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

stirred his pasta, "So that's

Anya, "Eat less fruit; you're finishing what you

more for you after finishing these," she continued

word, Anya cut more fruit later on, sitting beside Leo,

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

staring and go to

stayed, determined to pull an all-nighter

put on headphones and watched a movie

fell asleep with

her asleep, he stopped what he was doing

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, turned off her phone, and

his head, remembering her presence the night before, covered her with a blanket, and

the heck?" he muttered, feeling none of the supposed privilege

furious, "You kept Anya up all night gaming. It's bad enough you're picking

was my idea. Chad didn't want me to

unimpressed, "Don't make excuses for

had finished his morning run and showered. Finding his little one awake and crying, he

Mr. Andre in the right

room. The baby

filled in on his