Page 20 of Loved By the Hacker

“You always insist on us getting salads at lunch, and you’re having a grilled chicken sandwich with fries,” Raven pointed out.

“Babe.” Oli shot me a look, and I pressed my lips together before I sighed when my eyes caught hers. She surprised me by not saying a word. I knew she was good at keeping secrets, but she hated it. She said secrets ate at her, and I could tell this had been hard on her. Not being able to ask me anything or tell them she had picked me up from my one-night stand. A one-night stand that had lasted three weeks so far.

“Fine.’ I dropped the fry and clasped my fingers together as I looked out at my sisters. “I’m going to tell you guys something, but I don’t want you to freak out or get all weird and crazy.”

“Weird?”

“Crazy?”

“Why would we freak out?” They all asked almost simultaneously, three pairs of eyes set on me.

“I’m seeing someone, and each of you is allowed to ask me one thing and one thing only,” I tossed out there, almost positive it wasn’t going to work, but I had to try.

“You’re seeing someone?” Scarlett gasped, and I nodded with a smirk.

“Yes. One down, two more to go.” I grinned, and she scowled at me.

“Hey! That didn’t count!” she argued, but I shrugged, playing it off like there was no way they would be able to shake out any more out of me.

“It most certainly did.” My eyes caught Olive’s deep green gaze, and with a smirk, I knew what she was going to ask before the words catapulted out of her mouth.

“Is this the guy you had a one-night stand with and made me pick up out by his fancy cabin on the other end of the lake?”

“You had a one-night stand?!” Raven laughed but was obviously shocked.

“Yes,” I admitted. “I’ve been seeing him for the last three weeks.”

“Three weeks!” my sisters semi-shouted. People stared at us, but they quickly looked away, their attention back on their tables.

“I told you!” Raven pointed at the other two. “I told you she has been weirdly quiet.”

“I just thought she picked up on my grandma hobbies.” Scarlett shrugged, and Olive snorted.

“I’ve seen Cora try to crochet. There was no way. She’s not that good with her hands.”

“Oleg would say differently,” I accidently countered, and their eyes turned into saucers before everyone started to bust up in a fit of giggles. After a moment, we calmed down, and I could feel their questions growing.

“His name is Oleg?” Scar asked, and I nodded.

“And he’s nice to you?” Raven asked gently, covering my hand with hers.

“Very nice,” I whispered.

“Good.” I could see the relief and perhaps hesitation in believing me just yet.

After telling them about Jack and I breaking up, I had been honest about what our relationship had been like for the most part. I’d kept the shoving and threatening he’d done to myself because it was over and done with. We both moved on.

“What does he do?” Scarlett asked, and I shared. I told them about the security company he ran and how many employees he had. By the looks on their faces, they were impressed. Happy for me even. That was until Oli spoke up.

“And he lives here? Permanently?” she asked quietly, almost like she was trying to hold back her concern. As the oldest, I understood where she was coming from. If they had come to me with this same situation, I would have been worried, too. I’d been in a not-so-great relationship for over a decade, and my experience with men wasn’t a lot. I’d had my heart broken and spent the first couple of months this year licking my wounds. She didn’t want me to set myself up for more heartache. I didn’t want that, either.

“I mean… he’s here now.” I shrugged, picking up a fry. It was something I had tried to ignore and not think about. Something to store and keep in the back of my head. It wasn’t like Oleg was a permanent resident of our little mountain town, but he also hadn’t brought up returning to LA or San Diego.When will he be leaving?

“Where does he live? Usually, I mean. When he’s not on a job?” Scar asked, and they each looked at one another. I knew what that look meant. I’d given them that same quiet look when one of the others got themselves into a predicament we didn’t think would turn out right.

“His offices are in LA, but he has a place in San Diego.”

“Is that where his family is?” Raven asked, but I shook my head.

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