#Excel forgot passcode

[elinaann]

[User Guide] How to Recover Excel Password on Windows | Excel Password R...

[siremasterlawrence]

Celebrity Exchange Program

As a up and coming actor who proudly just joined the SAG (Screen Actor’s Guild) for the first time and I am offered a chance to be a test for the pilot program where I can use a Human Exchange Program.I had a signed a strange waver that is a gold paper with a specialized pen as the gold like paper erupts in to fire and throwing it from my hand as it disintegrates before my very eyes.I shake my head forgetting as I exit the SAG office I receive a pamphlet from the agent at the desk and I flip through it as I head home a key falls from the pamphlet with instructions on it.I flip through it as the introduction page is stating that I have entered a super hot type of exchange program where I get to switch my body with any celebrity I choose to try experience.I use the sd card shape like a key placing it into the laptop as the screen turns deep odd gold color scheme and I am sent in to a new typo of interface and I found myself seeing the options.I skim down the list with of celebrities I can inhabit for a few days I find myself lusting after each you and for different reasons of course my main squeezes are married or dating so it’s a no.Colton Haynes listing himself on the system which leaves me floored and I immediately click it to the main page showing me his face and all of her naked picks of him on full display.I press agree after scrolling down the page for God knows who long finally I signed on the dotted line and begin feel the full weight of my actions.I ignore my own feelings it heading to bed as I fell in to a deep sleep my spirit lifts from my body into the air and floating through the window and passing a strange orb I am assuming is Colton Haynes entering mybody.Everything goes black as my body continue floating into the air speeding up as his air around my soul catch fire and I land through a window and enter it hitting some strong body.The body falling backwards onto the bed rock hard sending me a coma my body is beginning to shake convulsing out of control and I wake up with my eyes popping open up.I sit back up thrusting my legs into the air as she lands a bit, my head is groggy coming towards me walking to the mirror, and he is fluctuating this body hitting the mirror in a thud.I come to looking up to the mirror to see him it’s Colton’s face I am touching and I am so feeling fantastic as I strip naked to showing his body on showcase this is my body now forever.I check my body landing onto my chest as they let them spread feeling every inch and crevice of his body and I knew he felt that even in body but just spun it to the side to head into the bathroom.Letting my clothes fly into the air as I enter the bathroom closing the door behind me, switching the knob of the side as the shelf flows down raining over me and begin to soap up.The soap in my hand is place back as I am lathering myself up to the point suds are now everywhere and I enjoy the heat of the water wash over me and it felt so amazing to me.I do dance as I am getting a bit more of his confidence knowing I am super fucking hot now and their is nothing they can do to stop me and cleaning myself off with a towel as the steam rises.I am a new man stepping out of the shower drying my feet and into a pair of slippers as I walk out and the steam flowing into my main bedroom.

“Oh My God!”

“I am a stun”

“Look this face”

“This body is perfection”

“I am about to go out “

“Flash this smile “

“Flirt”

“Get some ass”

“Claim someone “

“They won’t know what hit them”

“I won’t be shy “

“I am so tired of being misunderstood “

“What’s his passcode”

“Oh right! Boop boop boop”

“Excellent! Let’s download some app”

“Set your profile”

“Take a few pics “

“Hit me up bitches “

“Time to get dressed “

“This polo shirt is it “

“Nice pair of jeans”

“Grab my shit “

“Almost forgot my keys “

“Here we go”

“Hello! Yes”

“This is Colton Haynes”

“I will be at this restaurant in five minutes “

“I need to get a private table at your restaurant.”

“This is Colton Haynes”

“Yes sir!”

“I’m on my way “

“Baby!”

“Move! “

“The main main is here”

“I’m here “

“Hello Sir!”

The end

[jasontoddiefor]

Summary: More of that Anakin gets stuck in the past and ends up dating Dooku bc my discord enables all my crack treated seriously ideas. Read on AO3.

Qui-Gon supposed that despite their circumstances, he was actually having fun. He had been sent all over the galaxy since his knighting and had hardly spent a minute at the Temple or with his old Master. Going on a mission with him again was refreshing and felt a little bit like coming home, even if Dooku looked about three seconds away from committing a felony.

“Hello, Master,” Qui-Gon greeted easily still, leaning against the entrance of his ship. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“I have missed you as well, Padawan,” Dooku replied and immediately marched past Qui-Gon towards the cockpit of the ship.

Qui-Gon only raised a brow as he watched his Master’s back disappear, then he turned to the second Jedi walking up the ramp of his ship. Master Nu smiled warmly at Qui-Gon and, once she had reached him, gave him a quick hug.

“I apologize for his fool manners,” Jocasta said. “The last three weeks have been unpleasant.”

Qui-Gon snorted. “You don’t have to pretend. I know how he can get.”

Dooku was an excellent teacher once he understood that my way or the highway would always result in Qui-Gon picking the highway. They had had their difficulties, Dooku’s approach towards the Force not meshing well with Qui-Gon’s. His general strictness had also not been much to Qui-Gon’s liking. It was good then that Qui-Gon could run off to Anakin to complain about his Master which usually resulted in getting a joined lesson. It had become a bit of a joke between him and his crèchemates that Qui-Gon had two Masters. Some had been jealous of course, Anakin Skywalker didn’t have his own Padawan and he was a skilled Knight, one of the Order’s best combatants, but most had taken it with good fun.

“I think I owe you an apology for not coming here faster, I had to drop Tahl off somewhere else first.”

Jocasta shook her head. “If anyone’s to blame, it’s Anakin for running off with our ship.”

Qui-Gon hadn’t quite wanted to believe it when the report came in. Anakin was protective of the Order, more so than any other Knight it seemed at times. His past was also shrouded in mystery with nobody knowing him before he had shown up at the Temple some odd sixteen years ago.  His circle of friend consisted mostly of Dooku’s circle of friends, though Qui-Gon was fairly sure that if they were forced to pick between Anakin and his ever grumpy Master, the decision would be an easy one. Anakin never gave the name of his Master, though he sometimes did quote him, a ridiculously pronounced High Coruscanti accent dropping from his lips. Despite all these secrets, however, Qui-Gon had never been given a reason to doubt Anakin. He was a good man, a good teacher, and a terrifyingly competent Shadow.

Not that Qui-Gon was supposed to know that, but Padawans usually knew what their Masters got up to and Dooku had taken plenty of unofficial missions with Anakin and Jocasta.

“What happened?” Qui-Gon asked once they got seated in the common area of the ship. Dooku was still at the ship’s helm, guiding them Force-knew where.

“We don’t know,” Jocasta replied. “One moment we were exploring the old temple, the next Anakin was on the ground and after…” She put her hands around her cup of tea. “He just took off with the ship. Dooku thinks Anakin had a vision but that look in his eyes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Anakin that angry. I just hope we arrive quick enough before he does anything he regrets.”

X

After a while, Dooku came out of the cockpit again and told them where they were heading next. His Master cut himself short where usually he could speak quite extensively. It was impossible to ignore how on edge he was. It was no surprise, Qui-Gon could feel himself get nervous as well. The three Jedi had been exploring a Sith Temple. If Anakin had come into contact with anything there, it could have warped his mind, tricked him. There was a reason most Shadows didn’t retire out of their own free will.

“He didn’t disable the tracker of the ship in his hurry,” Dooku said. “I have traced him and set course for one of the lesser-known spaceports on the planet.”

Anakin had a strange preference for smaller ports if he was in a hurry. It didn’t fit with his usual approach towards anything – namely always spring the trap – but to those that knew it, it made him at least somewhat predictable.

“He was here,” Dooku muttered once they were within reach of the port.

They were in the middle of nowhere on some backend Outer Rim planet where the Republic was more myth than reality. Anakin took a lot of missions on the Outer Rim, being invested in the area. It was probably because he was from somewhere around this area. Anakin’s Basic was accented. Not as much as it used to be, as Qui-Gon remembered it from his early childhood, but it was still there.

They landed their ship in the ugliest hanger Qui-Gon had ever seen, it being accompanied by an eerie silence. He got the feeling that he was missing something. There should be staff checking them, asking why they were heading here. Instead, they could just land their ship.

“Careful,” Jocasta muttered.

She too was scanning their surrounding for something unusual. Her hand on his shoulder was calming and Qui-Gon wished he could claim he wasn’t glad for it. He was a Knight, not a child anymore, but the Force felt off, like it was grieving and celebrating at the same time and Qui-Gon didn’t know what to make of it.

Once their ship had landed, they prepared themselves for everything, or so they thought.

When the ramp opened up, they were greeted by an almost empty hander shrouded in darkness. Once it lit up however-

Bodies.

All kinds of species, adults, dead on the ground and obviously cut down by a lightsaber. Qui-Gon thought he was going to be sick.

