Cameron stepped across the threshold and looked around. This apartment clearly belonged to a hardcore gamer. The living room furniture consisted of simple, mostly black pieces, but framed posters covered the walls. Vintage posters depicting 80s games and abstract art of famous video game characters were evenly spaced. In the corner, about a foot from the entertainment center, sat an arcade machine featuring Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga.

He wandered over to check it out and, seeing it didn't require quarters, decided to play until Aiden was done. He'd forgotten how hard the game was; he died before completing the first level. "Stupid Blinky!"

The high scores flashed across the screen, all belonging to NMLE—a shortened version of Aiden's hacker handle—the lowest being 134,450. He couldn't imagine the hours invested in achieving those scores.

The video game addict in question emerged from his lair and flopped onto the couch. "What's the news?"

"Jennica thinks Ryan likes Keeley."

"Do you think she's right?" Aiden asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure. They seemed like just friends when I was there, but they are awfully close. She was teasing him—elbowing him in the ribs, and so on."

"That's just Keeley. But she wouldn't do that if she weren't comfortable with him. I'm not worried about her reciprocating his feelings; I'm worried that—"

"Aaron will go on a rampage and everyone in Hale Investments' main branch will freeze to death? Me too," Cameron sighed.

But what could they do? They couldn't stop Ryan from seeing Keeley; they'd been friends for a long time. His place in her life was probably more secure than Aaron's.

"The only thing Aaron can really do is try to become more important to her, but I don't know how much luck he'll have; she's so guarded," Aiden mused. "They do seem to have made some progress, though. Haven't you noticed he's been a lot happier lately?"

"His version of happy—where he seems more like a real person than an ice demon?"

"Yeah, that. I think she's warmed up to him a lot."

Even if true, Keeley didn't like Aaron enough to invite him over for cookies. That was reserved for her closest friends. He still had a long way to go.

"She has, but is it enough? He won't be satisfied with just being friends forever."

Aiden smiled wryly. "No, but he's patient. You think he's obsessive now? He went five and a half years without speaking to her to protect her while he consolidated his power. He knew exactly when to make his move."

Cameron couldn't imagine waiting that long for a girl. He saw Jennica, liked her, and asked her out. Simple as that. Life was too short to wait and waste chances.

Aaron didn't share that mindset—he seemed to operate on a different plane of existence. It was almost as if time was meaningless to him. He believed in long-term plans, and he hadn't failed at one yet.

Sometimes Cameron wondered if the man was omniscient. He always seemed to know exactly when and how things would happen, always one step ahead. Everything about him was strategic, even his pursuit of love.

Love wasn't supposed to be strategic; it was supposed to be spontaneous and unpredictable. Cameron certainly hadn't predicted he'd feel close enough to a woman to want to spend his life with her after less than two months, but here he was.

"What exactly do you think goes on in Aaron's head?"

"No idea, but I bet it's terrifying," Aiden predicted. "He's cold, cruel, and rational when it comes to anything but Keeley. I wonder if he flips a switch in his brain, going from Regular Aaron to Lovesick Aaron. Because they're practically different people."

Different people…that was a good way of putting it. Around Keeley, all his hard edges seemed sanded away, replaced by something smooth and approachable.

Love could do that to a person. Cameron believed people could change for the ones they loved—he hadn't been a fan of show tunes before Jennica, but now he'd sat through a dozen Broadway musicals because he liked seeing her light up during them. He was officially whipped, just like Aaron.

"Do you think Keeley knows she has him wrapped around her little finger?"

"Trying to figure out what's going on in that girl's head is even harder than figuring out what's going on in Aaron's," Aiden said flatly. "I haven't a clue."

"She has to know by now. He's practically at her beck and call. You don't think she's taking advantage of him, do you?" Cameron asked, feeling sorry for his boss if that were the case.

"Nah, she's not that type. Remember, just a few months ago, she wasn't shy about telling him to get lost. If she doesn't like someone, she wants nothing to do with them. He's probably worn her down and manipulated her into friendship by now."

He thought it over. Aaron wasn't stupid, even if he wasn't the most emotionally astute person. He'd dealt with schmoozers all his life; he'd know if he were being tricked.

"Manipulative describes him perfectly, so you're probably right. Have you ever seen them interact, though? I haven't, and I'm dying to know what he's like in front of her; we only see him afterward."

Aiden's expression grew mischievous. "Would you like to find out?"

Cameron grinned. "No way. You have security footage?"

He nodded wickedly. "Yep. Almost every day for the past month, Aaron has brought Keeley dinner outside her lab at NYU's medical school. They have a security camera at the end of the hall. The audio might not be great, but the video quality is alright."

"You've watched them before?!"

"Remember the other day when Aaron almost murdered us for not telling him about Ryan? I texted her a heads-up that he was in a bad mood and was curious how she'd handle it. Let me tell you; it was beautiful. She had him eating out of the palm of her hand."

This he had to see. "Show me."

Cameron peered over Aiden's shoulder into his lair, which was covered in more video game posters. Little character figurines littered his desk and equipment. An enormously elaborate hamster cage sat in the far corner.

Aiden typed furiously until a video window popped up.

Aaron walked to the door, looking seriously pissed off and carrying a takeout bag. Keeley greeted him with a bright smile and hugged him, instantly thawing some of the ice. Then she patted his head! Aaron Hale's head!

He melted like butter in a microwave and was soft and pleasant for the rest of the conversation, patting her head back later. It looked like a chat between two completely normal people once she calmed him down.

"Unbelievable," Cameron whispered. "She's a witch."

"I know! Can you believe how different he is with her?"

That was astounding, but what struck him most was that Keeley seemed comfortable enough to teasingly touch him, just like Ryan. Maybe Aaron had a chance with the woman he loved after all.