”

“I get it. No mates before dates when your fella’s lost his mum. You just remember who your real bestie is when the algorithm changes, though, yeah?”

Aaron snorted. “Course. Cheers for understanding.”

The doors to the lecture theatre opened, with students scurrying inside, and Aaron heaved a breath.

“Here we go.” Mel angled her head to the doors. “Wonder what Dr Dishy Lyons has been doing all summer.”

Aaron slid into a seat in the back row, ignoring Mel as she veered off to chat with the girl beside her, their conversation devolving into gossip about summer internships and final dissertations. He dropped his bag by his feet, pulling out a pen and notepad, and locked his gaze on the front of the room as the projector whirred to life, courtesy of the new master’s student fiddling with the controls. No doubt sent to ensure everything was ready so Kenny could sweep in to take command in that effortless way he always did.

Aaron gripped his pen, twirling it between his fingers, and suddenly realised it was one of Kenny’s posh silver ones and he smiled like a lovesick teenager. So he shifted in the seat to compose himself. Any moment now, Kenny would walk in, the quiet buzz of the room would fade to silence, and Aaron would have to sit there pretending he wasn’t aching for him.

Time stretched. Then the double doors clanged open. Footsteps forced the conversations to hush. Aaron straightened in his seat. There he was. Kenny. Suited. Glasses. As fine as ever. But there was a heaviness in his gait, subtle but impossible to miss. Aaron’s first thought was of Kenny’s mother. The grief still fresh. But before he could dwell on it, his attention snagged on the figure following behind him.

A woman. Tall, poised, and undeniably striking. Her burgundy suit dress fit her as if tailored with precision, and the sheen of her glossy chestnut hair twisted into an immaculate updo showcasing earrings worth more than Aaron’s entire student loan.

Aaron had seen those earrings before.

Seen that woman before.

When at breakfast with Kenny. Fuck.

Ducking his head, he ruffled his hair to shield his face and sank lower into his seat, willing himself invisible. At the front of the room, Kenny and the woman stopped by the student aid, exchanging polite words as she shook hands with them both. Aaron risked a glance toward Kenny, just in time to catch his gaze darting in his direction. Subtle but there.

Aaron mouthed, What the fuck?

Kenny looked away.

Mel nudged Aaron’s elbow, jolting him from his thoughts, and she offered a pack of mints. He shook his head. The idea of eating anything right now was unthinkable.

“Good morning.” Kenny stepped forward. “Welcome back to your final year here at Ryston.”

Aaron took in every detail, most notably the faint tension around his mouth that no one else would notice. Because they’d not kissed that mouth. Not had that mouth stretched around their most intimate part. Not heard it used to beg them to stay or order them to come.

His thoughts spiralled, a storm of questions and emotions he couldn’t quiet.

“I’d like to introduce you all to a new member of the faculty.” Kenny gestured to the woman standing just behind him. “Dr Laura Pryce will support you on your final journey here, and with your dissertation projects.”

Aaron’s heart plummeted as Dr Pryce stepped forward, her presence commanding without effort. She squeezed Kenny’s shoulder. Too familiar. Too intimate. And Aaron tightened his grip on his pen until it snapped with a sharp crack. Shit. That pen probably cost a fortune. Mel turned to him, concern in her eyes, but before she could say anything, Dr Pryce’s voice cut through the tension.

“Thank you, Dr Lyons. If I may…” She gestured to the class with a polished smile.

Kenny stepped back, his face giving nothing away as he yielded the floor to her. Yet as he shifted to lean against the wall, his gaze fell on Aaron. It was brief, subtle, but enough to make Aaron’s chest tighten. He stared back, wishing desperately that he could read Kenny’s thoughts, that all those nights tangled in each other’s arms had given him some psychic insight. But no amount of studying psychology, or being fucked by a doctor of it, could give him that.

Dr Pryce clapped her hands. “Thank you, Dr Lyons, for the introduction. He and I actually go way back, don’t we?” She turned to Kenny with a knowing smile, and he gave her a polite nod, nothing more. “We’ve crossed paths at several conferences over the years, most recently the one we’ve just returned from in Barcelona.”

Aaron’s stomach churned as he watched Kenny nod again, his face neutral, unreadable, and Aaron closed his eyes briefly, only to open them again when Mel nudged him.

“Hey.” She leaned closer. “He was in Barcelona, too? Weird.”

Aaron didn’t respond, his focus stayed on Dr Pryce as she continued. “Barcelona is a wonderful city. Wouldn’t you agree, Kenny? What was your favourite part? Perhaps a suggestion for any students who might visit?”