“Do you think Anakin-“ Qui-Gon began to speak, but didn’t dare continue.

“Come,” Dooku ordered and simply passed the bodies with a determination Qui-Gon wasn’t sure he should admire. As they crossed the empty hanger, Qui-Gon took in more of their surroundings. Besides the dead, he also saw medical equipment, cages and collars-

“Slave traders,” Qui-Gon muttered.

It didn’t make the carnage any better, but it still eased his mind a bit. Anakin hadn’t just gone on a mindless murder spree, turned mad from the Sith Temple. These people weren’t innocents, but they still hadn’t deserved such an ending.

At the very end of the empty hanger stood the ship Anakin had run away in. Dooku typed in the passcode to the ship and pretty much jumped inside as soon as the ship’s ramp allowed it. Qui-Gon hoped that Anakin was alright. He had always had a strong reaction to slavers – but again who could claim they didn’t? – but what they had found here at the docks had been a massacre. Anakin had shown no mercy as he’d slaughtered his way through the traders and that didn’t bode well.

Qui-Gon and Jocasta quickly followed Dooku, their lightsabers not ignited, but ready to jump into battle any second. This was decidedly not where Qui-Gon had imagined they’d end up.

They stepped past the common area which had been used only recently, a pot of cooked food still sitting on the counter, warm still. Jocasta signaled at Qui-Gon to be quiet as they continued on towards the cockpit of the ship.

Dooku, apparently not entirely lost to worry and all the other flickers of emotions Qui-Gon wasn’t privy to, glanced back at the two of them, then signaled that he was going to open the door.

Three. Two. One-

The moment Dooku opened the door, a strong Force push hit them that would have knocked them over had they not been prepared for it.

Qui-Gon caught a glance of golden hair and a gloved arm – it was Anakin alright. He was huddled in the far right corner of the room, wrapped in more blankets than Qui-Gon could count. He was staring at the three of them with wide-eyes, recognition only settling in just that moment.

“Shit,” Anakin cursed into the silence. “You are here.”

Before Qui-Gon or Jocasta could say a thing, Dooku had to say something. Typically for his Master, Dooku immediately began to retort with the sharpness of a blade.

“Yes, we are here after you ditched us in a Force-forsaken Sith temple! Do you have any idea-“

“Don’t shout at me,” Anakin retorted, interrupting Dooku. “You’ll wake her.”

“Wake who?” Qui-Gon asked and sidestepped Jocasta so he could get a better look at Anakin and the bundle of blankets that turned out to be less blanket and more person.

“That’s a child,” Qui-Gon blurted out before he could stop himself.

He felt like a Padawan again at this moment, caught in-between three Masters with no idea what was actually going on.

“Yeah,” Anakin replied and gently ran his fingers through the girl’s brown hair.

She had to be young and was fairly small as well. However, her face was very thin, she looked starved.

“Is that who you left for?” Jocasta asked.

“Yes. I saw what they were doing to her and- I can’t believe I forgot it. I thought that if I just focused on the Jedi, I could fix everything but they- They hurt her. They hurt her and I was nearly too late again.”

“Who is she?” Dooku spoke up again.

Qui-Gon glanced at his Master. He didn’t look so angry anymore, more concerned, and wary.

“What, you haven’t guessed yet?” Anakin sighed. He was so tired, the exhaustion was written all over his face. It reminded Qui-Gon of the times Anakin had knocked at their quarters in the middle of the night, haunted by nightmares he couldn’t speak about. Sometimes Qui-Gon had woken as well and the three of them had just sat on the sofa, a cup of tea in their hands, talking about nothing in particular. Other times Qui-Gon had only noticed that Anakin had come over to their place because the breakfast table was laid in the morning and Anakin already sitting at it, usually wearing one of his Master’s robes.

Qui-Gon didn’t know if Anakin had ever talked to a mind healer about his nightmares. It hadn’t been his place then, a child under Anakin’s care, but somebody should make sure that after all of this, Anakin talked to somebody.

“Her name is Shmi,” Anakin said and once more traced her cheek’s with his flesh hand. “Shmi Skywalker. She would have been my mother someday.”

Qui-Gon froze, thinking he had misheard, but all around them, the Force rang with truth, which he supposed only made things worse. He turned to look at his Master but Dooku didn’t look surprised at all, if anything, he was resigned-

He knew.

[xmxisxforxmaybe]

Twin-Swap: “Rami Malek, part I”

A/N: For the sake of a better story, Sami is more introverted than Rami. I don’t really believe that he is (in fact, I’d like to wager it is the other way around) . . . but Sami, the slight introvert, feels right for this tale 💛

* * * * *

Sami frowned as he dug through Rami’s toiletries bag. He looked at the razor and rolled his eyes, thinking that if he had to spend time in his brother’s body, he was buying an electric shaver.

Sami’s frown turned into a smirk as he realized he could just have someone buy it for him.

Filling the sink with warm water, he was just about to slather Rami’s face with shaving cream when there was a knock on his door. Adjusting the towel around his waist, he peered out of the peephole and saw a blur of dark brown hair.

 Sami unlocked and opened the door and the woman in the hallway nearly ran into him as she went to step inside.

 She looked at him with a huff of irritation and Sami stepped back, allowing her to swiftly enter his room.

 “Here’s your plane ticket—do not lose this. Do you need any help with your luggage?”

 “Uh . . . no.”

 She made a note in her phone.

 “I emailed you the itinerary for when we land. Remember, we go straight from the airport to the conference hall. Make sure you read over the list of questions—not much changed. Same old, same old.”

 When Sami didn’t speak, the woman looked up from her phone and for the first time, really appeared to look at him. Her gaze made him nervous even though he knew this woman he didn’t know from Eve had no idea that Rami wasn’t Rami.

 “Thanks.”

 “Not particularly talkative today, huh? I guess I should just be happy you’re actually showered already so there’s a chance you’ll be on time,” she finished with a quick grin, and Sami returned it, hoping she’d leave just as quickly as she’d entered.

 “The car leaves for the airport in an hour, okay?”

 “I won’t be late,” Sami said, meaning it. Rami’s inability to be on time for anything was a fault he did not share. Rami had been that way since childhood, and it had always drove him and Jasmine crazy.

 The woman looked down as her phone chirped and she let herself out without a glance back.

 Sami retrieved Rami’s cellphone and punched in the passcode, looking at his twin’s email app with horror. Rami had over 1,000 unread messages and Sami swallowed thickly, thinking that if he ever let his email go for that long, it would only be because he was dead.

 Luckily, the email Sami was looking for was right at the top considering—no, surely not. Sami blinked and checked again.

 Yup.

 Melissa.

 Sami laughed soundlessly and shook his head at the weird coincidence that Rami was currently relying on his Melissa while Sami was currently relying on Rami’s Melissa.

 At some point, one of these coincidences had to be more, had to offer an explanation for this body-swap.

 Sami tossed Rami’s phone on the bed as he got up and went back into the bathroom, the water in the sink too cool now so he refilled it.

 Freshly shaven with only two knicks, one just under his chin and one near his ear, Sami went to the closet and discovered that Rami’s clothes were already planned. He pulled out the garment bag marked “Dallas” and got dressed, then finished packing.

 With 20 minutes to spare, Sami sat down on the bed and sent a text to Rami.

 Sami: Did you survive first period?

 He waited, but no bubbled appeared, which Sami took as a good sign. If Rami was doing what he was supposed to be doing as Mr. Malek, he wouldn’t have time to text back until his planning period at 11:05.

 Sami did one more lap around his brother’s hotel room to make sure he gathered up all of Rami’s things. Glancing again at his twin’s cellphone, he saw he had a text.

 Joe: Miss said you were *gasp* on time! Come hang with us in Gwil’s room?

 Sami typed okay, but before he sent the text, he realized he had no idea what room Gwil was in.

 Sami: Room #? Forgot.

 Joe: 407

 Sami stuffed Rami’s phone in the back pocket of his trousers and gathered up all of his luggage, making his way to a man’s room that he had only met once. Sami knew his brother inside and out, but Rami Malek, the actor? He knew that side of his twin about as well as Rami knew Sami, the English teacher.

 As Sami pulled his brother’s bag along behind him, he grew more concerned about spending time with Joe. What Sami didn’t know about Rami’s life, Joe sure as hell did. They had a long friendship and having worked together on this film, there were a million new inside jokes, references, and day-to-day doings that Sami knew nothing about.

 Headache—stick to the headache thing. Sometimes Rami is as talkative as a can of paint, Sami reminded himself.

 After knocking on Room 407, Sami was met with the soothing purr of Gwilym Lee’s voice as he greeted, “Hey, mate.”

 “Morning,” Sami answered, parking his luggage and quickly shuffling his brother’s small frame to a chair that was facing the mussed king-sized bed.

