Hacked by Love, Part 2

by Sharon Cummin

  I sat at the dinner table watching my mom give my dad a hard time about the steaks he'd made on the grill. By the time she was done, we were all laughing. Jilly sat in my lap picking at her food, and I could feel James staring a hole through me. There was no way I was looking in his direction. The mood was light, so I was hoping my parents weren't going to completely freak out. At least I wasn't catching them on a bad day. I took another bite of food before putting my fork down and taking a deep breath in and then out.

  “So, I have some news,” I said, as I held tight to Jilly in my lap.

  She was my buffer between me and my parents.

  “What's that?” my mom asked. “I figured something was up.”

  I gave her a questioning look.

  “You're actually eating dinner with us,” she said with a laugh.

  “That's not funny. I've been really busy,” I said.

  “What's the news?” my dad asked impatiently.

  “I got an apartment,” I said quickly before I had the chance to back out.

  “You what?” my dad growled out.

  “Settle down, Hotshot,” my mom said quickly.

  “I will do no such thing,” he replied roughly. “What do you mean you got an apartment?”

  “I signed the lease and already have the keys to move in,” I said with a smile even though he was about to lose his mind. “Isn't that great?”

  “Great?” my dad snapped. “Where is this place? How the fuck is this the first I'm hearing of it?”

  “I didn't think you'd care,” I said.

  “Why wouldn't I?” my dad asked. “Do you not remember when your sister decided to get her own place?”

  “Oh, I remember,” I said.

  “How is this any different for you?” he asked.

  “I'm a guy,” I said.

  “What the fuck does that have to do with it?” my mom snapped.

  “Settle down, Firecracker,” my dad said mocking her earlier words.

  “I didn't think you'd need to do the whole make sure I'm safe thing like you did with her,” I said.

  “Why the hell not?” my dad asked in a serious tone. “You're my boy. I want you safe too, Lance.”

  “I can't believe this,” my mom said. “You're my baby. I thought you liked staying her on the cheap. What about me cooking you dinner? How could you do something like this without talking to us?”

  I rolled my eyes and took another deep breath, but I couldn't help the tiny smirk tugging at my lips.

  “Oh, this is bullshit,” my dad barked out, as he stood up from the table. “You pulled this shit on purpose so we couldn't do anything about it. You don't think I would have liked to help you pick out your first place with you?”

  My dad turned to walk into the other room, and I instantly felt bad. He was hurt which was so much worse than him being pissed.

  “Dad,” I snapped.

  “You should have let him go with you. Then he could have paid most of your rent only to throw it back at you later,” Sammie said, and I glared over at her silently begging her to shut up.

  “Don't give me that shit, Sammie,” my dad yelled out over his shoulder as he walked into the other room.

  My mom shook her head and let out a sigh.

  “Why do you two have to torture that man?” she asked. “He might be a tough guy, but the two of you are his life. He loves as hard as he bitches, and you know it.”

  “It wasn't like that,” I said. “Okay, maybe it was a little. I didn't want to hear him bitch, but I never thought he'd really want to be a part of looking with me. Shit!”

  I handed Jilly to Sammie and stood up.

  “Hey,” my mom said. “You should have told us, given us some time to adjust to the idea of you being gone.”

  “I'm sorry,” I said. “Things have just been so stressful lately.”

  “I get it,” she said. “I'm just going to miss your ass so much. You're my baby.”

  “Why didn't you miss me?” Sammie asked.

  “I see you more now than I ever have,” my mom said.

  I walked into the living room, grabbed the remote, and shut the television off. My dad looked up at me with narrowed eyes.

  “I'm sorry,” I said.

  “You're not,” he replied.

  “I really am. I didn't want you giving me shit over moving out. I guess I didn't really think it through.”

  “Am I that fucking hard to deal with?” he asked.

  How the heck was I supposed to answer that one?