Kenny hesitated, the slightest shift in his stance betraying him. “The Bunkers del Carmel is a beautiful spot. Especially at sundown.”

Aaron fluttered his eyes closed, feeling Mel’s eyes on him, heavy and bruising, working it all out.

“Take note, students, if any of you are thinking of travelling after graduation,” Dr Pryce said with a saccharine smile. “But, now to business. I’ll be here to assist Dr Lyons with your final projects. As I’m sure he doesn’t mind me sharing, he’s recently had some upsetting personal news and may take compassionate leave. But don’t worry, I’m here to ensure you all get the support you need.”

Aaron clenched his hands into fists under the desk as he saw the irritation flash across Kenny’s face. Kenny cracked his neck from side to side, jaw tightening as though biting back a retort. But the punishing jab of Mel’s boot crushing down on his foot sent a shockwave of pain up his leg before he could analyse what the fuck was going on.

“Ow, fuck !” The curse tore out of him before he could stop it and suddenly every head in the room turned on him.

Glaring at Mel, he offered no apology. And Mel offered no reprieve as she glared right back at him. So he sank lower in his seat and waited for Dr Pryce to continue.

“Let me give you a brief insight into my background.” She perched on the edge of the front table, eyes down. “I’ve spent my career working in various settings focused on understanding and treating the minds of individuals with severe psychological disturbances. My longest tenure was as the lead psychiatrist at Ravenholm Children’s Psychiatric Hospital. A facility some of you may recognise. It’s one of the few institutions dedicated to housing and rehabilitating some of the youngest individuals involved in criminal activity, many of whom face profound psychological challenges.”

Ravenholm. Aaron froze at the name. He’d heard of it. Too many whispers and half-formed stories to ignore. The place where his sister was sent after their parents’ arrest. Her last known residence. Kenny had given him that information himself. And after months of badgering his own case officer at the UKPSS, all she’d given him was that single line after months of waiting. A prior placement. Just enough to confirm she’d been there, nothing more. His thoughts spiralled out of control until Mel’s boot pressed down harder on Aaron’s foot, and he silently pleaded with her to stop. She only stared him down with growing intensity.

Pryce prattled on.

“So,” Pryce concluded an hour later, tone bright and final, “I’ll be setting up one-to-one meetings with you all in the next few days to discuss your projects. Let’s go in alphabetical order by first name, shall we?” She clicked her fingers at the master’s student, who handed her a list. “The first person I’ll be meeting with is…”

Aaron closed his eyes. Of fucking course she’d go alphabetically. He should have known choosing the first name on that list they gave him would bite him on the arse.

“Mr Aaron Jones.”

Aaron’s heart thundered as she scanned the room, eyes landing on him. She knew. She fucking knew.

“Don’t be shy.” She grinned. “Give us a wave so I know who you are.”

She knew who he was. And just like back during their first meeting over a breakfast bistro table, Aaron remained mute.

But Mel jabbed her knee to his, and Aaron shot her a glare before reluctantly raising his hand. Pryce’s gaze lingered for an agonising moment too long.

“Ah, good. Expect my meeting invitation to come through to you shortly.”

Aaron turned back to Kenny, watching. Their gazes met, locked, and Aaron wanted the world to stop spinning. To freeze so he could launch down there and demand an answer. But before anything could pass between them, Pryce’s voice sliced through the air again.

“Thank you, class. Expect your meetings soon and have a wonderful start to your final year.” She turned to Kenny with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Dr Lyons, a word?”

Aaron sat frozen, his pulse pounding in his ears, as Kenny pushed off the wall and followed her out of the room.

“Holy mother of fucking God !” Mel slapped Aaron hard on the arm. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Aaron clutched his arm. “Shh. Just fucking shh .”

The other students all clambered out of their seats, thudding as they banged back, and stalked toward the door, at least drowning out some of Mel’s outburst.

“Don’t you fucking dare!” Mel picked up her notepad and slapped him again and again.

“Would you fucking stop that!”

Mel gave him another glare, but thankfully those in their row of seats needed them to move to get out. So Aaron shoved everything in his bag, stumbling out from his seat, and headed to the door. Mel raced after him, grabbing his arm.

“Oh, no you don’t.” She then dragged him out of the lecture theatre, past all those milling in the corridor, toward the revolving doors at the end where she shoved him through, down the concrete steps to the main quad.

Mel ensured no one was within earshot, then leaned in, her whisper sharp and insistent. “O M actual G.”

“Mel, please. Not here.”