 “Last night was wild, huh?” Joe directed at Sami from where he was sprawled, face-up on one half of Gwil’s bed.

 Sami pursed Rami’s lips and almost brought a fingernail to his teeth before remembering Rami didn’t do that.

 “Uh, it was something. Yeah.”

 Joe popped up onto his elbows and fixed Sami with a look that made him feel like Joe was looking right through him.

 He shuffled in the chair, dropping his eyes until Joe chuckled and said, “Just got a text from that cutie in the pink dress.”

 Gwil answered, and Sami took the opportunity to raise his eyes, but Joe was already lying flat again, his phone hovering over his face as he debated how to reply.

 “What’s the point of gettin’ someone’s number in a city you might not visit again for . . .” Gwill trailed off, his hand waving in a gesture that indicated an unknown amount of time.

 “Uh, how about pride? Considering how you all made my life a living dry-spell when I had a permmm!” Joe finished, his lips pressed together to emphasize the disastrous hairstyle.

 Sami laughed quietly, thinking of one of the pictures Rami had sent him.

 “Uh huh. Yuck it up over there, Mr. Early Evening.”

 Sami suddenly realized he had a chance to piece more of Rami’s night together.

 “I did go to bed pretty early. Can’t even remember how early—do either of you?”

 Gwil shook his head, but Joe piped up, “9:17—you texted me when you got to your room.”

 Sami made a noise of consent and quickly pulled up the Notes app on Rami’s phone. He wrote down the time and that he texted Joe, reminding himself to go through the phone for more clues once they were on the plane. Sami was excellent at tuning out background noise, so he knew he’d be able to get some sleuthing done, even if Joe and Gwil and whoever else was with them on their flight was chatty.

 “Well, shall we go to the lobby? Really knock Melissa’s socks off since Ram is . . . the “e” word?”

 “Shut up,” Sami said with a roll of his eye, his tone harsher than he intended because Joe and Gwil both looked at him funnily.

 “Got a headache—sorry. I meant it playfully. I swear.”

 Gwil gave him a soft smile, and Joe bounced up off the bed and onto his feet.

 “Mmhmm, grumpy-grump. Nothing we aren’t used to when your ass has to be out of bed before noon,” Joe said with a light tousle of Rami’s hair.

 Sami was not as affectionate as his brother and almost reared back from the touch before he steadied himself, instead giving Joe a light punch to the hipbone.

 “Fuck off,” Sami said, sure to grin through it this time.

 “There’s the delightful Rami we all know and love.”

 Rolling his brother’s eyes, but keeping the smile planted on his face, Sami stood. He was the last one out of the hotel room, and he took a deep breath, wondering if he could do this, if he could live the much more extroverted life of his brother without fucking it all up.

 As he trailed after Joe and Gwil, a group of hotel guests gasping as they recognized the three men, Sami realized he had no choice.

 From now until he could tuck himself away in the safety of his Dallas hotel room, he was Rami Malek, the star of Bohemian Rhapsody.

[lefaystrent]

that one kid!logan ask featuring the teenage sides in their adult bodies. like that anon radiates big brain energy. i'm just imagining Logan tracking one of them down, and their shock that oh he really was as old as he said he was, he wasn't joking. And they break down crying, because nothing makes sense anymore but at least Logan is still Logan, he's still his no nonsense logical self no matter what he looks or sounds like.

Back to the Future

 Fandom: Thomas Sanders,Sanders Sides

 Pairings: platonic LAMP

 Word Count: 3444

Chapter Navigation: part 2

 Masterlist Link

________________________________________________________________

Patton wakes up in a very strangeplace indeed.

Someone shakes him awake. He becomesimmediately aware that he’s sleeping at a desk.

“You’ve got to actually go homesometimes, Patton,” someone chides him lightheartedly.

“Wha-?” Patton breaks off in a yawnand stretches.

His back pops, and the sound seemsto snap him awake. He’s in an unfamiliar office. There are stacks of paperworkand folders and letters, everything kept in an organized disarray. A womanstands next to him, smiling yet slightly worried.

“Got your morning cup of joe,” shesays, sitting a Starbucks cup in front of him.

“Who’s Joe?” Patton says dumbly,still trying to process whether or not this is a dream.

The woman laughs and doesn’t givehim an actual answer. She lets herself out of the office. Patton blinks in thewake of her absence.

That’s when he realizes that beyondthe open doorway, there are more desks with more people. All of them adults andbusy working.

Patton takes his glasses off to rubat his eyes. He’s about to put them back on when he notices something thattwists his stomach.

These aren’t his glasses.

They’re a sleek black, rectangular.Unlike his usual round pair.

He puts them back on slowly.

They’re his prescription.

Confused, Patton looks down athimself.

Why is he wearing a watch? He neverwears a watch. Has he ever owned a watch?

And his clothes. He has poloshirts, but this isn’t one of his. And the pants and shoes. Wait, why is therea cardigan tied around his shoulders?

Patton hurriedly glances around theroom. The desk faces the door. Behind him is a window.

He catches sight of his reflectionin the glass. He looks like a dad. He looks like his dad.

“Holy moly,” Patton whispers,because past his reflection he can see the hustle and bustle of the big city.

They’re like a bajillion floors up.

Unnerved, Patton jumps to his feet.No amount of looking out the window can change what he sees. He attempts tomake sense of the desk he’d been sitting at. He eyes the coffee.

“I don’t like coffee,” he says tohimself, as if that’s the biggest thing wrong with this picture.

“Patton,” someone knocks on thedoor and he jerks his head up. “Meeting. Fifteen minutes.”

Patton stares at the man for longerthan what’s polite. He’s never met this man, but he could easily picture him asone of his dad’s fishing buddies. And yet, he knows Patton’s name.

“Meeting?” he echoes.

The man sighs. “You forgot again,didn’t you? Well, this is why I’m reminding you.” He goes to duck out butremembers something. “Oh, and uh, might wanna spruce up a little bit. Gottastop pulling the all-nighters. That’s my job, ha!”

“Right,” Patton smiles, rushing tofix his mess of hair. He waits for the man to leave before letting his smiledrop.

Just what has he gotten himselfinto?

*

Patton can’t do this.

Before he can try to slip out ofthe offices, the nice lady from before catches up to him. She redirects him tothe place of the meeting the man mentioned before.

“Honestly sir,” she shakes her headin exasperation, as if she’s done this a million times and Patton is just aforgetful puppy.

“Right, just got turned around!” heclaims. She doesn’t even look at him weirdly, just leaves him there by aconference type of room. And then the people inside are already trying to talkto him and he can’t just ignore them, so he goes inside and sits andsmiles and nods and panics on the inside.

The man who told him about themeeting is there. He’s apparently in charge and dives right into things,talking about circulation and how it’s down and they need to get it up, and whatdoes medical stuff have to do with anything?

But that isn’t the case at all. Ifnothing else, Patton is an excellent listener. In this room are journalists andwriters and editors, and this is a newspaper? These people work at a newspaper?They think Patton works at a newspaper?

With sweaty palms, Pattondesperately reaches into his pocket hoping to find his phone. He finds aphone at least. It’s … got to be his if it was in his pocket, right? Justlike with the strange glasses and different clothes. He also finds a wallet hedoesn’t recognize and opens it.

There’s his driver’s license. Thepicture is him, but … weird? Something’s really off about it. And the dates… the issue date is … in the future? And the address? That’s not hisaddress! That’s not even the right city!

“Patton?” someone says and suddenlythe room is staring at him all at once.

Patton tries to speak. He tries to keepingsmiling. He really, really tries.

“I can’t do this,” he gasps out. Hestands abruptly, almost knocking over his chair. Someone or multiple someone’scall after him, but he races out. He doesn’t know where he’s going. He justspeed walks down the halls, avoids eye contact with those he passes, and leapsinto the first elevator he spots.

He smashes the button for theground floor. He’s alone inside and there’s no pretty elevator music, andPatton’s breaths echo off the wall far too loudly.

“What’s going on?” Patton whimpersto no one, doing his best to hold it together. He’s not going to cry. He’s not.He just needs to—to try to call someone. Get back to familiar territory.

He pulls out the cellphone again,hoping that his gut feeling is right. The lock screen lights up, and withoutthinking he uses his regular passcode.

It works.

Patton doesn’t think past hisrelief. He struggles to find a contact’s list.

“C’mon, c’mon,” he whispers.

The doors ding open. There’s a lobbyarea with a couple of secretaries running a front desk. Patton can feel theireyes on him like pins pricking his skin. He smiles, trying not to cringe, andforces himself to leave the elevator and walk out the front doors. Rather thanstray too far, he wanders to the nearby parking lot.

