"Want to explain what you did earlier?" Keeley asked her father crossly after Aaron left a few hours later.

Robert wasn't even remotely abashed. "Just helping things along."

"Move what along? Aaron's just a friend!"

His face betrayed his skepticism. He sighed and leaned back on the couch.

"Keeley, that boy had a huge crush on you in high school. I was surprised to find you were texting him, but everything became clear when you brought him here."

"We're not like that," she insisted. "We only reconnected this summer when I ran into him at a coffee shop. Before that, I hadn't seen him in years."

Robert raised an eyebrow. "What about since then? You two looked awfully cozy watching the movie, and you made him a handmade Christmas present, even though you've been too busy to sleep lately."

It did look bad, he put it that way. Things weren't like that, though!

"He's really niceand I know he likes me for some reasonbut I can't be with him, Dad. We can only be friends for a little while longer."

"Why not? He likes you, you like him."

She jumped up indignantly. "I do not!"

There was no way she could ever like her ex-husband's doppelganger. She had escaped that life—why would she go back?

"Honeybun, I've never seen you like this with any other guy friend. You treat Aaron differently."

Did she? She didn't think so. She treated them all equally. Aaron was kind of like Ryan to her. No, that wasn't rightRyan only teased her; he would never dote on her the way Aaron did.

"How so?" she asked suspiciously.

"It's hard to explain. But the vibe between you two is different than, say, between you and Jeffrey, or that guy who was here for Thanksgiving."

Keeley didn't think her treatment of Aaron was special. Sure, she'd softened toward him since high school, but now he was like any other friend. Right?

"You get awfully defensive whenever he's mentioned," her father pointed out. "And your friends think he's your ex-boyfriend, even though, as far as I know, you never dated. That means you've talked about him to others. People don't talk about someone unless that someone is important."

But it wasn't this Aaron who was important, it was the other one! This whole thing was too convoluted to explain.

She confessed. "Dada while back, when I was talking about the person who couldn't remember hurting me being like a different personthat was Aaron. I knew him before high school, and he was terrible."

"But he's not terrible now?" he surmised.

"No, he's almost too nice these daysit's almost like he's trying to be the best friend I've ever had. He's always there for me and is super dependable, but"

"But?"

"But even if I did like him—and I'm not saying I do!—things would never work out because of how things were before. I can't forget all of that. Even if I could, he's in a completely different world from me. I don't want to lose myself by being with him. His parents are awful people, and their friends are just as bad. They wouldn't accept me, and I deserve better than that."

Robert smiled sadly. "If you really care about someone, any obstacles shouldn't matter. I know my daughter; you wouldn't bend for someone else's approval."

No, she wouldn't, not after what she went through in her last life. She might care about Aaron a little, but not enough to go through all that again.

"Not in this case. There are entire mountain ranges between Aaron and me. And I told you already, I don't like him."

"You're going to break his heart."

If he had said this six months ago, she would have flippantly replied, "He doesn't have a heart," but now

The bright smile he gave her when he noticed she was wearing the necklace he'd given her years ago flashed through her mind. Nobody heartless could be that happy about something like that.

"His path is already laid out for him. Mine doesn't intersect with it," she said firmly.

Her father held up his hands defensively, and they returned to their Christmas movie marathon, but Keeley couldn't get Aaron out of her head.

Aaron's tuxedo collar was far too tight at the von Dynes' Christmas party, but even worse, he was cornered by a swarm of overeager socialite women vying to become the next Mrs. Hale.

He'd only gotten through the dull affair by thinking about the previous day: Keeley's ridiculous sweater, the cookies she'd made, the sparkle in her eyes as she sang carols, the way she'd cuddled him on the couch, her handmade present, and especially, that kiss on the cheek.

Was it possible she finally liked him? Bad luck or not, she wouldn't kiss just anybody.

A woman he vaguely recognized snapped him out of it, placing a hand on his arm. He recoiled.

"What was that?" he snapped.

"I was only asking if you had a date for the New Year's Eve party yet."

He'd completely forgotten about the New Year's Eve party. His parents would surely force him to attend and bring a date. He'd use Jennica again, except Cameron would throw a fit. How troublesome.

Bringing Keeley was out of the question. Both his father and Lacy would be there, and he couldn't risk exposing her to them.

His plan wasn't progressing fast enough. He couldn't find anything solid on that woman to take her down. Either she was very good at covering her tracks, or she simply hadn't done anything illegal since high school. As for Alistair, it was a work in progress.

Aiden was still compiling evidence regarding the insider trading deal with Brann Knighton. Once he had enough, he would present it to Officer Darren Johnson.

There was a small chance they wouldn't be convicted, but even so, their reputations would be ruined. Alistair would be voted out as president of Hale Investments, and it would all be over.