“Okay. Over there!” She grabbed his arm again and marched him along the quad to the grass where they hid under a massive oak tree away from the crowds. “Are you shagging Dr Lyons ?”

Aaron gritted his teeth. “Walls have ears, Melanie .”

“Oh my God ,” she gasped, voice pitching somewhere between scandalised and thrilled. “You’re not denying it. Are you? Are you actually? How long? Oh my God! ”

Aaron groaned, dragging a hand down his face, already cursing every life choice that had led to this exact moment. Starting with getting out of bed. This was not how his twenty-first was supposed to go. He should’ve known better than to tempt fate with even a scrap of peace.

He opened his mouth to respond, something halfway between a lie and a damage control joke forming on his tongue, when movement caught the corner of his eye. A figure emerged from the trees. Not hurried. Nor hesitant. Purposeful .

His stomach dropped.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Another person he recognised. Another face from a chapter he’d never wanted to reread, let alone relive in front of an audience.

Christ. Did this happen to everyone on their twenty-first birthday, or was he just cosmically cursed?

He didn’t need to be told the answer to that one.

“Aaron Jones…” That familiar voice carried across the clearing, calm and confident, wrapped in that unsettling blend of warmth and authority that had always made his skin crawl. It sounded like concern dressed up as control. As if they already knew why they were here, and he didn’t.

Which was worse.

Because nothing good came from a personal visit from them . Not back then. Especially not now.

He turned slowly, breath caught somewhere in his throat, bracing for whatever fresh hell was about to drop.

Because whatever this was, it wasn’t going to be good.

Jervine hadn’t changed much. Her dark brown skin glowed in the dappled light, and her cornrows still had those distinct shells at the ends. The pressed black trousers and white shirt she wore made her look ready for business. As always. She might as well have an ID hanging from her neck to declare she was a government official . Still, Jervine had been a constant in his life since the day they pulled him out of his mother’s cupboard, and her presence now felt like both a lifeline and a harbinger of bad news.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Torn between throwing his arms around her and bolting for the nearest exit, Aaron held his ground.

“What? I can’t stop by to wish you a happy birthday?”

Aaron narrowed his eyes. “No.”

Jervine chuckled. “Can we… go somewhere a little more private?” She angled her head to Mel. “No offense. But I’ve been waiting for your lecture to finish all hour and then you get dragged here and I’m on a clock.”

Mel folded her arms. “Looks like I don’t know shit about fuck, anyway.”

“Mel…”

“Call me when you’re done.” She jabbed a finger at Aaron’s chest. “Like, immediately.” With that, she stomped across the lawn, ignoring the DO NOT WALK ON THE GRASS sign, her boots leaving a defiant trail.

Jervine tilted her head, watching Mel stampede off. “Girlfriend?”

Aaron snorted. “You think?”

“No.” She searched his face, expression softening. “You all right?”

“That depends.”

“On?”

“Why the fuck you’re here.”

“Let’s find coffee. I need coffee. You?”

“I still hate the stuff. But I’ll watch you burn your tongue on it.”

They wandered across campus to a quieter coffee vendor, avoiding the longer queues. The one where Aaron had sat across from Kenny on his first week here. How much time had passed since then. And stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. They found a picnic bench tucked away in the shade and Jervine sipped her coffee while Aaron nursed a cup of tea, wondering what thing was ready to strike him down this time.

After a moment, Jervine reached into her bag and pulled out a manila envelope, sliding it across the table.

Aaron frowned, suspicion tightening his chest. “What’s that?”

“People generally open their birthday cards without questions.”

He snatched the envelope and turned it in his hands. “Might I suggest something less ominous for next year, then? Maybe a cute teddy bear with a heartfelt message on it. This thing screams paperwork.”

“Just open it.”

He ripped the glued edge off and pulled out a stack of papers. “No teddy. And…” He turned the envelope upside down and shook it with a pout. “No cash falling out. As suspected, this ain’t no Hallmark card.”

“But there is something in there worthy of a grand unseal.” Jervine took a sip of coffee through a sly smile. “Much harder to fit into a birthday card, though.”

Aaron flipped through the documents. “What the fuck is this?”

“Your trust fund.”

“My what?”

She leaned over, flattening the papers to point at a specific section. “The estate you were born into. Government seized it all after your parents’ conviction. Used it to pay off compensations and legal fees. But the rest? It’s yours. Set aside until your twenty-first birthday, provided you stayed out of trouble.”

Aaron gulped, darting his eyes over the numbers. “One and a half million ?”

“Told you it wouldn’t fit in a teddy bear card.” Jervine sipped her coffee. “You’re rich.”

