Keeley lay awake for hours in her old bedroom that night, staring at the ceiling and wrestling with a decision. Staying with Aaron would be convenient, but it was a terrible idea. He’d wormed his way into her heart before—twice—and his current kindness was unsettling. Staying now might mean she’d never leave.

However, his apartment was large; she could avoid him. And once school started in a few weeks, she’d be too busy to see him much anyway. Hadn't she barely seen her roommates the past couple of semesters?

Still, the answer eluded her, as did sleep.

The next morning, after only two hours of sleep, Keeley faced an hour-long commute to NYU. This didn't improve her mood, making Aaron’s Manhattan apartment—and the halved commute—even more appealing. But could she handle the consequences?

Living with someone interested in her was asking for trouble. She’d never had a male roommate before, and this felt too much like their marriage—dark times she desperately wanted to forget.

"You look awful," Erica observed when she arrived at the lab.

"Thanks," Keeley replied sarcastically. "Anyone would after a sleepless night."

"Come on, girl, it's summer! No homework, no reason to be this tired. Unless someone got lucky last night?" Erica’s cheeky smile had Keeley tempted to smack her.

"Absolutely not. I woke up early for a long commute from Brooklyn. I'm basically homeless, staying with family."

Erica’s smile vanished. "Homeless? How did that happen?"

Keeley explained: Jennica’s marriage, Valentina moving in with someone cheaper, and the cat-sitter’s offer of a room—an offer she was hesitant to accept because the cat-sitter was a man.

Her eyes widened. "A guy? Is it the one who keeps sending you food?"

"Yes," Keeley admitted grudgingly. In her life's soap opera, everyone always guessed correctly when Aaron was involved.

"Girl, this goes way beyond feeling sorry for you," Erica said, shaking her head. "That sounds like boyfriend territory."

Keeley sighed, wanting to bury her face in her hands, but her gloves prevented it. "I know, which is why I don't want to do it. But I'm so tired after just one day of commuting. I'm wavering."

Erica rolled her eyes. "You have a considerate, attractive man who wants you to live with him. Of course you're wavering. What's holding you back?"

Keeley offered a simplified version: "We were together before, and it didn't end well."

Dr. Kim's arrival ended their conversation—they'd been caught gossiping before. While Erica tended to the rats, Keeley set up the data entry program. Dr. Kim checked their progress, receiving a minimal explanation, and returned to her office. Both lab assistants breathed a sigh of relief.

"You want to know what I really think?" Erica asked once alone. "I'm not usually for on-again, off-again relationships, but he seems genuinely committed. He didn't cheat, did he?"

"No."

"Hit you?"

"No."

"Then what was it?" Erica was clearly perplexed.

Keeley hesitated. Aaron had selfishly endangered her, kept secrets, lacked affection, and made her feel terribly alone. Ultimately, it boiled down to communication—or rather, his complete lack thereof. He’d been a wooden block incapable of trust.

"Communication issues," she stated flatly. "Really bad ones. I'm over him, but I don't want to put myself back in an uneasy situation."

The universe seemed determined to reunite them. How else could she become homeless when Aaron had a convenient solution? Was she doomed to be connected to him forever?

Strange forces seemed at play. Reincarnation was unbelievable enough for one person, but for both of them…? It made more sense that only Keeley, having died traumatically, would be reborn. Initially, she’d thought it a second chance. Aaron's rebirth had complicated everything.

Had she not approached him first, they would have been mere classmates, avoiding all this. But she wouldn't have known the truth. It seemed they’d both been reborn to fix their relationship—something she didn't want. She just wanted to live her life without love as a distraction.

Erica shrugged. "If it's just communication, why not talk things out?"

Keeley sighed. Fighting the inevitable was exhausting. They needed to talk, but she feared the outcome. She didn't want to return to the past.

"I think we may be past that point."

Erica shook her head. "Girl, it's your life. Do what you think is best. If you'll excuse me, the rats need feeding."

She left Keeley to her thoughts. Keeley knew what she should do; she just didn't want to.

(Note: I removed the promotional text about the website.)