The Hacker — Xavier Neal

HOLDEN Life is nothing more than a series of 1s and 0s. Basic choices. Yes or no. Fight or flight. Protect or neglect. Pack or prey. Felon or free. I've mastered the art of when to hit 1 and when to hit 0. Or at least I had before Meena came back into my world. Now, I'm constantly confused which one to hit. Somehow she's hacked my system and rewritten my code to become one of the only people in my life who matters. One of the only people I wouldn't hesitate to die for. Loving her has become an involuntary 1. Like protecting my children. Like breathing. MEENA Temporary. Everything in life is just temporary. Unlike most people, I choose to acknowledge that. Embrace it. Make the most of a situation for what it is and then move on. It makes what I do for a living easier. It makes dating simple. Or at least it had before I crossed paths again with the only man who has ever made me crave something permanent. Too bad Holden wasn't mine then. Too bad I can't be his forever now. He'll never completely move on from her. He'll never completely let go. Loving him is a constant I'm trying to shake. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I ever will.