  “I would have liked to be part of it with you. I might have given Sammie a hard time about leaving. I don't want the two of you gone. You're my babies. It made it so much better knowing that she was going to be safe and that I was helping her, even if it did backfire on my ass.”

  “Come on,” I said. “Don't be mad at me.

  “I'm not mad,” he said.

  “I'm really sorry,” I said, feeling horrible for leaving him out of it.

  “With Sammie I have ball,” he said. “I don't like that we don't have something like that. I like being involved in your life. Maybe that makes me a pussy, but I don't care. You two kids are my life. Your mom and Jilly are too.”

  “What about me?” James yelled from the other room.

  “You're the pain-in-the-ass that took my baby girl, but I guess I'll keep you too,” my dad answered.

  “Will you help me move?” I asked my dad.

  “Of course I will,” he answered, as he stood from his chair and pulled me in for a hug. “I love you, Lance.”

  “I love you too,” I said, as we walked back to the table and sat down.

  Jilly leaned over and crawled from Sammie's lap to mine.

  “I'll help too,” James said.

  “Your ass already knew,” my dad said. “Don't even try to lie.”

  “Did you?” Sammie asked, as she turned to James.

  “I had to help my brother,” James said with a shrug. “How could I not?”

  “That's not fair,” Sammie said. “Don't you pull the brother card. Lancie is my brother.”

  “Come on,” James said. “Can't you share him. All I have is Cassie, and she's too good for me.”

  Sammie shook her head and James laughed.

  “What are we going to do now that both of you will be gone?” my mom asked in a sad tone.

  “Don't worry, Firecracker,” my dad said with a smile. “I've got a few ideas. I'm thinking naked weekends to start.”

  My mom gave him a questioning look.

  “You know what I mean,” he said. “You stay naked the entire weekend, that way I can grab that fine ass and bend you over every chance I get.”

  “Lance,” my mom yelled.

  “Oh, come on,” my dad said. “Don't even try to pretend you don't want all this naked and buried...”

  “I'm done,” I said, as I quickly stood and handed Jillian to Sammie. “I'll be in my room. That is why I don't eat dinner with you.”

  “Are you really going to leave me here with him?” my mom asked.

  “You picked him,” I said, as I headed for the stairs.

  “We're leaving,” Sammie said.

  “Why don't you stay since we're moving your brother tomorrow?” my dad asked.

  I was headed up the stairs when I heard Sammie answer and couldn't help the loud laugh that came from deep in my gut.

  “No way,” she said. “My room is across the hall from yours, and I know what that conversation just started.”

  “Seriously?” my dad asked her. “Your mom isn't that loud.”

  “Hotshot,” my mom snapped.

  “Fine,” Sammie said. “We'll stay.”

  I'd stopped at the top of the stairs. There was no way I was missing what was coming.

  “Maybe we'll just try to cover your sounds with some of our own,” she said, and I knew she had a smile covering her whole face.

  “Fuck that,” my dad snapped. “Go home. I changed my mind about you, James. I'm not keeping you, but
I will keep you long enough to help move Lance tomorrow. Now get out of here.”

  It only took two days for me to move my entire life into my new apartment. My mom, Jilly, and Sammie went shopping while the guys helped me move. They had my fridge stocked and my cabinets filled with pots, plates, silverware, glasses, and all that other kitchen stuff. We put my bed and dresser in the room that was going to be Jilly's. Then we set my desk up in my new office. I was looking forward to having the extra room for all of my computers. It was so much better than having it all shoved in the corner of my bedroom. When Sammie walked around my apartment to check it out, she gave me a weird look.

  “Why wouldn't you take the bigger room for your bedroom?” she asked.

  “My room is the biggest,” I yelled over my shoulder to her as I walked into my bathroom. “I have to order my bed and dresser tomorrow. I put my old bed and dresser in Jilly's room.”

  “Jilly's room?” Sammie asked.

  “She needs her own space while she's here,” I said, as I walked back down the hall toward her and my mom.

