Run, Girl (If You Can)

Jennica came over to pick Keeley up bright and early to help her get ready for her big day. She didn't feel awake enough for this but let her friend poke and prod her face without making a peep of protest. It was better to get it over with without complaining.

Her friend kept the makeup simple but beautiful, using an eye shadow palette that would bring out the gold in her brown eyes to her best advantage.

Keeley's hair was manipulated into a half-up, half-down curly style that complimented her hair length. She had chopped it to her shoulders again only a couple of months ago, preferring to keep it shorter.

"You're going to take his breath away," Jennica assured her as she did a few finishing touches with the curling iron.

That was the last thing she was worried about. Once she woke up a bit more fully, she felt like she was going to throw up. What if she puked during the ceremony? Her morning sickness was totally unpredictable.

It was entirely possible that she might puke from nerves alone. Keeley never thought she would be doing this again, let alone with her former husband.

He was different but his family wasn't. Lacy Knighton wasn't. When they inevitably found out she would have to deal with the consequences and she wasn't ready for that. Aaron promised he would keep them safe. But what if he couldn't do it?

What if she was making the exact same mistake she had before and would meet the same end? She tried breathing deeply to calm herself down. If the universe wanted her to marry Aaron again, it better provide a way for her to live peacefully.

Jennica bit her lip in hesitation once they were loaded up into the car on the way to the marina. Cameron was driving but she sat in the back seat with her friend so he was more like a chauffeur than anything.

Eventually she whispered, "Aaron isn't forcing you into this, right?"

It was obvious she was concerned and it made Keeley feel loved even though she was tempted to laugh. "No, it was my idea."

 Jennica frowned. "…do you love him?"

No, but he loved her and that would have to be enough. At the very least she liked him as a person. Being with him wasn't annoying the way it used to be.

"I think he'll be a good husband," she said, ignoring the question.

Her friend caught onto her meaning and squeezed her hands to let her know things were going to be okay. Keeley appreciated the sentiment even if she didn't necessarily agree with it.

She was petrified of what might happen. She might be signing her own death warrant right now. No! Things were different this time. Aaron had security measures in place. Everything was going to be fine.

She was a wreck by the time they made it onto the yacht. Thankfully she had never been prone to motion sickness. Her earlier nausea had passed after drinking some ginger ale.

They were the last ones to make it there aside from Aiden, who hit traffic. Jennica ushered Keeley below deck so Aaron wouldn't see her wearing the dress yet (she was superstitious) with the rest of the women and her father.

"Who are we waiting on?" Lydia asked. "Collin says Aaron was freaking out when you guys were the second to last here."

Keeley was very curious what he would define as 'freaking out.' Aaron didn't typically show emotions in front of others. He had only recently gotten better at doing it around her.

"Our friend Aiden."

"Ten bucks says he was up late playing video games," Jennica chuckled. She had become better acquainted with Aiden's habits since getting together with Cameron. "Aaron's going to kill him."

The word "kill" made Keeley nervous all over again. Aaron wasn't going to kill anybody but Alistair Hale certainly would when he found out about this. Oh, she was so screwed!

It was too late to back out now though. The boat had just left port, meaning Aiden had arrived.

There weren't very many people in on this. The captain, the minister, and the wedding photographer were the only people other than the guests who were even on the boat. It was highly unlikely any of them would squeal on her to the Hales.

They couldn't hack government databases either so they wouldn't be able to access the marriage records or the Social Security records once she changed her name to Hale for the second time. She didn't want her child to feel alienated by having parents with two different last names so once again she would be Keeley Hale.

It would be a bit different this time though. In just a few months she would become Dr. Hale. That was very different than her title in her previous life.

 If her research continued going well, someday people would know Aaron as Keeley Hale's husband rather than the other way around. The thought broke up the tension she was feeling enough to make her crack a smile.

As if reading her mind, Valentina spoke up. "Isn't it going to be weird that your last names are practically the same? You're only changing one letter but the pronunciation of the 'A' is different."

She had gotten very similar questions in her first life. Everything started because of this. A one letter difference placed them next to each other for the first time after three and a half years of going to the same school without knowing about the other's existence.

Hall, Hale. Hale, Hall. If not for that, their paths never would have crossed.

Aaron would have married a socialite, likely Lacy Knighton, without ever being the wiser. Keeley would have gotten her PhD and married someone normal.

Neither of them would have been reborn because there wouldn't have been any unresolved business. Their lives both would have been wrapped up with a neat little bow.

"It is a little weird," Keeley agreed, making the understatement of the century.