Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Anya shook her head, the bed a testament to a night's restlessness - one side crumpled where she'd lain, the other pristine and untouched.

"Naomi, check the guest rooms," Mia suggested, her tone filled with the trust built over a decade of friendship.

Leo's manners were ingrained in him, part of his very nature.

Naomi hurriedly checked each guest room until, finally, she found her son Leo, bundled up in blankets, fast asleep.

With a swift smack, Naomi woke him, "Leo, get up now!"

Leo jolted awake, his hair a wild mess, his eyes bloodshot from a night of vigilance.

The dark corners of the internet were a tangled web, and Leo had no idea how many players were in the game or how deep the waters he was wading into were. Choosing caution, he struck when defenses were lowest - at night. Anya had seen the light in his room the night before and knocked on his door to check on him.

At home, Leo didn't hide anything from Anya. After all, she always had his back.

When she learned he was pulling an all-nighter, Anya went downstairs, whipped up some pasta, and sliced some fruit to keep him company.

"Anya, who said I have a crush on you?" Leo asked abruptly as he ate.

An innocent Anya, nibbling on an orange slice, replied, "I didn't say that." She had already forgotten the conversation from the afternoon.

Setting his fork down, Leo wasn't letting it go, "This afternoon, you told your uncle that a hacker has a crush on you, and that you'd agree to anything they said. Since when am I so easy-going?"

Anya took another bite of her orange, then it clicked, "Oh, that. I only said it to save you. Any other excuse would've made my uncle suspicious. He wouldn't pry into his niece's love life."

she picked up another slice and continued to eat

his pasta, "So that's how

less fruit; you're finishing

you

later on, sitting beside Leo, watching his fingers

to their computers before - either unattractive, overweight, or slouched - none as handsome as her Chad, with

and go to bed,"

to

on headphones and watched a movie to

fell

found her asleep, he stopped what he

first time doing so with a girl. He had only ever held two females in his life: four-year-old Anya and

his arms, "Didn't expect you to be this light. Looks like

bed, removed her headphones,

night before, covered her with a

feeling none of the supposed privilege of an

gaming. It's bad enough you're picking up bad habits, but now you're dragging her down

Anya quickly interjected, "No, no, Aunt Naomi, it was my idea.

was unimpressed, "Don't make excuses for

had finished his morning run and showered. Finding his little one awake and crying, he dressed the child haphazardly and went in

Mr. Andre in

Mia in the guest room. The baby recognized her scent

filled in