Run, Girl (If You Can)

As Keeley continued floating on her back she thought about how much she did not want to go back home. Too many stressful things were waiting for her there. This vacation had been a nice break from it all but she wanted things to be normal.

She wanted to be able to leave the apartment without fear and take the babies on walks every day while the weather was nice. To be able to post pictures and brag about her family on social media like everyone else. Only a handful of people even knew that she was a wife and mother.

Most of all, she wanted to stop living in fear. Fear had controlled her far too much in this lifetime. As long as she was afraid of people plotting against them, she couldn't be truly happy with Aaron, no matter how good he was to her.

Would it ever end? Lacy Knighton wasn't going anywhere any time soon. She would obsessively stalk Aaron until the day she died. She sighed. There wasn't anywhere she could go to truly escape her problems.

"What's wrong?" her husband asked.

"I don't want to go home, Aaron," she said wearily. "I'm absolutely sick of being locked up."

"I know, I'm sorry. There just isn't any proof she's done anything illegal. I could technically put out a restraining order because she keeps following me but everyone knows those don't actually work."

Keeley had read multiple news articles about people who were still murdered by people the victims had restraining orders against. He had a point. All that would do would enrage Lacy further.

It was pretty terrible that people's safety couldn't be assured until after something happened. Police could only do so much. She didn't want that psycho to get even angrier.

"What is it about you that makes people crazy?" she asked, only half-joking.

He had made her crazy too so many times over the years. There was just something about him.

Aaron scowled. "You say that like it's my fault I attract nutcases."

"It IS your fault. We've already established this, remember? My entire first life was ruined because of your ability to attract nutcases."

Since he had already acknowledged that before, he had no further argument. Instead, he reached up and wrapped his arms around Keeley, pulling her upright and getting water up her nose.

She snorted painfully. Water up your nose was the worst feeling.

"What was that for?" she asked, craning her neck to glare at him.

"Just reminding you that I love you and that I'm glad you're here despite the nutcases."

She couldn't exactly stay angry at him when he was nuzzling her neck like that. She could feel his affection tangibly surround her. It was difficult to argue with someone who was currently loving on you.

"Yeah, yeah," she said grumpily. "I bet the babies are awake already. They're probably hungry and my dad can't feed them both by himself. We should go back."

They swam over to the ladder and hauled themselves out. Aaron wrapped a thick fluffy towel around her shoulders before she could even blink. He was solicitous like that. Her anger at him fizzled even further.

He checked his phone for the time after retrieving their things out of a locker and frowned when he saw a message from Aiden. Having specifically told him not to bother him while on vacation, it must be important.

Aaron nearly dropped his phone when he read the message. 'Lacy Knighton is dead. Someone murdered her and my sister found her body in the Bronx. I don't have any other info but I thought you should know'

"What is it?" Keeley asked curiously, squeezing water out of her hair with the towel.

Wordlessly, he held up the phone for her to see and she actually did drop the towel. Dead. She was really dead? Gone? Out of their lives forever?

She slumped onto a deck chair in shock. How had this happened? Lacy was supposed to outlive Keeley and she hadn't died for another five years.

The only things that changed in this life were events directly connected to her and Aaron. They already learned that when Gray turned out to be on their side this time instead of an enemy. He changed his mind because of something Aaron did differently.

So what had Lacy been doing that was different? She was already plotting against Keeley around this time in their past life…there had to be a specific action she changed that led to this chain of events.

She still couldn't believe it. She would never have to worry about Lacy Knighton again. She could live her life freely in the light instead of continuing to hide in the shadows.

Keeley didn't even feel sorry for the woman and then felt guilty about it. A life had still been lost. She shouldn't be this happy. But it had benefitted her so how could she not be?

"What do you think happened?" she finally managed to get out.

Aaron had resumed his default blank expression. These days he only did that when he was really stressed. "I'm not sure what would have changed…unless…"

"Unless what?"

A flicker of emotion appeared on his face. Indecisiveness. If she had to guess, he was debating whether or not to tell her something.

She sighed. All this time and his first instinct was still to keep things to himself.

"Tell me, Aaron," she said flatly.

He looked around sharply before taking her by the hand and pulling her into a unisex family bathroom where they couldn't be overheard. He began speaking reluctantly once the coast was clear.

"I can't accuse him without proof but a while back Gray called me out of the blue at the office. He didn't say much but he did ask if it would be convenient if Lacy should happen to disappear. I'm pretty sure I told him something along the lines of yes and he hung up shortly afterward."

He ran a hand through his hair, giving off an icy vibe because of stress. "I didn't mean that I wanted to kill her! If I wanted to do that I would have done it a long time ago.  I didn't want to sink to her level. But if he is behind this…she died because of me."