Keeley laughed at Aiden's frantic texts as she headed to the lab after class. He seemed panicked. Was Aaron still terrifying? She hadn't seen that side of him since their senior year of high school. She'd thought he'd completely softened.

Whatever, she could do a favor for a friend. Coaxing Aaron would also be beneficial; she didn't want to deal with the ice during her limited breaks from work. They were supposed to be relaxing.

Two hours later, Aaron arrived with Chinese takeout and a distinctly frosty demeanor.

She smiled brightly, giving him a longer-than-usual hug—ten seconds instead of two. "Thanks! This looks delicious. You're my hero!"

Was it over the top? Yes. But it worked. He visibly thawed.

"I'm glad you like it," he said gruffly.

Her status as his favorite person had its uses, though she still wasn't sure what to make of it. She'd been shocked initially, but after a few days, she accepted her fate. She already knew she was his best friend; "favorite person" wasn't a huge leap. This wouldn't last forever. In the meantime, she'd enjoy the attention.

"Did you have a rough day at work?" she asked sympathetically.

"I hate dealing with idiots and being kept in the dark. Today, I dealt with both."

Keeley patted his head. "Hang in there."

Any remaining frost vanished. Mission accomplished. You're welcome, Aiden!

How had the most implacable person she knew become so easily satisfied? It was a mystery. At least she knew how to manage him now. This knowledge would have been invaluable during her second senior year of high school.

"How's the research coming?" he asked.

"Pretty well! The first batch of test mice haven't died yet, which is a good sign."

Confusion flickered across his face. "Do they die often?"

"Unfortunately. They're injected with unfamiliar substances; sometimes they react poorly."

"That's…kind of terrible."

The thought of Aaron Hale feeling bad for lab mice, when he seemingly didn't care about most human beings except her, was hilarious. This oddly reminded her of her conversation with Ryan the other day.

"Yes, but would you rather we kill people? We have to test things somehow."

"You have a point. Well, I'm glad things are working out. How much longer until your research is finished?"

"Not sure. My dissertation is due in a year, and I need time to write after the research is done," Keeley sighed, dreading the amount of writing ahead.

He patted her head and repeated her words. "Hang in there."

She gave him a wry smile. "You think you're real funny, don't you?"

"No, but I'm working on it."

"Why?"

"Because you like to laugh," he said simply.

Her heart ached. He really liked her. This wasn't fair. Why couldn't this Aaron and her Aaron have been switched? Everyone would have been happier.

No, that wasn't entirely true. There was Lacy Knighton, and her in-laws had hated her from day one.

She and Aaron weren't meant for a happy ending, so why did they meet again? Fate was cruel. Keeley had once loved Aaron deeply, but she didn't anymore, and now he had a crush on her. Ridiculous.

She couldn't deny it anymore. Aaron liked her.

Why else would he calm down so easily, when Aiden (admittedly a drama queen, but still) was terrified?

It made no sense. He hadn't liked her when she was sincere, but he did now that she treated him poorly.

He'd shown her more emotion in the past four months than in the four years of their miserable marriage. It wasn't his fault—he didn't know how inconsistent he was being.

"I need to get back to work. Thanks again for the food. See you tomorrow?" she asked, forcing a smile.

Aaron nodded. "I'll be here. Take care, Keeley."

"Yeah. You too."

Like this, she regretted having no positive feelings left for him. He was actually sweet—a word she'd never apply to her husband.

She almost wished this Aaron's personality could be transplanted into someone else, before realizing how silly that was. Who wouldn't want to be treated like the most important person in the world? But this was fleeting.

He might act differently, but his life hadn't changed. Even her Aaron wasn't bad, before his parents interfered after their marriage. She wouldn't revisit that world.

The promotional material for NovelFire.net has been removed. It was manipulative and irrelevant to the story.

It sucked that she was even considering this; the niceness was getting to her. How could it not, after years of being shunned by the one who was supposed to love her?

They had the same face, voice, and name. This all started because he cared for her when she was sick. If he hadn't been kind that once, she'd have continued hating him.

Now she wasn't sure how she felt. The hatred was reserved for the original Aaron. As for this one…she didn't mind him as a person.

She'd gotten used to him; she even relied on him. He was a friend in a way her husband never was.

She didn't, and couldn't, love him, but she could appreciate him. That was the problem. It would have been easier to hate him.