  “You plan on having her stay here enough that she needs her own room?” she asked.

  “Of course I do,” I said. “I need time with my favorite girl. What did you think I was going to do? You want to see your room, Jilly?”

  She nodded and took off down the hall.

  “I'll get those rail things for the bed so you don't fall out,” I said, as I walked into the room behind her. “We need to get some toys and a television too. You can pick them out with me.”

  Jilly crawled up onto the bed and bounced around with a smile on her face.

  When we were done bringing in the rest of the boxes, my dad ordered pizza and we all sat on the floor and ate.

  “You did good, Lance,” my dad said. “I'm so damn proud of you.”

  When I closed the door behind them as they left, I turned back and looked around at my still mostly empty place with a smile on my face. It was all mine, and it was quiet. The best part was that Sammie couldn't get through without knocking. Everything was perfect.

  I hadn't gotten on my laptop in almost two days and couldn't wait to dive in and get started. Everything was going to work out. I was alone, and I was going to devote every moment of those twenty-nine days to getting what I'd dreamt about for so long.

  I grabbed a drink, sat down at my desk, opened the screen, and brought my laptop to life. It only took two seconds for my good mood to turn to shit. Lauren was being Lauren and had sent me some messages.

  Lauren: Working hard or hardly working?

  Lauren: So you're out partying. That's great. It gives me more time to kick your ass.

  Lauren: Less than a month to go. Do you have what it takes?

  Lauren: Seriously, what the fuck happened to you?

  By the fourth one, I almost thought she gave a shit. I said almost. It was getting to her that I wasn't answering. Interesting, I thought. What would she do if I didn't answer back the whole month? Would her evil head explode? It was sure going to be fun finding out.

  Chapter 10

  Lauren

  That second month flew by and I wasn't any closer to finding the answers I was looking for. I wasn't sleeping and was stressed when I wasn't working. My grandma was taking care of Jackson way more than she should have been, and I wanted to show her that all her extra work was worth it.

  The asshole was still on my mind all the time, and I couldn't figure out why. I couldn't stand him. He wasn't who I thought he was. I was still messing with him regularly. He'd respond often, but then he just stopped. I hadn't sent anything out of the ordinary or more offensive than usual. By the time I'd read the messages for the fifth time, it was really starting to get to me. Even when I asked what happened to him, he didn't respond. My mind began going to crazy places. Had something happened to him? If so, why was the thought bothering me? Was he so busy that he couldn't answer me? Had something I said pissed him off that much? Oh shit, I thought! Maybe he was done. Maybe he'd gotten through and figured out the perfect solution. Maybe he'd flown out there again and sold them on the idea of him being the better of us. What if it was over for me? What the fuck was I going to do?

  I began stressing out more than I thought possible. It was so bad that I was waking up covered in sweat and crying. That was not me. I didn't let anyone get to me. I'd been strong my whole life, and some punk who thought the sun rose and set on his ass certainly wasn't going to be the one to break me. I kept working, continuing to get nowhere. Each time I sat down at my desk, he'd pop into my mind and ruin any ideas I had. Every time I thought about him, I sent him a message, but they continued to go unanswered.

  Me: I hope you found some good solutions.

  Me: I'm so going to kick your ass in that meeting.

  Me: Did someone finally get tired of your shit and take you out of the running?

  Me: Don't get beat by a girl. That couldn't possibly look good for you.

  Me: We're getting closer. The clock is ticking. Will you be ready?

  Me: The powerful, brilliant Eagle is going to shred the tiny, lame Locksmith.

  Where was he? Why was he ignoring me? What the hell was going on? Why was I having such a hard time? Why did I even care? Why was it getting in the way of my work?

  By the time the third month was over, I was beat. I'd never had a hard time getting through something like I was then. I knew it was going to be a challenge, but I never expected it to be that difficult. Maybe I wasn't as good as I thought, or maybe he was just better than me.