Patton finds his parents’ numberson the list. Neither one of them pick up. He tries to call his older brother.No answer either. He even sees his little brother’s name, but since when didDee have a phone? He was only ten and their parents said he wasn’t allowed toget a cellphone until high school.

He tried anyway. No surprise, hedidn’t pick up.

“Just—somebody please,”Patton begs under his breath.

There are so many names in thecontact’s list, way more than what his usual phone has, and so many names thathe doesn’t know. He scrolls way down to the bottom, trying to find Virgil’sname. Virgil’s name isn’t there. Frustrated, Patton scrolls back to the top,searching for Logan’s name, but he double checks and that isn’t there either!

“I don’t like this, I don’t likethis,” Patton chants. He takes in a huge shaky breath, closing his eyes andcovering his mouth for a minute.

Why weren’t their names there? Whywouldn’t his parents pick up? Why did he wake up in a newspaper office?

“Roman,” Patton says, swallowingdown the lump in his throat. He brings the phone up to search again. “I haven’tchecked his name. There’s still Roman.”

Patton chokes out a relieved laughwhen he finds Roman’s name there. He quickly mashes the call button.

It rings forever and ever. His callis forwarded to voice mail.

“Can’t come to the phone right now,but if you’ll leave a message, my handsome self will get back to you,” the familiarvoice says. The phone beeps, signaling the message is being recorded.

“Ro?” Patton asks, one last sparkof hope that he’ll pick up. That he won’t be so painfully alone.

But no one’s coming to rescue himand get him out of this mess.

“Ro, kiddo … please, pleasecall me, okay? I—I think something’s happened, and it’d sure be great to hearfrom you. Alright kiddo. Love you. Bye-bye.”

He’s on his own.

*

Patton manages to calm down enoughto find his car. He has keys in his pocket, so there’s gotta be a car nearby,right?

He’s right and there it is, asunfamiliar as everything else. The headlights flare, the doors unlock, andPatton stares at the powder blue paint job.

“It’s not stealing if I have thekeys,” Patton firmly tells himself.

He opens the car door and slidesinside. There’s a half drank water bottle in the cupholder. Envelopes addressedto him sit in a small pile in the passenger’s seat. A colorful necklace hangsfrom the rearview mirror, a rainbow charm hanging off of it.

Patton glances at his driver’slicense again, but the information remains unchanged.

“Guess there’s only one way to findout,” he mutters to himself as he pulls up gps on his phone. He types theaddress in and starts the car.

It’s the most stressful drive ofhis life, and yet it passes in a blur. There’s so much traffic, more than he’sever had to drive in before, and someone honks their horn on him when heaccidentally cuts them off.

“Sorry, sorry!” Patton says overand over again. He listens with absolute focus to the directions his phonetells him.

After a frantic twenty minutes andthree wrong turns, Patton makes it to a residential district. It’s a peacefulsuburban neighborhood, not entirely unlike the one he grew up in.

Patton drives slowly and reads themailboxes off as he goes. He finds ‘his’ house.

It’s … nice.

He pulls into the driveway. Theengine quiets as he turns the key.

He could see himself living there.That’s the scariest part.

Patton exits the car. He stares upat the house, the too big, too nice house that can’t be his.

This can’t be real.

“Patton!”

He startles and looks towards theneighbor’s house. There’s a woman, maybe around thirty? She’s taking out thetrash.

“Did you finally get a day off?”she laughs in greeting.

Patton rubs the back of his neckand tries to laugh too. “Oh, you know me.”

Yes he’s aware of how ironic hisstatement is.

He glances quickly at the woman,her yard, anything that might strike a memory. He draws a blank as he stares ata little kid’s bicycle parked by the porch steps.

“Uh, how are the kids?” Patton says.

They talk for far too long. Pattondraws on everything that he’s learned from Roman about acting.

In the back of his head he’sscreaming.

*

Patton sits on his living roomcouch.

It’s got to be his couch. This hasto be his house. All the mismatched furniture has to be his too.

Patton can see himself buying the house,having his friends over to help move in. He can hear Roman and Virgil arguingover Patton’s poor choice in décor, how they would squabble over how todecorate. Logan would be there too, giving his own input and worrying more overfunctionality than aesthetics.

Gosh Patton could really use a friendright now.

Earlier, as he’d snooped around, he’dfound pictures. Lots of pictures. Many of them with him in it. Lots of oneswith his family, with Roman.

There were hardly any with Virgil,and those were pretty much the ones he’d already seen before, the ones he knewhe had. Ones taken from high school with him and Ro.

There’s none at all with Logan.

Patton doesn’t know whether or notthat’s more concerning than the other thing he noticed about the pictures.

Everyone looks kinda … different.

Kinda older. Too old.

He saw a picture of his olderbrother and nearly didn’t recognize him. He saw one where Dee looked all grownup!

Patton stares down at his hands.They’re a little bigger than he remembers. A little rougher.

It’s like he’s woken up in adifferent world.

Maybe if he went to sleep, he’dwake up in the right place again?

Patton falls to the side, sinkinginto the cushions.

He closes his eyes and tries not tothink.

*

Patton wakes up to the sound ofbanging. He wipes at his face, sitting up with a groan.

It’s still daylight, but the sunhas shifted. It’s more afternoon now. The banging is coming from the frontdoor.

Patton’s still in his house that hedoesn’t remember buying.

Hopeless despair grips his hearttight, and he’s too tired to do anything other than accept it.

He rises to his feet. There’s nothingelse he can do. He might as well see who’s at the door.

He opens the front door to find asharply dressed man. He’s wearing a black polo with a blue-striped tie andslacks. His dark hair is a mess, like he’d rushed out the door withoutbothering to comb it down. He’s wearing glasses that look a lot like the ones Pattonwears now. The glasses do nothing to hide the wide brown eyes.

“Patton,” the man says, emphasizingthe name like it should mean something, like he was waiting for Patton toreact.

Patton cocks his head to the side.This is … this is …

“Salutations,” the man says and itall clicks into place.

“Logan?” Patton breathes out.

Logan sighs heavily, leaning intothe doorframe with slumped shoulders.

“It appears that we are in a complicatedsituation,” his friend says in a timbre far deeper than the little kid he onceknew.

Patton stops hesitating. He surgesforward and throws his arms around Logan.

“I was so scared,” Pattonsays, and he’s gone straight into crying. All of those built-up emotions areoverflowing now. “Logan, I—I woke up and there was—I wasn’t home, and therewere people, and they knew me but I didn’t know them. And I panicked andran away and—my driver’s license is weird! It said my address was here so I cameto check it out because nobody was picking up—I tried to call, nobody wouldpick up. Nobody would—”

“Patton, it is okay,” Logan reassureshim.

Patton can feel Logan’s armswrapped around him, a comforting hand resting on the back of his head to groundhim. It occurs to him that Logan must be an inch or two taller now.

“It’s okay,” he says again. “I’mhere now, and we will figure this out together.”

“Logan … what’s going on?” Pattonsniffs, his eyes burning and wet.

“… it appears that we are in thefuture.”

“Oh …” Patton says because that’sall he can say. “Oh … okay.”

He hugs Logan tighter.

*

“But how would this even happen?”Patton asks. He’s back to sitting in the living room. Logan’s pacing back andforth in front of him and it’s kind of distracting in a sense that Patton ismesmerized at seeing how much Logan has grown up. He’d always acted too maturefor his age, and now he looks it too!

Logan doesn’t break stride as heanswers, “You woke up like this, correct? There weren’t any inklings of the . .. ‘process’ that must have brought us here?”

“No—I mean, yes I woke up andsuddenly everything was different, but I don’t remember anything weird thathappened before that.”

“What do you remember beforethat?”

“I—” Patton goes to answer but he findshe can’t say for sure. “I … might have went to bed?”

“Might?”

“I don’t really remember.”

“You don’t remember what happenedyesterday.”

“Not really. I’m—I’m not sure whatI remember last actually. Logan, what does that mean? Did I hit my head?”

“If that’s the case, then I musthave hit mine as well.” Logan stops pacing and shakes his head to dismiss theidea. “No, I hypothesize that this is merely a side-affect to time travel.”

“Time travel … We really timetraveled.” Patton might still be struggling to process this.

“It would seem so,” Logan answers. “Idon’t have enough evidence to deduce our situation accurately, but from what I’vegathered I am not entirely sure that time traveling in one’s own body ispossible. Instead, our consciousness is what has traveled and arrived in ourself of the time we’ve landed in.”

“What?”

“What I’m saying is that it mightbe impossible to travel to the future and meet your future self. There is onlyone you at any given time, so instead your consciousness travels to the you ofthat time, possessing them as it were. That’s why we appear older in a future settingwithout any memory of the years in between.”

“That’s … a lot to take in.”

“Indeed.”

Patton’s back to staring at his hands.He feels the couch dip beside him, Logan sitting down.

