Chapter 192 - Old
Aaron was in a really good mood up until Keeley didn't want him to keep her container. He knew what that meant—it was a brush off. 'Don't see me again' was practically written on her forehead.
She really did still hate him then. He heaved a sigh. If he had known this would be his fate when he was reborn, he would rather have just died permanently when he had that heart attack.
It would have been better to end things there than be tortured like this. She knew the truth and it didn't change a thing. She wouldn't ever forgive him so what was the point?
Aaron stared at the cupcakes sitting innocently in his container. He was suddenly tempted to chuck the container across the room. They weren't a sign of sincerity; she just felt bad that he had helped her out and she couldn't pay him back for real.
He flopped onto the couch in defeat and his cat meowed before jumping onto his stomach.
"At least you still like me, Dinah," he sighed.
===
"Bachelor party ideas?" Aiden asked with a mischievous glint in his eye. "You have come to the right person, my friend."
He had come up to Aaron's office to give a report on Lacy Knighton—apparently she had been spending a lot of time in the Flatiron district lately, which was odd for a woman of her status. She had no ties to the tech community that Aaron knew of.
This required further investigation but in the meantime, Aaron needed serious help. He knew nothing about planning a guys' night out.
"Firstly, we need drinking games. Cameron's not the type to be interested in other women so I guess a stripper is out…"
"A stripper?!"
Aiden looked at him like he was stupid. "Yeah, that's a totally normal thing for bachelor parties."
Aaron had never been to one. He knew there were some men who went all out before they got married and did dirty things before being tied down but he wasn't close to any of them and hadn't been invited. Not that he would have gone anyway.
"I think we should go paintballing. Cameron mentioned to me that he wanted to try it once but didn't have enough people to go with him."
His mouth twitched in alarm. Paintballing? He had never done such a ridiculous thing in either of his lives. Keeley had wanted him to do it once and he flatly refused. But it wasn't like he had any better ideas.
"Alright," Aaron sighed. "That works. You know more about drinking games than I do…I'll reserve a paintball place if you figure those out for me."
"Done, my dude. This is going to be epic!"
Aiden seemed pumped for the occasion. Of course he would be. Despite spending most of his life in a darkened room on his computer, he thrived on chaos.
It was a bit perplexing how contradictory his interests could be. For the longest time Aaron thought he only cared about video games.
Nova must have had a positive influence on him. Aaron had received all the bills from Aiden's trip abroad; they visited a lot of museums and historical sites. He hadn't thought Aiden was interested in those sorts of things.
Then again, he was one to talk. He had done all sorts of things he couldn't care less about just because Keeley was there and wanted him to come. Love had that effect on people.
"While you're still here…have you noticed any further communication between my father and any of the Knightons?" Aaron asked.
Aiden hadn't been around during the share transfer issue but he had been clued into what was going on once he got back. He was on the optimistic side, just like Cameron. He thought it was suspicious but hey, at least Aaron got another ten percent of the shares and was closer to world domination! (His words.)
"Nope. Makes me wonder if he's really planning on trying to get Lacy to replace the fake me at all."
But if he wasn't, he wouldn't have left the wife's name off of the document… None of this made sense.
In Aaron's past life, Alistair had specifically said that he wouldn't be getting 10% of his shares liked planned because he was marrying a nobody. Yet this document left it open where Aaron could marry anyone and still get additional shares so long as she gave birth to a son. There had to be more to it than met the eye.
Was there any other interpretation outside of his father trying to get him to switch fiancées to that witch? There weren't any other women Alistair had ever schemed with regarding his son.
"He has to be," Aaron muttered. "It doesn't make any sense otherwise."
"Maybe he just didn't think of it? He is getting old," Aiden said with a shrug before unwrapping a candy bar and taking a bite right in front of his boss.
"Being in your mid-fifties isn't that old."
Aaron was mentally older than his father was physically at this point by about a decade. No wonder the kid was always getting on his case about slang. He hadn't been around normal kids enough to pick it up when he was younger and once he got older he wasn't around kids period.
Keeley had called him old too once she heard what his true age was. Ah, he missed her. She delivered the cupcakes two weeks ago and he hadn't heard a peep from her since.
She updated her social media accounts more frequently now that she was free but almost anyone could see those so it didn't count. She had posted three pictures on Instagram: one of the elaborate dinner she cooked for herself, one of her cat, and one with her dad. Apparently they went to a Yankees game together one Saturday.
They both looked really happy wearing jerseys and hats to support their team. The caption read 'Thinking of our favorite Yankees fan today' with a heart emoticon next to it. He could only assume it alluded to her little brother Kaleb.
"Of course you'd think that; you were born old," Aiden scoffed, snapping Aaron out of his wandering thoughts.
If only he knew how true that was.
"You don't know how to have fun," he continued. "I'm going to cream you in paintball and it's gonna be great!"
Aaron raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"
"It's a promise."
Aiden grinned crazily, brimming with confidence as he practically bounced in place. Young people were so easily excitable. Maybe Aaron really was old.