Aaron wasn’t positive how one can course of what Keeley had simply mentioned. Was it honest to both of them? Most likely not. Would he settle for it anyway? Sure.

He knew what he did; he did not deserve her love. However the very last thing he anticipated to listen to her say was that she was uninterested in preventing the inevitable.

Excited about it from her perspective, it should seem to be she was caught as a result of some cosmic drive however it was solely as a result of he was persistent. He wasn’t about to surrender on her as a result of she did not surrender on him earlier than.

Though, that was her level. Aaron would not have been persistent in any respect if he did not keep in mind every little thing. She was questioning why he needed to have reminiscences from their first life.

If he hadn’t…if she was the one one who was reborn…they by no means would have crossed paths once more. He would have ignored her like each different classmate and gone on to reside the life his mother and father wished him to.

In any case, they solely grew to become pals as a result of Keeley was the one to push for it. He would not have a lot as given her a second look in any other case.

“Do not drive your self,” he ultimately mentioned with a sigh. “What I would like would not actually matter.”

Her eyes narrowed. “That is all it’s a must to say?”

“What else would you like me to say? It is best to know the place I stand.”

He cared extra about her presence than her sincerity. He had made that pretty clear already. Why did she even hassle asking?

She closed her eyes and leaned again in opposition to him. This entire scenario was perplexing. He would kill to know what was really on her thoughts all through this dialog; particularly since she had been sitting on his lap your entire time as if it had been a wonderfully regular factor to do.

“I do. I am sorry I can not provide you with what you need,” she mentioned tiredly.

“What did I say about apologizing? It is actually not obligatory.” Aaron glanced on the clock. “It is late and you have cried rather a lot as we speak…why do not you go prepare for mattress?”

Keeley regarded up at him with a comfortable expression earlier than wrapping her arms round his neck. The surprises by no means stopped as we speak. What was that for?

“In the event you’d been this good earlier than I would not have fallen out of affection with you.”

Her phrases stabbed the bitterest place in his coronary heart. After all he knew that. It was maybe the cruelest accident he had been dealt. There have been no true do-overs. Aaron needed to reside with the results of his errors twice.

He did not have a response for that so he merely scooped her up in her arms and carried her upstairs to her room. As he set her down on the mattress and turned to go, a tug from behind pulled him onto the mattress. He was about to ask what she was doing however was minimize off by her lips masking his personal.

Too startled to reply, he lay there like a statue till Keeley stopped to have a look at him. She appeared embarrassed however there was a determined plea behind her eyes as nicely.

“Simply this as soon as…can we fake issues are the best way they had been in the beginning unhealthy occurred?”

Aaron blinked at her in shock. He had been dreaming of this however…”Are you positive? You had a tough day, you won’t be pondering straight.”

He did not need her to remorse this and keep away from him later. If issues received awkward between them once more he would not be capable of bear it.

Her expression modified from embarrassed to unbearably unhappy. “You do not need me.”

He was fast to refute. That undoubtedly wasn’t it! “After all I do however I do not need you to remorse it later. We simply barely received again to being type of pleasant.”

“I will not. Tomorrow I am going to act like nothing occurred if you’ll.”

“Then why—”

Keeley regarded him useless within the eye. “Such as you mentioned, I had a tough day. I need to really feel beloved for a short while.”

She could as nicely have punched him within the intestine. He knew he hadn’t finished something to make her really feel beloved as soon as they received married and needed to take care of exterior elements working in opposition to them. Even earlier than then he hadn’t been nice at it as a result of he was a naturally unexpressive individual.

She was giving him an opportunity to make it as much as her, if just for a second. Although it was in all probability going to harm extra afterwards, he could not say no.

Aaron reached up and caressed her face. So she wished to really feel beloved, huh? He might do this.

He pulled her down on high of him and began out by kissing her slowly and sweetly, pouring all of his repressed feelings into the kiss. He would possibly by no means get one other likelihood so he wanted to do that proper.

===

Aaron by no means had a greater evening’s sleep in his second life. Keeley was curled up in his arms, useless to the world, when he awakened. He sighed contentedly and kissed her brow. Final evening hadn’t been a dream.

His alarm would not go off for a short while; he ought to go make breakfast. She had definitely appreciated it final time. He was fairly positive he nonetheless had a few of that pancake/waffle combine mendacity round someplace.

She got here downstairs dressed for the day with moist hair as he was flipping pancakes. They saved folding in on themselves so he needed to attempt a number of occasions to get one respectable one, which was annoying, however he gave her a heat smile when she regarded his means.

“Good morning.”

“Morning,” she mentioned casually. She actually was going to fake final evening hadn’t occurred. “Ought to I make the espresso?”

“That might be nice, thanks.”

Aaron’s coronary heart was heavy however he had identified this was going to occur and nonetheless agreed to it. He could not remorse it both—he had been ready for that second ever since he was reborn. He would take what he might get.

He served up the okay-looking pancakes with some melon slices whereas she poured the espresso. Keeley pushed the mug she had made in direction of him. Had she seen it was the one he used most or was it a coincidence?

They thanked one another and ate breakfast in silence however it wasn’t a clumsy one. He was grateful for that. Giving in to their needs final evening hadn’t ruined something.