“… you’re acting reallylevel-headed about this,” Patton observes.

“I suppose I am adept at compartmentalizing.”

“… Logan? Are you really fromthe future?”

And there it is. One of the theoriesthat he and Virgil and Roman had jokingly thought about Logan. Their strange littlegenius friend, too mature unlike any kid should be.

Somehow it all makes sense now.

“I think you already know theanswer, Patton,” Logan says, not hiding behind anything.

Patton looks at him. Really looksat him. The face might have changed a lot, but those guileless blue eyes arethe same as always.

“Is this what happened to you?”Patton asks. And oh, he can imagine it. Logan waking up as a little kid, scaredand confused and trying to make the most of it.

“Yes. I woke up much like this. Inever could remember exactly what happened to me previously. Time travel seemsto affect memory.”

“But why us? What did we do?”

“That I have no answer for. But asit started with me, I can only apologize if my presence in your life caused youto get caught up in this.”

“No, no kid—I mean, Logan. This isn’tyour fault. How can it be when you don’t even remember?”

“The fact that I can’t rememberdoes not absolve me. I could possibly have instigated this and simply bear nomemory of the fact.”

“But I know you wouldn’t doanything to hurt or scare me or anyone else.”

“There are too many variables,”Logan responds, a non-answer.

Patton reaches over to place a handon his forearm. He squeezed. “Logan, I trust you. We’ll figure this puzzle out,together.”

“Together …” Logan repeats in amumble. “If you’re here like this, it’s possible that we are not the only ones.”

Patton gasps, patting urgently atLogan’s arm. “I tried to call my family but they wouldn’t pick up. And then Icalled Roman, but he wasn’t there—but Logan! I don’t have Virgil’s number forsome reason. Or yours!”

“You don’t?”

“No! And come look at this!”

Patton drags him from the couch.They go look at the pictures on the wall.

Patton doesn’t need to tell Loganwhat’s wrong with them.

“Virgil doesn’t appear much at all,if in any, after high school. I myself am entirely absent from these.”

“And that doesn’t sound like me atall.” Patton frowns. “I love taking pictures with people. I should have a bunchof all of my best friends.”

“Unless we’re not your friends.”

Patton stares at him, notcomprehending. For once Logan understands the shift of his mood. He lays a handon Patton’s shoulder.

“Much can happen over the years.People lose touch all the time, especially after the high school years.”

Patton shakes his head slowly indisbelief. “But—but I wouldn’t! Not with Virgil or you!”

“Yes, maybe with Virgil. If he’snot here in your pictures and you don’t have his number, then it is extremelylikely that you do not communicate seldomly if at all. As for me, I thinksomething different has occurred.”

Tears gather in Patton’s eyes. Hegrabs onto Logan’s wrist. “What do you mean? That we’re not friends in thefuture?”

“Not just that we aren’t friends,”Logan answers. “In this timeline, I don’t think we met at all.”

________________________________________________________________

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[lets-talk-appella]

i’m nobody’s but yours

Chapter 18/25 - Beca

Summary: Beca is straight as an arrow. 100%, totally, completely straight. Except for one problem that 100%, totally, completely changes everything: Chloe Beale.

Title borrowed from Calum Scott’s “If Our Love Is Wrong.”

Word Count: 11k

Rating: M (for dark themes, homophobia, masturbation, and eventual smut in later chapters)

Chapter is NSFW.

AO3, FFN, and below.

The second Beca steps into the hotel room Chloe had booked them, she can tell Chloe spared no expense. The room is massive, with plenty of cupboards for storage (not that they have any luggage), an enormous TV, a pristine bathroom, a huge window providing a stunning view of the city, and one massive king-sized bed in the middle of it all.

She tries not to focus too heavily on there being only one bed.

She fails.

“I’ll make my dad pay you back,” Beca says over her shoulder as Chloe enters the room behind her. She doesn’t even want to think about how much the room probably cost, though she imagines Chloe chose it because they deserve some kind of luxury after the hell they’d just been through.

“It’s really not a problem,” Chloe shrugs, closing the door and flipping the lock.

“It’s the least he can do, since he didn’t do anything else.”

“Beca…”

Beca kicks off her shoes angrily and throws herself down on the bed, landing on top of the thick white comforter and bouncing a little on the mattress. “I’m so, so sorry that happened, Chlo,” she groans, pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes to keep from crying again. “It was – and Sheila saying – god, I don’t even want to say it.”

This whore has corrupted your daughter.

Lies. Just stupid, hateful lies that should not have seen the light of day and most certainly should never have been directed at the effervescent Chloe Beale.

From across the room, Chloe sighs, sounding more tired than Beca has ever heard her. “No, it was my fault. I thought we could go and it would be okay, and then after the kitchen… we should have left then.”

“Did she say that shit to you then, too?” Beca asks, propping herself up on her elbows. Anger simmers low in her gut; she thought she’d heard the worst of the interaction between Sheila and Chloe in the kitchen.

Chloe shrugs uncomfortably, not quite meeting Beca’s eyes. “Some stuff, but not…”

“Not calling you a –”

“Don’t!”

Beca flinches at the sudden venom in Chloe’s voice. “I didn’t – I’m –”

“No, I didn’t mean –” Chloe cuts herself off with a groan of frustration and hides her face in her hands. Beca watches her shoulders move as she takes a deep breath. After a moment, Chloe looks back up at her. “Sorry,” she huffs. “I didn’t mean to yell at you. It’s just – talking about it is just gonna make us angry again.”

Beca lets out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Yeah, you’re right. Come here.”

Shoulders relaxing, Chloe reaches down and slides off her shoes. She climbs onto the massive bed next to Beca, sidling close to nuzzle her face into Beca’s neck. She exhales, the puff of air tickling Beca’s skin. An arm weaves over Beca’s waist to secure them against each other, and Beca winds her right arm around Chloe to hold her closer.

Beca should be able to relax. She should be comfortable, Chloe’s steadying presence keeping her grounded. Getting away from the house had helped a lot, but still, her mind churns so loudly she’s surprised Chloe can’t hear it. Her thoughts batter against the walls of her skull, increasing in volume and urgency until she feels her head will explode with the pressure if she doesn’t release some of it.

“Can I just – my dad? What the fuck was that?” she blurts, her anger boiling over.

Chloe sighs, lifting her head to look at Beca properly. Her hesitant expression almost makes Beca regret bringing it all up again when they’d pretty much agreed not to, but then Chloe grimaces.

“He was trying, Bec.”

“That was trying?” Beca asks, incredulous.

“Yes, Beca,” Chloe insists, nodding to emphasize her point. “He invited us there. He asked about our plans. He tried to stop her a few times.”

“He didn’t do enough to help.”

“He’s in a bad spot, Bec.”

“I’m his daughter!”

“And she’s his wife.”

Beca stops short, struggling to argue against that. Chloe’s right, but still. If her mom had still been around, she’d have stood up for them. Hell, if her mom was still alive, Beca wouldn’t have even bothered with Warren and Sheila.

Her mom would have loved Chloe. Beca’s sure of it.

“Yeah, well – he should have tried harder!” she says, looking at the opposite wall stubbornly.

“I know, Beca, I’m not saying what he did was right, but… don’t cut him out of your life, okay?” The careful, almost pleading note in Chloe’s voice draws Beca’s eyes back to hers. “Sheila, sure, she’s – horrible – but your dad… I know it might not always seem like it, but he really does care about you. And, well,” she shrugs, “he’s from a generation that doesn’t really understand us, or this. It’s not an excuse, but…”

To Beca’s horror, an unexpected lump forms in her throat and her eyes prickle. It’s not fair that after almost four years of trying to repair her relationship with her dad, this should come between them. She’s tired of fighting. She’d never admit it out loud, but at the end of the day, she does still want a dad.

“I hear what you’re saying,” she mutters reluctantly, flopping her head back down against the mattress. “I’ll think about it.”

“Okay,” Chloe breathes, settling back down against Beca, her hand smoothing over Beca’s stomach.

Beca squeezes her eyes closed, forcing herself to calm down and regain control of her emotions; she doesn’t want to cry any more tonight. Chloe shifts against her, pressing somehow even closer. Beca frowns at the ceiling, remembering every hateful word Sheila had thrown into Chloe’s face.

“Are you okay with… everything?” Beca asks, wrapping her arm more tightly around Chloe’s back.

“Yeah,” Chloe answers a little too quickly, and seems to realize it. “I mean… yeah.”

“Chloe?” Beca sits up a little to look at her properly. Chloe never lies.

Chloe shuts her eyes, her eyebrows drawing together. “Listen, can we just… I’m sorry, can we please talk about this later? We will talk, but not now, okay?”

“Uh, okay. For sure.”