He slapped the papers down, mind spinning on overdrive. “I don’t… This can’t be right.”

“It is.” She took a sip of coffee. “Your parents were old money. Aristocracy. When they were arrested, the estate was liquidated to settle debts, compensations, and other… associated costs. What’s left belongs to you. Legally. Your mother signed it off, and your father… well, he relinquished any claim when he…”

“Hanged himself.”

Jervine shrugged. “Or whatever.”

Aaron stared at the papers, his throat dry. “And my mum wants me to have this?”

“Not that she has much choice. She’s never going to use it. Commissary at Ashbridge doesn’t exactly carry high-end merchandise.”

He rubbed his forehead, tension radiating through him. “I don’t trust this.”

“Why not? It’s coming from me.”

“I don’t trust anything that’s had the name Howell attached to it.”

Jervine leaned forward. “Think of it as recompense. A small piece of what you’ve lost.”

Aaron leaned back, the words sinking in but not settling. “Being on the Howells’ payroll doesn’t exactly give me the warm and fuzzies.”

“Hence the lack of a teddy bear clutching a bouquet and an overly saccharine message to go with it.” She gave him a pointed look. “But it’s yours, Aaron. No strings. Take it or don’t. It’s your call.”

Staring down at the papers again, they felt heavy in his hands. He didn’t trust it. Didn’t trust any of it. But he also couldn’t deny the way it pulled inside him, torn between wanting to reject everything connected to his family and how much he could use this money to set up on his own.

He sighed, drifting into the thoughts before snapping back to Jervine. “What about my sister?”

Jervine’s expression tightened, her usual composure visibly pinched. “I’ve tried, Aaron. I really have. But that information is classified unless she chooses to unseal it.”

“But you’ve told her I’ve asked?”

“I’ve passed it along to the people handling her case, yes.”

“And does she get a nice lump sum like this?” He gestured to the paperwork with a bitter edge.

Jervine took a measured sip of her coffee, her eyes steady on him. “Her situation comes with different conditions. And no, before you ask, I don’t know what they are.”

Aaron inhaled, folding his arms. The frustration boiled under his skin, but before he could press her further, something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Across the field, just far enough to make out but too far to hear, Kenny stood with DI Jack Bentley.

Aaron stiffened, focus narrowing in on the exchange. The tension between them was palpable. Even from this distance. Their postures rigid. Then Jack’s hand moved to Kenny’s neck. The touch sent a surge of hot rage through Aaron, like gasoline catching fire. Why did everyone think it was okay to touch Kenny when he couldn’t? He gritted his teeth, silently counting in his head to keep the fury from showing. Maybe he could count how many pounds he had to his name now? But before he even reached the first tenner, the two men turned, heading toward the car park.

Aaron shot up, grabbing the paperwork in a flurry. “Thanks, Jerv. Nothing like a government issue birthday wish to remind me I’m the heir to an estate full of corpses.”

“ Aaron —”

“Gotta go.”

“You want to know how to access it?” She nodded to the envelope.

“If I decide to take it, I’ll call you.” He was already moving, darting across the grass as he trailed Kenny and Jack’s path. They reached the car park, each getting into their respective vehicles.

Aaron dug out his phone, fingers fumbling as he hit Mel’s number. “Hey. I need you to drive me somewhere. Now. Like, right now.”

“Only if you tell me everything.”

“Deal. Where’s your car?”

“Parked by the halls. Heading there now.”

Aaron shoved his phone into his pocket and bolted across the grass mounds toward the student car park. When he arrived, Mel was waving by her car.

“Fuck me, Mel!” Aaron came to an abrupt stop.

Mel grinned, slapping the roof of a lime-green Volkswagen Beetle plastered with stickers. Daisies. A pride flag. Heavy metal band logo. But that wasn’t the worst of it.

“Meet Betty.” She tapped the roof.

“Could you not get a more conspicuous car?”

“It’s cute!”

“It has eyelashes!” He gestured at the faux eyelashes curling over the front headlights.

“Do you want a ride or not?”

Aaron spotted Kenny and Jack’s cars pulling out of the car park to trail the road looping around campus toward the exit gates, so, without another word, he yanked open the passenger door. “Let’s go.”

Mel squealed in delight, jumping into the driver’s seat and starting the engine. “Where are we going?”

He pointed out the windshield as he clipped his seatbelt. “We’re following them.”

Mel gasped, grin wide. “Oh, my God! Betty’s first car chase!”

Aaron slumped into the seat, bracing himself as the lime-green Beetle lurched into motion, stickers glinting in the sunlight as they sped out of the car park.