On the morning of Keeley's 25th birthday she had a bit of headache. Aaron texted her to wish her happy birthday and good luck on her finals and she sent a simple thank you back.
She was surprised that he didn't try to prolong the conversation. He must have been busy.
She couldn't help but compare today to her last 25th birthday. Her father took her to dinner and bought her a cake because Aaron wouldn't. She used the excuse that he was away on business and would treat her when he got back.
It was a lie, of course. He hadn't gone anywhere; he just didn't care about her birthday.
To keep up appearances he gave her an expensive piece of jewelry that the other socialites could gawk over but that was it aside from a very cold "happy birthday" when they passed each other in the hall.
Knowing that he only did it because there were spies inside their house reporting back to his father didn't make her feel any better. Her last several birthdays of that life had been miserable and she couldn't forget how abandoned and unloved she felt.
Her first final wasn't too difficult despite her headache. She took a Tylenol halfway through because it was getting worse and once it kicked in she was able to finish her test.
She sat around studying for the next one until her mind turned to mush. She was about ready for a break anyway when her dad texted her to let her know he was in the parking lot closest to the medical school. She packed her things up and headed out to him happily.
"Happy birthday honeybun!" Robert said with a wide smile on his face as she climbed into the car.
"Thanks, dad. I was about to lose my mind if I studied one more minute so your timing is impeccable."
"Must be good birthday luck."
If there even was such a thing. So many of Keeley's birthdays had been terrible, the worst one being when she was drugged. She didn't believe in birthday luck.
They drove to a somewhat nice Italian place. She protested the price but he insisted, saying that it's not every day his baby turns 25. He must have been thinking of Kaleb and how he would never be able to celebrate his own 25th birthday.
'I wish you were here, Kal,' she thought wistfully. 'Mom too.'
The Halls may not have been able to afford appetizers at this place but they were able to enjoy the complementary garlic bread and that was more than enough. Keeley ate four pieces and nearly stuffed herself before the entrees even arrived.
She actually managed to relax and enjoy herself for a while, feeling better already just by being near her only family. Her dad had such a calming presence.
"So are you doing anything fun to celebrate with your friends? I know you have work tonight," he said.
"That's why we're waiting until the weekend. They're taking me to see that new superhero movie."
"That's fun. Which friends are these?"
"Ryan, Valentina, and Jennica. Her fiancé was supposed to come but he ended up going on a business trip." Jennica had complained more than once that he was leaving her at such a crucial wedding-planning time but Cameron had no choice in the matter.
"Aaron's not going?"
Keeley nearly choked on her garlic bread. As tears streamed out of her eyes, she managed to get out a frantic "what?!"
Once she dislodged the piece of bread stuck in her throat, she calmly asked, "Why would he be hanging out with my friends?"
"You guys seem pretty close these days. I mean, he did spend Christmas Eve with us," Robert pointed out.
Right. Her dad didn't know anything about the latest developments. He wouldn't know that they couldn't be considered friends anymore.
"Aaron wouldn't want to hang out with my friends," she said honestly, though it wasn't the main reason. He never had before. She always ended up hanging out with his people or they spent time together alone. "He's the one-on-one type. He doesn't like groups."
"What did he get you for your birthday?"
Hang on, who said anything about him getting her a birthday present? He had, but that was beside the point.
She answered reluctantly. "A new laptop. That was a few weeks ago though because mine broke down. He said it was an early birthday present."
Robert smiled. "That's awfully nice of him." She couldn't refute; it really was.
Talking about Aaron with her dad reminded her of something. "Hey dad, why didn't you ever tell me he was the one who found me when I got drugged on my eighteenth birthday?"
His eyes widened. "He told you?"
"I sort of figured it out."
"Well, I promised him I wouldn't. He was so upset already…he refused to leave until the doctors said you would be alright for sure. I'm pretty sure he didn't want you to hate him more than you already did."
Keeley was stunned. In high school she made no secret of her distaste for him so when he was the one to find her he must have known she wouldn't have wanted him to see her so vulnerable. Aaron could have lorded it over her and said that she owed him forever but instead he backed away and left her alone until she called him over at graduation.
Her heart clenched. Even back then he was trying to be considerate. She never knew.
Her dad had always pushed Aaron onto her, saying she needed to be nice to him since that day. It was because he saw how much Aaron cared when he dropped her off at the hospital? Was he really that worried?
It didn't really matter. It was the same reason he worried about her eating and sleeping properly now. She shouldn't let this new information affect her.
"Interesting," she finally said.
Keeley was spared from speaking on the matter further by their food arriving. She dug in hastily even though her appetite had disappeared.