Beca relaxes into the bed, thrown by Chloe’s uncharacteristic refusal to talk, but not wanting to push Chloe into it. She runs her tongue over the front of her teeth, feeling awkward, but not sure what to say to make things better.

Before the silence stretches on for too long, though, Chloe snorts.

“What?” Beca asks, already smiling reflexively.

“Yeah, the food wasn’t great, you were right.”

Beca lets out a bark of laughter. “I can’t believe you kept complimenting her on it!”

“Well, I was trying!” Chloe pokes her in the side playfully.

“Laying it on a little thick, don’t you think?”

“Oh, whatever!”

Chloe dissolves into a bout of laughter that, due to their positioning, shakes Beca along with her. It makes Beca laugh too, and she wraps both arms around Chloe to pull her impossibly closer. Chloe smiles up at her, her eyes dropping, and it’s the most natural thing in the world for Beca to tilt her head until Chloe can press a soft kiss to her lips.

After the kiss, Chloe pulls back with a hum of satisfaction, her eyes smiling into Beca’s. From somewhere among their pile of limbs, a phone buzzes. Chloe sighs, pecks Beca’s lips again, and reaches to pull her phone from a pocket. As soon as she sees the screen, her eyes go wide.

“Oh! Oops, I forgot.”

“Forgot what?”

“Um, can I borrow your phone?”

“Uh, sure,” Beca agrees automatically, reaching into her own pocket to extract her phone and hand it to Chloe. “Yours dying?”

“Um. Nooooo,” Chloe draws out slowly, doing an excellent impression of Amy.

“Then why…?”

Chloe winces, looking sheepish, and Beca gets a funny feeling. Her mind flashes to her dad standing behind Chloe, whispering something to her frantically just before they left the house.

“Did my dad ask you to call?” she asks, trying to avoid sounding too suspicious.

Chloe wrinkles her nose guiltily. Beca refrains from rolling her eyes, but by the way Chloe’s arm over her waist tightens, she realizes she must not have hidden all of her annoyance.

“He just wants to know we’re safe,” Chloe says softly.

Beca sighs, but she’s not annoyed with Chloe.

“You can borrow it, yeah,” she says, gesturing at her phone in Chloe’s hand. “Tell him to pay you back for the hotel.”

Chloe smiles, but doesn’t say anything. Beca glowers; Chloe isn’t going to ask Warren to pay her back, and they both know it.

“Might as well add his number to your phone while you’re at it,” Beca grunts, trying unsuccessfully to ignore the way Chloe smiles at that. “And my passcode is 552012.”

Chloe frowns, her face screwed up in thought. “Is that…”

Beca pinches the bridge of her nose and closes her eyes so she doesn’t have to see the look Chloe’s almost definitely going to give her. “It’s the Nationals win my freshman year,” she mumbles. “Don’t make it weird.”

Chloe doesn’t say anything, but Beca can feel her eyes on her, no doubt full of utter delight. She waits, but still she knows it won’t stop until she looks, so, she takes a breath and cracks open one eye to see Chloe positively beaming at her.

“You’re such a softie,” Chloe coos, and Beca groans dramatically.

“I said don’t make it weird! You’re making it weird!”

Chloe reigns in her smile slightly and leans over to kiss between Beca’s eyebrows.

“I love you, you know,” she says in a matter-of-fact voice as she pulls away.

Even though Beca’s heard Chloe say the words before, they still make something clench behind her ribcage.

“I do know,” she says happily. “Now go do your thing with the phone, I’ll chill here.”

“Awes,” Chloe grins, unwrapping herself from Beca and rising from the bed. She grabs her room key card and gets all the way to the door before Beca calls her name.

“Yeah?” she asks, turning with one hand resting on the door handle.

“I love you, too,” Beca says.

The smile that breaks over Chloe’s face is like the sun over the morning horizon, warming Beca from head to toe. Mirroring Chloe’s smile, Beca gestures toward the door, half-shooing Chloe from the room. Without another word (but a widening smile), Chloe steps out, letting the door click shut behind her.

Once she’s gone, Beca hauls herself up from the bed and moves to the large window. She looks out over the city, where lights flare to life gradually now that the sun has set. It should be a peaceful view, but she’s at war with herself. Here, in the lonely quiet of the room, Sheila’s words threaten to envelop her once again, spewing forth unfounded and hateful comments about the person Beca loves most. Resisting, Beca forces herself to think about Chloe: her soothing presence, her warm smiles, how well their lips and bodies fit together.

Beca yanks the curtains closed, making the room feel even more secluded, and moves back to the bed. She settles back against the pillows at the headboard, noticing absentmindedly that there’s a light switch embedded in the wood frame.

Chloe is everything Beca didn’t know she needed. Her kindness, her compassion, and her never-ending enthusiasm for life astound Beca and keep her from falling back into her closed-off and self-protective default. The idea that someone so breathtakingly beautiful, both inside and out, could possibly love her back is still mind-blowing, despite the amount of time she spends thinking about it and how often Chloe tells her she loves her.

Maybe Beca should be scared of how hard she’s fallen in just a short amount of time. The old Beca, freshman Beca, would be scared. She’d run, leave everything behind, and hide the best part of herself to meet others’ expectations.

And yet.

Now, Beca isn’t scared. She knows how she feels about Chloe, and, by some miracle, Chloe feels the same way about her. The world around them is changing and evolving, transforming into a more accepting one every single day. There are still people in it who would hate them for no other reason than that they found happiness with each other, but here, in the safety of their hotel room, those outside forces fade away. With Chloe by her side, Beca would face any of those people.

Loving Chloe is easy. Easier, maybe, than it should be. Easier than she ever thought it could be, given how wrong it had once seemed.

It’s not wrong. Beca knows that now. There is nothing wrong with her loving Chloe, and Chloe loving her.

Besides.

She’s been loving Chloe for years. She just hadn’t let herself realize it.

Chloe’s eyes, Chloe’s smile, Chloe’s laugh, Chloe’s lips, Chloe’s toned arms, the way Chloe’s legs look in slim jeans, the way Chloe’s breasts feel in her hands, the way Chloe’s body presses against hers, all soft curves and strong muscles, how they fit together perfectly, moving in rhythmic tandem.

Warmth creeps up Beca’s neck and she shifts her legs restlessly against the mattress. She’s turned on – she can feel it – and she’s about to spend the night with Chloe in this king-size bed. There’s no one there to interrupt them, so unless something unexpected happens like the hotel fire alarm going off or someone knocking on their door, they have the night to themselves.

The click of the door lock startles her, and she looks over to see Chloe pushing the door open, Beca’s phone in hand.

“Hey,” Chloe greets her. “Your dad says thanks for the call.”

“Right,” Beca nods, a little flustered. “Uh, did you ask him about –”

“He offered to pay for the hotel before I even mentioned it.”

“Good. He should.”

The mention of her father brings back Beca’s dark mood, creeping from the corners of her mind to return to center stage. Chloe seems to sense it, eyeing Beca carefully. She sets Beca’s phone down by the TV, then climbs onto the bed to join her against the pillows at the headboard.

Chloe reaches out, grabbing Beca’s right hand and pulling it into her lap, both hands surrounding it. Fingers trace over the back of Beca’s hand, relaxing her and grounding her to the present. Beca leans into the touch, trying to focus on that rather than on her dad and his wife.

“Did I ever tell you how I got the scar on my forehead?” Chloe asks after a moment.

Beca glances over at her, surprised. Her eyes flick up, finding the barely-there scar high between Chloe’s eyes.

“I forget about it, actually,” she says honestly. “And no, you haven’t.”

Chloe nods, settling back further into the pillows. “Yeah, so, I got it when I was… seven? Maybe eight? And it was this really, super, extra windy day at our house. And, um, we had a pretty large yard, so the wind would just whip across it, and I remember it was shaking the house, rattling the windows, everything.”

“That’s crazy, holy shit,” Beca says, drawn in by the animated way Chloe tells the story, her eyes wide and hands gesturing. She finds herself relaxing, settling further back against the pillows.

“Yeah,” Chloe says, “and, you know, even though it was the middle of the day, I was little, so I was kinda scared by it.”

“Right.”

“So, my dad comes in my room, all excited, and tells me to grab a bed sheet and come outside.”

“A bed sheet?” Beca asks. She can picture it; a tiny Chloe Beale with bright eyes and wild hair, maybe even some baby teeth still in her smile, walking around with a massive bed sheet trailing behind her on the floor.

“Yeah, just like a – you know, a regular bed sheet,” Chloe continues. “So I grab a bed sheet and meet my dad, and my brother, Chris, outside. And Chris has his own bedsheet, right? And it’s still just… insanely, scary windy outside. Like, leaves are flying off the trees, birds are falling through the air. It’s crazy,” Chloe emphasizes, waving her arms in front of her as if imagining the wind whipping by.

