Run, Girl (If You Can)

Keeley was napping with her head on her husband's lap when he got the call from the doorman that a Lacy Knighton was here to see him. So she had finally guessed he was in the penthouse. People had to know which apartment a tenant was in to even get the doorman to call up.

"She's been stalking me," Aaron said icily. "Put her on the strict no entry list. If she tries coming into the building, toss her out."

"Yes, sir," the doorman said professionally. "Would you like me to contact the police for you?"

"Not necessary at this time. Thank you."

The police wouldn't be able to do anything because she hadn't made any active threats recently. Only he and Keeley knew the truth about how dangerous she was.

He glanced down at his wife's sweet sleeping face. She had put her trust in him—he had to keep her and their children safe.

It had been a little over a month since her graduation ceremony and she had been too afraid to leave the house, even to see Dr. Chapman. She was overdue for a visit. He had to convince her to go out somehow but it was difficult because he understood her fear.

This house was the safe place he had wanted it to be but it had also become her prison. Keeley didn't want to leave it in case she ran into Lacy, Graydon, Ryan, or Alistair. He wasn't sure why she was still wary of Graydon since she claimed to believe that he meant them no harm.

He had certainly helped them out the other day by keeping Lacy away. He texted Aaron once it was done and said that he had been watching her the whole time and that it was safe to go home. And it had been.

That man didn't make any sense whatsoever. He had been instrumental in Keeley's death. Why was he protecting her now? What did Aaron do or not do that changed his mind? Was it really just because he had been actively opposing his father?

He wished he understood what was going on in that man's head. It would be nice if he could be positive that Graydon wasn't a threat. But that wouldn't happen until he found out why they had been enemies in his previous life.

Without being able to ask, he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to be sure about that. Deductive reasoning could only take you so far. Graydon Meyer was a real mystery.

Aaron sighed and stroked Keeley's hair over and over to calm himself. This was all too confusing. At least he had her to talk to about all of this. In his first life he had stupidly dealt with all of his problems alone.

Being married to her…these past few months had been the happiest in either of his lives. But there was still something missing. He knew she would never love him the way she once did, even if she did seem fond of him now and then.

In the past she had given him her entire heart and he hadn't cherished it properly. It was fair that she couldn't do that again but that didn't make it any less disappointing.

At least he knew she would stay with him. Aaron would get to enjoy her laughter, sense of adventure, and closeness for the rest of his life. That was already more than he could have hoped for after she found out the truth.

Sweet Keeley. He loved her so much but she was still suffering because of being with him. He wished he could take all of her worries away forever.

Alistair was still a problem. 'Bethany' was supposed to come back in two months and he still hadn't figured out a valid excuse as to why she wouldn't be in New York. It might be time to break off the false engagement. Maybe he could pretend she fell in love with someone in Africa and decided to stay there.

But then he would have to deal with Lacy Knighton again. Oh, why couldn't she just take a hint? She could marry literally anyone else; why did it have to be him?

She didn't really love him; she didn't even know him. The person she was obsessed with didn't even exist. Aaron hadn't been what she wanted since his first time being seventeen years old.

 There was nothing he could do about her either. Even if he had proof that she drugged Keeley, the statute of limitations had passed. She couldn't be convicted for it anymore. Technically speaking, she hadn't done anything illegal in the past few years.

Aiden hadn't even been able to find evidence of blackmail. She was completely clean. The only thing he could do to make her disappear was kill her but Keeley would never approve.

She was a good person; she wouldn't want to be married to a murderer. Aaron would do it in a heartbeat though if it came down to the wire. If she posed an active threat to his family, he would strangle her right there. At that point it would be considered self-defense.

Unfortunately all threats had been passive in nature. Lacy didn't even know that he had married Keeley. Right now she was probably plotting against his supposed fiancée Bethany without knowing that she didn't actually exist.

But if she did manage to find out, the target would be right back where it started. On Keeley's back.

Aaron wanted better for her. He wanted her to be able to change her last name and post their pictures together on social media and walk down the street holding hands without fear. That wouldn't happen as long as Lacy Knighton was around.

Keeley shouldn't have to be hidden away. She wasn't doing anything wrong; she was just living her life with the man who loved her. Why couldn't he have been born a normal man? They could have met and fallen in love without difficulty.

He still got to be with her in the end but more than once he had wondered what their relationship would have been like if he wasn't Aaron Hale. If she hadn't had to worry about being plotted against by her own in-laws. If they could have lived their first life out in peace.