Run, Girl (If You Can)

Keeley's guilt didn't lessen at all over the next few days. It was how she found herself still in bed at 2 PM on a Sunday with no intention of getting up.

She had thought she had cried her last tears over Aaron Hale but she was wrong. Saying goodbye was harder than she thought it would be. It was a good thing she ended it before she got even more attached.

As predicted, Jennica had been proposed to and she was in the process of packing up all of her things to move them over to Cameron's house permanently. She sang show tunes joyfully as she went. The music didn't match Keeley's mood at all.

She pulled the comforter even further over her head, startling Molly, who had been sitting on it. As she hid under the covers, the doorbell rang and Jennica went to go get it since Valentina was doing a rotation at the hospital.

A minute later, she knocked on the bedroom door. "Keeley? Someone's here to see you."

"Tell them to go away." She wasn't in the mood for visitors and she looked horrible.

"Um…it's Aaron Hale. Like, vice president of one of the biggest corporations in the country Aaron Hale? I don't think you can afford to offend him."

Why was he here? She almost sat up but pulled the blanket even tighter in retaliation. No. She had to stick to her guns.

"I already offended him," she said in a muffled voice. "Tell him I'm sick."

"You want me to lie to Aaron Hale? He's Cam's boss!"

"Fine then, don't tell him I'm sick. Tell him I don't want to see him. I'm sure that will go over better," Keeley said sarcastically.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell him you're sick."

Five minutes later, Jennica knocked on the door again and came in without verifying whether or not it was okay. She sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for Keeley to show her face.

"So. When were you going to tell me that Aaron Hale is your ex-boyfriend?"

That caught her attention. She flipped back the covers. "How did you—"

Jennica pointed at her accusingly. "So I was right! Why on earth did you two break up? Don't you know how crazy in love with you he is?"

"What?" Keeley cried. Her roommate didn't know what she was talking about! "No he isn't. How do you even know him?"

She sighed and shook her head.

"Girl, he was the guy who paid me to be his fake date last summer because his parents were on his case about marrying him off and he needed someone who wasn't actually interested in him. He made me sign a non-disclosure agreement so the woman he loved wouldn't find out…but I don't think he'll sue me now because of Cam."

At Keeley's look of immense confusion she elaborated.

"He told me he had no intention of listening to his parents and that they couldn't take away his happiness this time. He also said that he didn't care about high society and would leave it all behind to protect the one he loved and would give her the normal life she wanted.

"That psycho girl…Lacy, right? The one who bullied you for being interested in her crush? Aaron said she was dangerous but that he would protect his woman from her. Was he the guy? Is that how you know him?"

"I did know him in high school but none of this makes sense! Aaron shouldn't know anything about Lacy bullying me!" Keeley protested.

Everything Jennica said didn't match anything she thought she knew. Keeley was certain that Aaron only started liking her after they met up again and got on friendlier terms…but if what her friend said was true, Aaron had been deeply in love with her before then.

If he was in love with her before…that would explain why he was so persistent in high school even though she didn't hide her dislike. Was it love at first sight? That didn't seem like Aaron.

What made the least sense out of all of this was Lacy. How would Aaron know Lacy was targeting her?

She once told him to control his girlfriend but that was all she ever said on the matter. Why would he think she was dangerous?

The words 'couldn't take away his happiness this time' finally registered in her brain. This time. Which meant there was a time they succeeded before.

The puzzle pieces were all there but they couldn't quite come together. This time…give up high society for her…this time…protect her…this time…a normal life…this time…this time…this time…

Keeley jumped out of bed the moment the last piece fell into place and she nearly scared the living daylights out of Jennica. "What is it?!"

"HE'S DEAD, THAT'S WHAT!" she roared as she stormed out of the room, jamming on boots and a coat before running out the front door in her pajamas.

Aaron was already long gone but she was fairly certain she knew where he would be. She garnered a lot of stares at the subway station but was too furious to notice. All that mattered now was getting to his apartment building.

"Tell Aaron Hale in the penthouse that his ex-wife is here to see him," she said frostily to the doorman when she arrived. "Those exact words."

"Right away, ma'am."

The doorman unlocked the button to the top floor in the elevator and wished her a nice day. Ha. Nothing was nice about today whatsoever.

When the elevator opened, Aaron was waiting for her with a somber look on his face. "You know?"

"Know. What."

She wanted to hear him say it with her own ears.

"That both of us were reborn our senior year of high school and remember everything."

That was all she needed to hear before she went off on him, screaming and furiously pounding on his chest. "You filthy hypocrite! You know what you put me through and you still had the nerve to come back? How dare you!"

She continued kicking and hitting as she repeatedly yelled "I hate you!" Eventually she ran out of energy and hung there limply with tears trickling down her face as Aaron held onto her wrists.

"I know," he said heavily. "I'm so sorry, Keeley."