Run, Girl (If You Can)

Without homework weighing her down, Keeley didn't know what to do with her free time when she got home from the lab since Valentina was almost always at the hospital.

She caught up on a lot of TV, watched weird YouTube videos such as short documentaries about the making of Parmesan cheese, and lay on the floor staring at the ceiling fan with Molly when she had nothing better to do.

Busy people really don't know how to handle themselves when they become less busy. It was how she found herself spending nearly two hours on Pinterest trying to nail down the best recipe to make for Aaron as a thank you for saving her paper.

Apparently he had been on that business trip with Cameron because he texted her the day before to let her know he was back and wanted that dessert. No wonder he hadn't been bugging her on her birthday; he really was busy.

There were too many options to choose from. She spent thirty minutes alone debating whether to make cookies or cupcakes.

Her choices were staggering—who even had the time to make things like this regularly? Who spent hours developing these crazy recipes?

After much deliberation, she settled on strawberry shortcake cupcakes with a puree in the middle and whipped cream frosting. It wouldn't take too much effort but it would look like it did.

Keeley turned on some music and sang along, going so far as to dance around the kitchen and slide across the floor in her socks, as she gathered all the ingredients and mixed them together.

Having the house to yourself was nice at times; you could get away with embarrassing stuff and no one was there to care. Valentina would have given her a hard time if she had seen—Keeley was a lot dorkier than she was.

No one had ever accepted that side of her outside of her family so she usually kept it hidden.

While the cupcakes cooled, she worked on making the whipped cream frosting. When was the last time she baked something, anyway? Before Christmas? Life had gotten so crazy since then.

At that point she was still under the impression that Aaron hadn't been reborn and didn't remember any of the things he did. It was unbelievable that she was willingly making a treat for him now but she owed him. Keeley hated owing people but especially him.

Once the frosting was on the cupcakes she packed them carefully into a large plastic container and headed out the door resolutely. She would not be tricked into staying over longer today! This was a delivery only.

The subway ride and additional walk to Aaron's place was a bit difficult without jostling the cupcakes. She didn't want the frosting to get smushed.

Keeley was totally embarrassed when she had to announce herself to the doorman. The last time she had been here was still fresh in her mind. She really hoped he forgot.

He came back from calling Aaron with a stiff but professional smile on his face and unlocked the elevator for her. "Go right up, miss."

He definitely remembered. Could she go find a hole to crawl into now?

"Thank you," she said meekly.

She scuffed her sneakers against the floor of the elevator nervously as she passed floor after floor. Why did Aaron have to live so high up? It only prolonged the anxiety.

He was waiting for her outside the elevator doors. Did he expect her to leave them right in front of the elevator and run back downstairs? It wasn't like the thought hadn't crossed her mind but she owed him more courtesy than that after all of his help.

"What did you bring me?" he asked, sounding almost eager.

"Strawberry shortcake cupcakes."

"They sound delicious. Come upstairs, I'll get some milk to go with them."

Keeley followed him up the stairs and saw Dinah stretched out on the kitchen floor, making her smile. Molly did that all the time.

When the cat saw them coming, she stood and trotted over to rub up against Aaron's legs. He leaned down to pet her with the hint of a smile on his face. It looked like he genuinely cared for his pet.

The Aaron she remembered never would have had any affection to spare on an animal. Had he gotten used to the cat or did she have him wrong from the beginning? No, she didn't have him wrong. He had gotten used to her too because she pestered him all the time.

Getting used to something wasn't love.

"You two seem as thick as thieves," Keeley noted.

He was still crouching as he scratched Dinah behind the ears. "I suppose we are. It's nice having someone waiting for me when I come home."

His words smacked of loneliness. She didn't think he was the type to get lonely, despite his claims of missing her after she died.

Then again, he did seem to drop everything any time one of the few people he associated with asked. That was something a lonely person would do. Had he always been like this and she just never noticed?

In their first life, she was always the one to approach him in the beginning. Aaron shot her down again and again until one day he said yes out of nowhere. After that, he said yes whenever his schedule allowed.

While they were dating he only turned down the opportunity to see her if school got in the way. Even if he vetoed the activity idea, he still spent time with her.

And once they got married…he was always working but when he was at home he preferred doing his work in the same room Keeley was in before he started ignoring her completely. He never said so but was it possible that he needed people after all?

She scrutinized him. Was his coldness a cover-up for how he really felt? But people definitely annoyed him! At least most of them did. This didn't make sense.

Keeley had devoted her first lifetime to figuring out the mystery that was Aaron Hale and thought she had cracked it but now it seemed that she had barely scratched the surface. Which was the true Aaron—cold and unfeeling or lonely and awkward?