“Uh huh,” Beca says, trying to hide her smile. She’s sure Chloe’s exaggerating at least a little, but she’s not about to interrupt.

“Then, my dad said he was going to show us something. He took the sheets and tied the corners to our wrists and ankles.”

“Wait, what?”

“So, um, you tie the top two corners of the sheet around your wrists and the bottom two around your ankles so there’s – so you’re like a kite, right?”

“Oh yeah, okay,” Beca nods, now imagining the younger version of Chloe with a white, billowing sheet behind her, bouncing in place with excitement.

“And so,” Chloe continues, “my dad ties a sheet to himself, and he helps Chris and me, and there we are, all tied in sheets. And then, we step out into the yard.”

Beca gasps, suddenly understanding. “Oh my god! No way!”

“Yeah!” Chloe beams at her, but her eyes are unfocused, lost in the memory. “We go out to the yard, and right away, the wind catches the sheet like a – a parachute. And, ‘cuz I was small, it just… it lifted me up, and I’d fly back a few feet, and come back down to the ground. And so we did that, just jumping up in the yard, flying backward, and landing. Even just trying to walk against the wind was crazy hard.”

“That’s… that’s awesome, holy shit,” Beca breathes.

Chloe nods in agreement. “My mom still has the photos of us. She took them, waiting in the house.”

“I’ll be needing to see those.”

“Definitely,” Chloe smiles. “But yeah, so, we’d done this, jumping and flying back for a while, and I remember my legs were tired, but I didn’t want to stop because I was having too much fun.”

She pauses dramatically, and Beca waits, enthralled, even though she knows what’s coming next.

“And at one point,” Chloe continues, “I guess I just – I don’t know, I landed weird, and my legs gave out, and I totally fell, completely wiped out. My head hit the ground, and I smacked my forehead right on a rock, and it cut me, right here.” She raises a hand to touch the scar, tracing over it.

Beca winces in sympathy; that couldn’t have felt good, especially as a little kid.

“It bled for ages, oh my god. My mom thought we’d have to go to the hospital, and my brother was crying, and my dad was crying too because he felt so guilty for it… he still feels bad, I think, actually,” Chloe shrugs, half-smiling. “But eventually we got the bleeding to stop, and Mom patched me up with about a million band-aids. And you know what I did?”

“Hm?”

“I went right back out into that wind and kept playing.”

“Of course you did!” Beca laughs, falling more and more in love with the ridiculous person beside her.

“Yeah,” Chloe grins. “So that’s how I got my scar, and honestly, it’s probably my favorite memory of being a kid.”

“Yeah?”

Without really thinking about it, Beca raises a hand to trace her fingers lightly over the scar on Chloe’s face. Her fingertips can barely detect it, only a thin groove interrupting the otherwise smooth skin. Chloe’s eyes flutter at the touch, and Beca’s breath hitches in her throat. Her touch lingers over the scar for another moment, then follows along Chloe’s brow and down, over her cheekbone, until her hand gently cups Chloe’s jaw.

“What’s your favorite memory of college, then?” she asks, her voice coming out in a whisper.

To her surprise, Chloe blushes a little, turning her face into Beca’s hand to kiss just below her thumb. “That’s harder.”

“Why?”

Chloe’s eyes flick up to meet hers, filled with a raw honesty that makes Beca’s heart thunder in her chest.

“Because they all have to do with you,” Chloe whispers. “Any memory with you is my favorite.”

“Chlo…”

Beca leans in, Chloe mirroring her, until their foreheads rest together. Her hand slides around Chloe’s face and into her hair, the red locks silky between her fingers.

“Do you know my favorite memory?” she breathes.

“Hmm?”

“It’s the other night. When I told you I love you, and you said it back.”

Chloe’s breath catches audibly. “I always have, and I always will,” she whispers, and then they’re kissing.

Chloe’s lips slide against her own, soft and determined, and Beca responds instinctively, her body perfectly attuned to Chloe’s. She kisses Chloe in return, taking her time, holding back a little to keep it slow, but then Chloe pulls Beca’s lower lip between her own and traces the tip of her tongue over it. Beca hums in the back of her throat, tilting her head to better the angle, as Chloe parts her lips with her tongue to deepen the kiss.

Chloe’s hand appears, resting on Beca’s hip, not tugging or urging her closer, only holding her. The sensation grounds Beca, warming her from the inside out. Supporting herself with one hand planted on the mattress, Beca moves her other hand from the back of Chloe’s head, trailing her fingers from Chloe’s hair down the back of her neck, nails scraping lightly across it to pull shivers from somewhere deep within Chloe. Her touch travels further, dipping around and under the collar of Chloe’s shirt to seek soft skin. She traces along Chloe’s collarbone, remembering what the skin there had tasted like under salt and lime.

“Off?” Chloe whispers against her lips.

Beca’s fingers stutter in their movements; that hadn’t been her goal, not really, but…

“Off,” Beca agrees, a thrill of excitement tingling down her spine.

Beca can hear Chloe’s shaky inhale as she pulls away, her arms crossing as she reaches for the hem of her blouse. She lifts it up and off, revealing her toned stomach and a lacy blue bra that makes Beca swallow hard.

“You wore that to my dad’s house?” she manages.

The wink that Chloe sends her should be illegal. “I didn’t know what we were gonna do after,” she says. “Figured I should be prepared.”

Beca can only nod, her eyes tracing over Chloe’s perfect form. She desperately wants to touch her, but instead, she reaches down to pull her own shirt off. Before she can, though, Chloe’s hands land on hers and Beca pauses.

“Let me,” Chloe says, eyes hooded.

Beca nods and moves her hands away, allowing Chloe to pull up her shirt. It’s different, having someone undress her like this, slowly and sensually, until she feels she’s going crazy with desire. Chloe’s fingers brush against her stomach as she lifts the shirt, making Beca shiver and causing her skin to twitch, until Chloe lifts higher and the shirt reveals the red bra Beca had bought for such an occasion. Chloe’s eyes drop even as the shirt rises and starts to come up over Beca’s head, blocking her view of Chloe temporarily. She’s worried it’s going to get stuck on her ear or in her hair or something equally embarrassing, but Chloe is careful and precise and she’s soon she’s pulling Beca’s shirt completely off to cast it away.

“You wore that to your dad’s house?” Chloe teases, her eyes flicking back up to meet Beca’s.

“Preparedness,” Beca mumbles vaguely.

Chloe smiles, and then she’s pulling Beca forward and lying back until Beca hovers half over her, supporting herself with a hand on either side of Chloe’s shoulders. Chloe’s hands inch around to Beca’s back, tracing over the skin and drawing swirling patterns that drive Beca forward and down to capture Chloe’s lips in another deep, tongue-filled kiss.

Still, Chloe’s touch trails over her, smoothing over her lower back, up to her bra strap, and back down. Beca pushes closer, need pooling low in her stomach until she’s desperate for Chloe to really touch her. She waits until Chloe’s hands repeat their wandering circuit, nudging into her bra strap and tracing over it before she speaks.

At the touch, Beca pulls back only enough to ask, “Off?”

Chloe freezes under her at the question, her breath hitching audibly and hands ceasing in their movements.

“Please?” Beca whispers, nudging her nose against Chloe’s. “If you want.”

Chloe’s fingers twitch against her back, and for a second, Beca thinks she’s just going to unclasp the bra right there, but then Chloe’s nodding and moving her hands between them to push lightly at Beca’s shoulders, guiding her back up to sitting.

“Okay,” Chloe says, sitting up as well. “Yeah, off.”

Beca’s stomach flutters with nerves and anticipation as she reaches behind herself. She finds the clasp of her bra and unhooks it easily, the tension from it relaxing. Still watching Chloe, she slides the straps from her shoulders and pulls her arms out, until she has to hold it to herself to keep it from falling. She’s abruptly bashful and shy, not sure what Chloe’s going to do.

But Chloe’s eyes, rather than focused on her chest, are still locked with Beca’s own, looking at her like she always does, expression full of tender care. It calms Beca, and she pulls the bra away completely to reveal herself. Chloe’s eyes flick down, then back up to find Beca’s.

“Mine off?” she asks.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Beca’s quick to answer. “Just because I did, doesn’t mean…”

“I want to,” Chloe says, smiling gently. “Help me with it?”

Beca’s brain short-circuits at that, but she somehow manages to nod and move closer. She lifts her hands around to find Chloe’s bra strap, tracing along it until she feels the ridges of the clasp under her fingers. She’s never unhooked someone else’s bra before, and she fumbles with it a little, feeling kind of foolish.

Chloe leans forward, drawing her own arms back to guide Beca’s hands, wordlessly showing her fingers where to grasp and pull at the fabric, until Beca feels it come loose. She puffs in relief, pressing her lips to Chloe’s in a silent thank-you. Beca pulls back, guiding the garment down Chloe’s shoulders and off her arms to drop it beside the bed near her own.