  As I sat in the airport waiting to board the plane that was going to take me to the place that could possibly ruin every dream I'd had, I couldn't stop thinking about how I was going to tell them. I couldn't do it. Not only did I not have ways to fix it, but I hadn't even gotten through. I had failed. I felt sick to my stomach just thinking about the meeting ahead of me. They were going to throw me out. I'd have to admit failure in front of him. How was I going to do that? He'd probably gotten through and had a million ideas on how to make it better and stronger. Was he going to make fun of me? Was he going to rub in the fact that he'd kicked my ass? Part of me couldn't wait to get the meeting over with. Another part of me knew that I'd never see him again. Ugh! Why would I care about that? He was the biggest jerk I'd ever met in my life. It didn't matter that he'd made me come harder than I ever had before. That wouldn't be difficult. It had been four years since I'd been with a man. Anyone could have gotten the same result out of me.

  When the plane landed, I grabbed the bag I'd brought on with me and headed toward the spot I knew a car would be waiting at. When I saw the sign with my name on it, I felt like I was going to faint. If I ran back into the airport and flew back home, I wouldn't have to face him or any of them, I thought. Why did the thought of facing him scare me more than the government workers that had hired me? There was no running. I had to pull my shoulders back and claim defeat while still seeming completely confident with my skills. I took a deep breath and walked toward the driver, so afraid of what I was about to face. Please don't be a smug asshole, I thought as I got into the car. Please don't make me feel worse than I already do.

  Chapter 11

  Lance

  Getting an apartment ready was harder and more time consuming than I thought it would be. It took hours to shop for and order furniture. It wouldn't have taken nearly as long if I'd just taken my dad or James, but my mom and Sammie insisted on going. It was horrible. I should have just given them my card and let them pick what they wanted. That was pretty much how it went anyway. I did put my foot down when it came to girly shit though. That was not happening. I didn't need butterflies on my walls, not at all. I also made sure to get the bed I wanted. Is it bad that Lauren was the one on my mind while I picked it? It took two weeks before I finally had my bedroom and living room set up. My office was mine. They were not touching it. I'd gotten a bookcase, table, and filing cabinet. That was about it. Sammie wanted to do all kinds of girly things in Jilly's room, but
I told her that had to wait. Once I was done with my work, I would let her get into all that but not a moment before. She even wanted a key to my place. Can you believe that shit? Uh, no. That was never going to happen. The whole point was keeping people out that I hadn't invited. For some reason, Sammie didn't get it.

  Lauren continued sending messages, and I continued ignoring them. It was hilarious for me, but I could tell it was bugging the shit out of her. Mission accomplished, I thought. She was getting just a tiny taste of what I'd been getting for years.

  There was still the progress problem. I hadn't made any at all. Just when I'd think I was right there, it wouldn't work and I'd be back where I started. Living by myself hadn't helped one bit. If it weren't for the silence, I might have thought that I'd made a mistake. I was still going to my parents' house for dinner and to do my laundry. Well, I actually left my dirty laundry and went back to get it when my mom was done with it. It was working out great. Part of me wondered why I hadn't moved out the day I made my million.

  The time had come for my next meeting, and I'd never felt so unsure of myself before. I was starting to wonder if I'd ever be able to break through. Maybe it wasn't possible, or maybe I wasn't as great as I thought. What if Lauren had been able to do it? Had she? Shit! My mind was racing as I packed my bag, hopped into Sammie's car, and rode to the airport. Was she better than me? Would they want her instead? If so, what was I going to do. She already tortured me on a daily basis. If she thought for one second that she was smarter than I was, that would be it. I'd have to move to another country and change my name, and that wasn't something I was willing to do.

  “Are you okay?” Sammie asked, as she drove.

  “What?” I asked.

  “You've been acting so weird lately. I worry about you, Lancie. Is it that girl? What did she do to my little brother? Is it the job? You even moved out of mom and dad's house. I just don't get it. You haven't even said a word since you got in my car. What has you so quiet?”