by Molly E. Lee
“When I get back?”
She pulled into a packed parking lot in front of a massive glass building. I hadn’t caught the sign, and I tilted my head at her when she parked. An excited giggle left her lips as she hopped out of the car and popped the trunk. I hurried to follow her.
“Pixie,” I chided. “What is my duffel doing in there?” I pointed to the fully stuffed bag in her trunk. “And my gear?” I moved my finger to the laptop bag sitting next to it.
“Sean helped me,” she said. “I figured he’d be a better source to pack for you than Tessa.”
My eyes widened.
“Don’t worry,” Amber said. “I checked the bags earlier. It’s all your stuff.”
I sighed, thankful she’d made sure he hadn’t packed me a bag full of Tessa’s extra-small shirts. “Okay,” I said, still not understanding. “Is this like a prison sentence or something? It looks like there are enough clothes in there for a month.”
“Six weeks, actually,” she corrected me.
“What?” I snapped.
She handed me an envelope before I could press further. “Open it.”
I obeyed, pulling out a badge with my name and picture on it. The title underneath…
“Holy shit,” I blurted, snapping my eyes to her.
Her smile stretched wide.
“No,” I said, and her grin faded. “I can’t take this from you. This is yours.” I shoved the badge at her.
“Uh, pretty sure that’s your picture.” She refused to take the badge. “I transferred my ticket,” she said. “It was an easy sell. I think the boot camp managers were more excited to have you than me.”
“Not possible,” I said. “I can’t take this, Amber.”
“You can. And you will,” she said, stepping so close to me her chest brushed mine. “You gave up the TOC for me. I know how much that meant to you. This boot camp is my way of paying you back.”
“But—”
“No buts,” she cut me off. “You deserve this, Dean. I’m not as gung-ho as you about getting a job the second we’re at MIT. This will streamline your process. There will be other boot camps for me later.”
“How did I get so lucky?” I asked, pocketing the badge and envelope.
She wrapped her arms around my neck. “You’re a good hacker.”
I gaped at her. “And if I wasn’t?”
She shrugged. “Wouldn’t even be on my radar,” she teased.
“Oh,” I said. “You will pay for that remark.”
“Bring it.” She nipped at my bottom lip, eliciting a growl from me. “I love a challenge.”
“Nope,” I said, swiping my tongue over her lip. “No more challenges for us.”
“Is that so?”
“Mm-hmm,” I mumbled, leaning closer to her mouth.
“What if I were to say…” She rolled her eyes up, plotting. “That if you bring home a medal we can…” She pushed up on her tiptoes and whispered the most exciting, terrifying, and wonderful thing in my ear. It sent warm shivers along my skin, firing up that deep craving in my blood.
I gasped, popping back to catch the wild gaze in her eyes.
“You better hurry,” she said, closing my mouth with the tip of her finger and planting me with a kiss. “You don’t want to be late on your first day.”
I grabbed my bags, shaking my head as I backed away a few spaces, certain if I touched her again after that comment, I would spontaneously combust. “DC,” I said, continuing to back up toward the building.
She opened her car door, that smooth, confident grin shaping the mouth I couldn’t get out of my head. “DC,” she said, one leg in the car. “Oh, NightLocker?” she asked before I could turn around.
“Yeah?” I asked, pausing.
“Everyone gets a medal.” She winked at me before sinking into the car, and driving away.
My heart skipped a beat and it took me a few seconds to remember I had a place to be. I walked toward the building, a wide smile on my face.
Six weeks was a long time to be away from her.
But she was worth every second.
My fierce hacker of a girl.
The one I thought I’d never be able to catch.
My pixie.
Epilogue
Amber
One year later
NightLocker: What are you up to?
I straightened in my seat, blinking out of the haze I’d been in seconds ago while I waited on the professor to get his PowerPoint together. A full-body flush and about a thousand tingles tickled my skin at the sight of Dean’s chat box on my screen.
PixieBurn: I’m in class
NightLocker: what class?
PixieBurn: Psychology
NightLocker: Oh
NightLocker: So that’s why you snuck out of bed this morning
The flush deepened, my mind instantly jumping backward to last night. And the night before.
And the one before that.
I’d spent them all in Dean’s arms.
Each night better than the next.
One year at MIT behind us—a new semester starting today—and he still had the power to melt me with a simple sentence.
I glanced away from the screen, checking to make sure the professor was still in hold-mode until his presentation came up. Once I was sure, I reached toward the keys.
PixieBurn: I didn’t sneak
NightLocker: I woke up to an empty pillow and cold sheets
PixieBurn: Awh, poor baby
NightLocker: Exactly
NightLocker: I didn’t think you had a class this early
PixieBurn: I didn’t either. It was a last minute addition. I’m lucky they let me in.
NightLocker: Psychology
PixieBurn: Yes
PixieBurn: I’m...
PixieBurn: I’ve decided to minor in it
NightLocker: Makes sense
PixieBurn: It does?
NightLocker: Yes. You’re good at helping people
NightLocker: Now you want to be great at it
NightLocker: Did your dad do a backflip when you told him?
PixieBurn: I haven’t yet
NightLocker: Why?
PixieBurn: I decided this morning. When they let me into this class.
I bit down on my lip to stop my smile from spreading too wide.
Of course he understood—even when I hadn’t had the time to explain it to him. The class, my decision, it had all happened this morning when they’d allowed my late admission.
NightLocker: A $10 says he cries
PixieBurn: lol
PixieBurn: Sometimes it’s scary how much you get me. Get my family.
NightLocker: Too much?
PixieBurn: Never
NightLocker: Good
NightLocker: Now get out of that class and come back to bed
Tempting. So very tempting.
