Aaron sighed and leaned his head on the back of the couch. Keeley had sounded so confident in his love for her that day even though he never said it. When exactly did that confidence fade?

He couldn't pinpoint the exact time she stopped believing in him. Even before he had started ignoring her to throw the servants off their scent they hadn't been as close as they used to be.

It probably started when they moved back to New York to get married and he stopped taking her opinions into consideration. When he didn't have to worry about anybody watching, she controlled nearly all of their activities because he liked seeing her light up as she tried something new.

That sort of thing didn't fly when she was surrounded by ravenous wolves waiting to tear her apart over every little thing. Aaron thought he was helping her by teaching her how to fit into his world but it had only driven a wedge between them.

He didn't care about anyone's approval anymore but hers. Unfortunately, she wouldn't give him a chance to explain that. Or anything, really. That brief conversation on the phone was the most they had talked in months.

If he came up with a sappy speech to profess his love would she even believe it?

Aaron tried to remember what sorts of things he told her in the past that had made her believe he loved her. He said she made him happy…that he liked having her around…was that honestly it? How stupid had he been?!

Had he really never told her that she was the only thing that made life worth living? Or that she was his warmth and light in a cold, emotionless world? That her smile turned winter into spring?

All of those things were thoughts that had flitted through his mind while he was with her way back when. If he had voiced even one of those things, would she believe him now?

Why had he been so emotionally stunted that he couldn't physically say the words 'I love you' to the woman who meant more to him than all the money in the world?

Multiple moments where she told him she loved him but he didn't respond flashed through his mind and he cringed.

When she wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him with her warm brown eyes like he was the only person in the world. His response was to lean down and kiss her.

When they lay in bed after making love for the first time and all he did was rub her cheeks with his thumbs and press his lips against her forehead.

When she used it as a sign off from a phone call and he only said 'mm, bye' before hanging up.

Every time he avoided the words by using some small expression of physical affection or a noncommittal noise, like an idiot. The first time Keeley heard him say he loved her was after she had angrily accused him of being a hypocrite for trying to get her back. Of course she wouldn't believe it.

She had asked Aaron why he liked her once shortly after they began dating. He hadn't been completely honest then either and replied 'I just do.' He was definitely an idiot.

Before realizing that his chances of getting her back were less than zero, he had told himself that when they started dating again he would tell her he loved her every single day. Multiple times a day, even, so she could never doubt it.

That was never going to happen now. He was lucky she was even accepting the food he kept sending to her lab. Their relations.h.i.+p would never progress further than that.

He should have known better than to think that the universe would let things play out in his favor when he was reborn. If Aaron and Keeley weren't going to be together again, it was cruel to both of them.

Dinah jumped up into his lap then and turned in a circle before settling down and falling asleep instantly. He scratched her behind the ears absentmindedly. He wasn't completely alone; the cat still liked him. But it wasn't the same.

His phone rang for the fifth time today but he didn't have the energy to answer. He knew it was his father demanding an explanation for what happened the night before.

What was he supposed to say? 'Hey I figured out your plot against me and didn't like it so I had to act fast'?

He couldn't ignore Alistair forever; he would surely corner Aaron at work on Monday. He had to have a valid explanation by then or all his plans would be blown.

Maybe Cameron would have some ideas. He may as well give him a call while he was trapped here.

He picked up on the sixth ring sounding a bit exasperated. "Aaron, it's a Sat.u.r.day. What do you want?"

"I could use some advice," Aaron confessed.

"…you're seriously calling me, on a weekend, because you need advice? You've never asked me for that before."

This might not have been his best idea. Cameron was probably busy with Jennica right now based on his annoyed tone. He persisted anyway.

"Have you seen the news articles that came out this morning?"

"I haven't been online today; Jen and I have been having a lazy day because it's raining and have done nothing but watch movies. What's up?"

Oh, this was embarra.s.sing! It would have been better if he had known about it already.

"I got fake engaged to a person who doesn't exist last night and I need a viable excuse to give to my father about both why I never told him and why I proposed so publicly."

He was completely stunned. "You what?"

Aaron didn't want to repeat himself. "You heard me."

"Why on earth would you do something like that?"

"My father tried to announce an engagement I didn't consent to with my worst enemy. I had to strike first."

Cameron's confusion grew. "I thought your father was your worst enemy. Who's this new one?"

"Lacy Knighton. She's not important. The important thing is that if I don't come up with a good reason for all of this, my father is going to know I have no intention of listening to him ever again and it will become fifty times more difficult to kick him out of the company."

"Your father tried to make you get engaged to her?!" Jennica's voice came over the line in disbelief. She was clearly snuggling up to her fiancé if she was able to hear what was going on.

"h.e.l.lo, Jennica," Aaron said tiredly.

He hadn't expected her to be listening in but he shouldn't have been too surprised. She and Cameron were practically glued to each other. Even he and Keeley had never been that close.

The thought hurt more than it should have. Cameron was one lucky dog.