It was another boring Friday night for Aaron. His parents were at a dinner function, leaving him to his own devices. He hadn't minded this in the past. Having his tyrannical father and airheaded mother around was a drag, so having the house to himself was preferable, especially since his extracurricular activities left him little free time during the week. The problem was, he didn't know what to do without that structure.

Keeley changed that. She was always asking him to do things with her on weekends. He resisted at first, unsure of her intentions, but as the school year progressed, if he wasn't physically with her on Friday nights, they were on the phone.

She pushed him out of his comfort zone more often than he liked, but he was never bored when she was around. He longed to see her now.

After dragging her into a closet and frightening her, he realized he needed to understand why she was afraid of him. He didn't believe her previous excuse—that she feared him because everyone else did. The Keeley he knew wasn't like that. Keeley…what was she up to?

He could text her, but there was no guarantee she'd respond. The worst-case scenario was being ignored. He was bored and lonely enough not to care about the consequences.

He texted, "What are you up to tonight?"

To his surprise, she replied five minutes later: "Celebrating. Why are you texting me?"

"I'm bored. What are you celebrating?" His expression softened, remembering her excitement.

"I got into my dream school. But do you really not have anything better to do than text me? I can think of at least a dozen other people you could have texted first."

"They're all busy," he lied.

It took a moment for her first statement to sink in. How had he forgotten Keeley wanted to go to NYU? She'd been so thrilled, calling him immediately.

He'd been disappointed they'd be apart for so long but figured they could still text, call, and visit during breaks. He never imagined she'd choose Boston University.

His first day at Harvard was long and grueling. He was forced to network with a bunch of his father's peers and their children during orientation. All he wanted was to go back to his room and call Keeley. Talking to her always cheered him up.

Back in his dorm room, Aaron flopped onto the bed without changing. He was about to call when his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Look out the window," a mischievous voice replied.

"Keeley?" he asked, confused, but got up and opened the curtains.

There she was, four floors down, waving at the wrong window from the lawn. She knew his building, but not his specific room. What was she doing there? NYU classes had started weeks ago.

He hung up and rushed downstairs, unconcerned about his wrinkled shirt and lack of shoes. She beamed, hugging him warmly.

"Surprise!"

Aaron stumbled back, instinctively hugging her in return. "What are you doing here?"

"I go here! Well, not here here…I go to Boston University now, studying biochemistry and molecular biology. Aren't you happy to see me?" She pouted, tilting her head.

Yes, he was. This was the best possible end to a long day! But something bothered him. "I thought you wanted to go to NYU. You were so excited when you got in."

Keeley's expression faltered, and she pulled away. "Um, it was more for bragging rights. BU is still a good school, and I wanted to shake things up before settling back in New York. See more of the world."

Aaron almost laughed. "Four hours away is 'seeing the world'?"

"No! I'd like to visit Europe someday. I've heard the architecture is beautiful."

"It is. I could show you pictures from my trip a few years ago," he offered. "Would you like to come in?"

"Sure!"

He led her upstairs. She oohed and aahed over his pictures, pressing for details about landmarks in England and France. Aaron was unusually talkative, describing everything from French pastries to his descent from the Eiffel Tower. Keeley was captivated, even though he wasn't a great storyteller.

Her presence erased his weariness. He enjoyed himself until it was time for her to return to her dorm before the trains stopped. He offered to drive her, and they headed to the parking lot.

An acquaintance, the son of his father's business contact, saw them leave and winked, as if saying, "Nice job scoring one on the first day." It was like a bucket of ice water.

How could he have thought his dorm was safe? People who knew his father were here! More importantly, Lacy's close friend, Max Lynch, lived in the building.

If he were seen with Keeley and Max reported it to Lacy…she'd already caused enough trouble in high school. Lacy couldn't find out Keeley was in town! After that, he was careful to only meet her off campus.

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