The superst.i.tion proved correct—Keeley and Aaron did have a relatively happy first year together since she was too blinded by love to see the red flags. In those days she really thought he cared about her even though he didn"t do much to show it.
She made excuses for his coldness based on the environment he grew up in. What a joke. Aaron didn"t care about anyone but himself.
So why did he compose a sonnet about a movie she liked? He had never been the creative type. When they were together, if he gave her compliments at all they were generic as could be.
Expensive gifts hadn"t worked on her so he was trying to up his game? She wouldn"t fall for it.
As soon as he got what he wanted he would throw her away after getting bored and choose someone more befitting his status. Just like last time.
Her heart ached. If he had showed even a fraction of this kind of effort in her last life things would have turned out so differently. Or maybe they wouldn"t have.
There was still Lacy Knighton to contend with. If he had stayed devoted to his wife, she might have killed Keeley anyway to get rid of her.
She didn"t understand it. Aaron already filed for divorce to be with Lacy and raise their child together.
What was the point of killing the ex-wife when she was already on her way out? Was it not enough to rub her loss in her face for the rest of her life?
Lacy wouldn"t take that kiss at the dance lying down. It was a miracle she hadn"t made a move yet. One more thing to dread going to school for.
Keeley wished she had never gone to Westwind, never gotten involved with those crazy rich people"s schemes, and never fallen in love with that confusing human glacier.
The impending confrontation happened the next day at lunch. Lacy tracked her down in the library and got into her face about it.
"Listen up, little miss n.o.body, Aaron Hale is toying with you at best. Someone like you could never be with him so I will warn you exactly once. Back off!"
Keeley started at her former enemy blankly. How pathetic. They weren"t even dating and she already acted like a jealous girlfriend.
"He"s the one that won"t back off. If you could get him to leave me alone I"d be grateful. By all means, you can have him! I want nothing to do with him!"
Surprise mingled with suspicion registered on the heiress" face.
"A gold digger like you would never let go of such a catch. He kissed you, I saw it. You"re going to hold it over him and trick him into a relations.h.i.+p."
She was completely delusional!
"I"m really not," Keeley insisted. "He"s hara.s.sing me. I would be happiest if I never had to see him again. Why don"t you go bother him about this instead of me?"
Lacy"s eyes narrowed dangerously. "How dare you? Do you have any idea who he is? Who are you to talk so disrespectfully about him?!"
It was impossible to reason with some people. Keeley sighed.
"You"re angry if I want him and angry if I don"t. Pick a side already. You can go ahead and believe what you want but I swear I have absolutely zero interest in Aaron Hale. He"s all yours. If you"ll excuse me, I have better things to do."
She broke free of the other girl"s grip and pushed past her to go hide in the bathroom since the library was out now. She nearly barreled into Aaron by the lockers.
"You!" Keeley fumed, unable to control her growing rage at the entire situation. "Control your girlfriend! I want no part of this!"
"My girlfriend?" he asked in a deadly tone. "What girlfriend?"
"That one," she spat as Lacy exited the library in a huff and made her way toward them.
Keeley practically sprinted down the hallway to escape the two people she hated most.
"Keeley!" Aaron called out after her but she was already gone and Lacy had plastered herself to his side like a leech.
"Aaron," she whined. "That girl has no manners at all. Please tell me you"re just messing around with her."
He looked down at her with disgust and roughly shoved her off. "Don"t touch me. The only one without manners here is you."
Tears formed in Lacy"s eyes and her lip trembled. "How could you say that after that girl bullied me? You"re standing up for her? I thought we—"
"You thought wrong," he said harshly. "I don"t have a single iota of interest in someone as fake as you."
Lacy gritted her teeth in anger. He wasn"t like this before. Everything changed after Christmas break.
Aaron always ate lunch at the elite table in the cafeteria until one day he sat with a bunch of n.o.body scholars.h.i.+p students, even going so far as to drive one of them home after school.
After that he didn"t show up to their lunch table at all and Lacy knew something was wrong, especially when he didn"t ask anyone to the Valentines dance.
She was banking on being his date! And then he not only danced with that cretin but kissed her!
What part of Keeley Hall was better than her?! Her looks were average, she had no money, and she supposedly didn"t give Aaron the time of day.
Maybe that was it. He might like girls who play coy. Once the chase was over he would surely lose interest.
"Don"t be like that, Aaron, I"m just worried about you," Lacy said, putting on a show of being wounded.
"You aren"t qualified to worry about me. We have nothing to do with each other."
"Have you forgotten our fathers" partners.h.i.+p?" she hollered furiously, her hands curling into tight fists.
Aaron glanced at her as if she were the dirt beneath his shoe.
"Nothing that man does has anything to do with me. If you try to curry favor with him, you are even worse than I thought."
Real tears sparked in her eyes. How could he do this to her? She loved him! No one was better suited to stand by his side! Especially not that worthless gold digger.
"Aaron!"
"Stay out of my way," he growled as he took off in Keeley"s general direction.
Something had to be done about that wretched girl. But what? She said she wanted nothing to do with Aaron.
It was difficult to believe but what if she was telling the truth? Could Lacy be barking up the wrong tree?
She whipped out her phone and sent a text message. "Max, I need you to watch someone for me"
The response was immediate. "Who?"
"Her name is Keeley Hall. I want to know everything about her daily life. Tell me if she so much as sneezes"
"What"s in it for me?"
"I"ll go on a date with you" Lacy wasn"t happy about it but she knew how to utilize her resources.
"Two dates"
Ugh, he could be so greedy. "Fine. Just get on it today" She snapped her phone shut and smiled evilly.
She would see whether or not that witch was telling the truth. If she was, Lacy might even let her go.