PixieBurn: Tempting
PixieBurn: But I’ve got to focus. This isn’t easy like all my other classes
NightLocker: Then what are you doing talking to me? lol
PixieBurn: The professor is struggling with his powerpoint
NightLocker: You could help him
PixieBurn: This super hot guy is distracting me
NightLocker: ...
NightLocker: Do I need to enroll in psychology?
PixieBurn: lol why?
NightLocker: Don’t want the hot guy stealing you
PixieBurn: I was talking about you
NightLocker: Oh
PixieBurn: Besides
PixieBurn: No one could steal me from you
Literally no one. Loki himself could walk into this class…
Mmm. Loki.
No. I would say no to his ad
vances because that’s how much I loved Dean. How close we’d grown over the last year.
My best friend.
My boyfriend.
Love of my life.
But I could appreciate Loki. From a distance.
NightLocker: Good
NightLocker: I really didn’t want to add another class
NightLocker: But I would
NightLocker: for you lol
PixieBurn: I’m so lucky
PixieBurn: Powerpoint is back up
I focused on the professor as he started his opening lecture. It was so hard to split my attention—I really wanted to do well in this class. Wanted to go on to minor in it and have the knowledge necessary to volunteer at an advice hotline or perhaps, maybe, qualify for a guidance counselor position. It would also be nice to stop asking my dad for advice on the questions that continued to roll in for the blog.
After Ask Me Anything I found a calling I never knew existed. I wanted to explore it, see how long I could keep the blog successful, helpful, streamline it and maybe someday bring in other people with different experiences and relationships and viewpoints. But first, school. Furthering my knowledge, that was most important.
NightLocker: Fine
NightLocker: Go learn stuff
PixieBurn: I have a two hour break after
NightLocker: I’ll cook you lunch
PixieBurn: :)
NightLocker: DC, Pixie
PixieBurn: Love you, too
I clicked off the chat box, the same smile shaping my face.
Seven pages worth of notes later, I left the class, anticipating the next one. The feeling settled deep in my heart—the path I’d chosen was right. I would major in Computer Science and minor in Psychology. Then, perhaps by combining both, I could find a balance and really launch the blog—take it further than the surrounding area. Maybe make it a virtual refuge for young girls and boys across the country.
A real place.
Not on the dark web, but in the light.
Until then, there were only three things I wanted to focus on.
School, hacking, and…
“Dean,” I said as I walked through the door to our incredibly small and overpriced apartment. “It smells amazing in here.”
“Spaghetti,” he said, stirring a pot on the stove.
“Your mom’s recipe?” I set my bags down on the chair by our front door.
“Yup.”
“Score,” I said, walking into the kitchen to wrap my arms around him from behind.
He spun to face me, his hands sliding over my hips and hefting me to his level. I wrapped my legs around him, and he kissed me so long and deep my breath caught. Pulling back, he grinned at me. “Can I ask you something?”
I wetted my lips, relishing his taste lingering on my skin.
“You can always,” I said, brushing a light kiss over his mouth. “Ask me anything.”
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Acknowledgments
My first thank you always goes to you, the reader. These characters wouldn’t be alive and kicking without you picking up this book and I’m beyond grateful for each and every one of you!
Dare, my partner in crime, the love of my life…thank you for your constant support as I poured my soul into this book. Through countless hours of research and formatting and creating images, you are seriously the man.
N0decaf, I don’t have enough ways to say thank you for all your guidance on this book. All the emails, calls, and chats. All the scenarios and ‘what ifs’ that you met with an open mind and easy grace. Thank you. I couldn’t have finished this book without you.
Thanks must be given to my family for supporting this dream of mine, even when I started dreaming about it in the second grade.
Stacy, my brilliant editor, I can’t thank you enough! This book was a dream to write and you’re so much fun to work with. I simply can’t wait to see what we come up with next!
To Liz, Jillian, Heather, and everyone else at my Entangled home, thank you for all the work behind the scenes! I’m honored to be part of this awesome family.
Karen, you’re a constant source of wisdom and advice and happiness. I’m honored to call you friend and I’m thankful for all of your notes that continuously shape me to be a better writer.
Molly, my soul-sister, thank you for being the first one to read this. Double thanks for finding that massive typo (that I repeated eight times) before I sent it to my editor. LOL. You will always be the coolest half of #MollySquared.
Esther. I love you. You’re my hero. My inspiration. The strongest woman I know. Every badass girl I write has a whole lot of you in her.
Cindi and Rebecca, thanks for plot chats and vent sessions and staying up until two a.m. at signings! I’m grateful I have the pair of you in my corner!
Amber, thanks for the support that never ends. The fire you have for this community never ceases to amaze me and I appreciate all the awesome things you do!
To the amazing bloggers who constantly work on the behalf of authors and readers alike, you are EVERYTHING. I’m grateful and honored and appreciative of every single one of you who sacrifice time in the name of love for books! I see you and the hard work you do and it means the world to me!
Mayhem Members! Thanks for making our group so positive and fun and for being understanding when life has me hiding in the writing cave for months at a time!
And finally, again, to you…most awesome reader. Thank you for choosing this book. You make all things possible.
About the Author
Molly E. Lee is an author best known for her romance novels, the Grad Night series and the Love on the Edge series. She is a 1001 Dark Nights Discovery Author for 2017. Molly writes Adult and Young Adult contemporary featuring strong female heroines who are unafraid to challenge their male counterparts, yet still vulnerable enough to have love sneak up on them. In addition to being a military spouse and mother of two + one stubborn English Bulldog, Molly loves watching storms from her back porch at her Midwest home, and digging for treasures in antique stores.
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