It’s just all in my head. I’m making things difficult for us.
Yes, they fucked up, but now they aren’t, andI’mthe problem.
“I’m sorry.”
Oliver’s lips curve into a soft smile. “As you know, in tech, we don’t immediately launch stuff live. We identify the gaps and the areas that need improvement first.”
I furrow my brows. “We do, but what?—”
“We beta test,” he explains with a smile that makes my heart skip a beat. “We iterate and refine the code until it’s solid and ready for release.”
“Right…” I murmur, still not quite grasping where he’s going with this.
“So, how about we beta test this relationship,” Oliver continues. “We’ll identify the trust issues?—”
“Thebugs, if you will,” Misha interjects with a playful smirk. I narrow my eyes at him, and he splutters to clarify, “Not thatyou’rethe issue,weare?—”
Oliver smoothly cuts off Misha’s flustered ramblings. “And work on them. We’ll gather feedback and make necessary changes, just like we would with any complex system. You don’t have to give us your full trust right away, we can run this PC in safe mode first,” Oliver assures me, his fingers continuing their soothing motion on my arm. “But give us a reasonable timeframe to beta test. It’s a process, and it’ll take time, but just like refining an algorithm, we’ll get there. Together.”
Gnawing on my bottom lip, I consider his words.
I can give them that.
I can giveusthat.
“Okay,” I finally agree, feeling a small spark of hope. “Let’s beta test.”
Oliver and Misha smile at me, but when I glance over at Grey, I notice he’s back to scowling. Reaching over Oliver, I stretch out to grab Grey’s hand. To my surprise and relief, he pulls it up to his face and presses a gentle kiss to the back of it, instantly easing some of the tension coiled within me.
Misha picks up the remote and announces, “We were just about to watchForbidden Planet. You’re fine with that, or should we pick something else?”
I snuggle deeper into Oliver while still holding Grey’s hand, his thumb stroking the back of mine. “I’m fine with whatever.”
Oliver plants a soft kiss on the top of my head, his lips lingering for a moment. As the glow from the screen fills the room, I already find myself slowly drifting off, lulled by the comfort of their presence and the familiar sounds of the sci-fi classic.
Safe.
EIGHTEEN
Oliver’s chestrises and falls steadily beneath me.
I glance at the clock and see that it’s only five a.m. Misha and Grey are fast asleep as well, and the screen displays a frozen image from the movie we’d been watching.
Carefully, I extricate myself from Oliver’s embrace, trying not to wake him. His gentle breathing and the warmth of his body make it difficult to pull away, but I manage it with minimal disturbance.
Tiptoeing back to my apartment, my mind is already racing with the day ahead.
When I unpacked my bags, I realized the maids forgot to pack my laptop, and in the haste of our departure, I completely forgot about the sensors.
Oh well.
I’ll erase the data remotely as soon as I get a new device and can log into my cloud.
After a quick shower and change of clothes, I send a text to the guys, letting them know I’ve left early to pick up a new laptop. I need it for work and can’t afford to wait, hoping my stolen one will miraculously reappear on my desk.
With my work.
By the time I make it to work, I’m already half an hour late, but Hendricks’ space is conspicuously empty.