She tries not to look right away; Chloe had kept eye contact with her for so long that Beca’s not sure if she should look or not, but her eyes keep dropping of their own accord.

Chloe chuckles gently, bringing Beca’s attention back up to her face.

“You can look, Bec. It’s okay.”

Beca swallows hard, her mouth suddenly dry. She gives up trying to control her eyes, letting them fall to Chloe’s bare chest. And it’s not like this is the first time she’s seen Chloe – the Shower Incident, for one, and just in living in the same house for three years, she’d caught glimpses – but it’s the first time she’s felt she’s been allowed to really look. Her eyes drink in the details, committing Chloe to memory. Chloe is absolutely perfect, beautiful and bare for her.

“You’re beautiful,” Chloe says, and Beca glances up in surprise. Chloe’s eyes are on her chest, and she looks just as blown away as Beca feels. The idea that Chloe sees her and wants her – thinks she’s beautiful – claws at something inside Beca, urging her on.

“Can I touch you?” she asks, her voice raspy.

Chloe’s eyes flutter and she twitches forward. She stops herself, though, and takes a deep breath that raises and expands her chest, and Beca’s eyes drop again, tracking every movement.

“Yes,” Chloe breathes, inching forward even though they’re already sitting close.

Beca’s hands feel warm and twitchy, fingertips over-sensitive as Beca reaches forward. She rests her hands on Chloe’s hips first, just above the top of her jeans. She moves her hands higher slowly, tracing up over the lines of Chloe’s abs, feeling the dip and rise in her obliques. She follows the lines, rising up to brush over Chloe’s rib cage, mapping out the ridge of each one of Chloe’s ribs. Chloe’s breathing faster now, her eyes sliding closed and own hands twitching against the crisp white comforter.

The sight makes Beca lose her nerve for a second, tracing around the outsides of Chloe’s breasts, the barest hint of the curves sending heat rocketing through her body, until her touch again runs along Chloe’s collarbones. Chloe’s straining now, the tension in her neck obvious. So, with a deep breath, Beca gives them what they both want and slides her hands down.

Chloe sighs noisily, arching forward, but Beca barely notices. She’s too enraptured by the feel of Chloe’s bare breasts in her hands, their soft, warm weight as she cups and holds them. A crease forms between Chloe’s brows and she bites her lip; with one final glance at her face, Beca gently runs her thumbs over the peaks.

Chloe gasps sharply and pushes forward, urging more of herself into Beca’s hands. Beca freezes, stunned by the reaction.

“I – is that –”

“It’s good,” Chloe gasps, her eyes struggling open. “It felt good.”

Beca puffs out a shaky breath, relieved she hadn’t done anything wrong. She carefully repeats the motion with her thumbs, utterly astounded by the way the skin pebbles and responds to her touch. Her touches bolden, until she’s circling with her fingertips, kneading and exploring, attune to every twist in Chloe’s spine, every twitch of her face, every sound that escapes from between her lips. Chloe squirms where she sits, her fingers tapping against the bed.

Noticing this, Beca pauses again. “You okay?”

Chloe nods, then says, “Yeah, it’s – can I touch you, too?”

“Oh!” Beca feels her eyebrows shoot up. She’d been so focused on Chloe that she’d forgotten – actually, honestly forgotten – that she’s just as bare as Chloe is. “Yeah, of course.”

Reluctantly pulling her hands away from Chloe to let them wait at her sides, Beca offers herself to Chloe’s hands. Chloe’s eyes flick between her face and her chest, as if checking with her again, before they land on her chest and stay there. Chloe reaches forward, less cautious than Beca was, to trace around her ribs and leave feathery touches along Beca’s skin. She’s still slow in her movements, almost reverent in the way hands lightly caress Beca around her breasts, tracing along her ribs, her stomach, and below her collarbones, until impatience sparks in Beca’s stomach and she can’t stop herself from arching forward.

Chloe looks up at her then, a mischievous smile toying around her lips; a second later, hands cup and hold, and Beca jerks as the touch races through her, shaking her to her core. She makes a noise that might be a squeak or a gasp, or something in between, and Chloe’s grin widens. Fingertips brush over her peaks and this time, Beca really does gasp, the touch like lightning against her. Chloe presses and circles and explores much the same way Beca had, repeatedly flicking over the peaks until Beca’s the one squirming now. Then, Chloe palms her and squeezes lightly and Beca’s surging forward until she’s hovering above Chloe again, straddling her hips.

Without really thinking about it, Beca bats Chloe’s hands aside and drops her mouth to straining skin. Below her, Chloe swears in surprise and arches up, her hands twisting into Beca’s hair to hold her in place. Beca runs her tongue repeatedly over the peak of Chloe’s right breast, drinking in the sounds every pass draws from Chloe. She closes her lips around the peak and sucks, pulling a groan from deep within her girlfriend. The fingers in her hair turn insistent; Beca pulls back, releasing Chloe’s breast, and Chloe collapses back to the mattress as if Beca’s mouth had been acting as a magnet, holding her suspended.

Beca licks her lips and descends to the other side; it happens again, Chloe’s back lifting off the bed to arch into her mouth. Beca shifts her weight, her left hand moving to nudge at and circle around Chloe’s unoccupied breast, left pebbled and wet by her tongue. Whines and whimpers fall freely from Chloe’s lips, and Beca treasures every one, learning which pushes and patterns from her tongue and fingers elicit which noises.

She had no idea it could feel like this, had no idea how addicting it is to pleasure someone this way. The way Chloe arches into her and pants her name is remarkable, and Beca wants this, wants more, so much that it takes her by surprise. Doing this with Chloe is new, and exciting, and already so much more than she knew it could be.

Beca releases Chloe’s breast, satisfied by the way Chloe falls back to the mattress. Realizing it’s been too long since she’s actually gotten to kiss her girlfriend, Beca moves up to reunite their lips, Chloe’s hands disappearing from her hair to instead find purchase on her shoulders. Chloe’s touch runs up and down the length of her spine, uninhibited, and a knot forms low in Beca’s gut. She knows what it is, knows what it means, but because this is Chloe turning her on, everything is amplified.

She growls, moving now to Chloe’s neck, suddenly feeling the need to mark and claim her. Chloe keens when Beca sucks on her pulse point, creating a new bruise to replace the one that had recently faded. She releases the spot, drops and inch lower, and does it again, Chloe’s hands starting to stutter and twitch on her back as she gasps brokenly for air.

“I – shit, Bec –”

Beca feels it, the instant Chloe’s hips lift up into hers. The sudden friction makes Beca groan into Chloe’s neck and she grinds down reflexively. Chloe’s hands seize at her back, tugging her down closer as Chloe’s hips buck up yet again.

***************

She remembers what it was like, the first time she’d seen Chloe at the Activities Fair.

The moment the sunlight caught the redhead’s beautiful hair and stunning eyes, something had fluttered in her stomach. She remembers the way Chloe’s mouth had formed every word; remembers the way her eyes had begged Beca to “help turn their dreams into reality.” She remembers the way it had made her feel, warm and hopeful and longing in ways she knew were inappropriate. It had been so much harder than it should have been to walk away from a complete stranger and her rude blonde friend.

It had been even harder not to glance down when, weeks later, Chloe had burst into her shower. She doesn’t like to think about why she’d wanted to look down, doesn’t like to think about the little thrill she’d gotten when Chloe had looked at her. Mostly, she doesn’t like to think about the jealousy she felt when the guy Chloe had been with walked in.

It had been the same when Chloe had pulled her close during Hood Night, so close their lips almost touched.

She doesn’t like thinking about how disappointed she’d been that they hadn’t kissed then.

And every day since, every single look, smile, touch shared between them that had made her insides twist and squirm and her heart stutter in her chest, she’d refused to acknowledge because they were just friends.

Chloe is her friend, and to feel anything more is unfair to her.

They could only ever just be friends, because there’s no other option.

***************

And this feeling – the sensation of being desired so desperately, and of desiring – is new, too. It steals Beca’s breath from her lungs and wipes everything else from her mind, until all she can see and hear and feel is Chloe under her.

She wants more.

She adjusts, sliding one thigh high between Chloe’s, pressing, grinding forward and down as she kisses Chloe’s neck, cheeks, lips, wherever she can find. All she knows is she needs Chloe under her, under her body, under her lips, under her touch.

“Beca, I – Bec, shit, I –”

Chloe’s hands land on Beca’s hips, fingers digging into the material. The next time Beca grinds forward, Chloe bucks up, and her hands pull at Beca, bringing her pelvis down and squarely into her own.

Beca’s eyes flutter and she stills above Chloe, trying to regain some semblance of control. She has to moisten her lips before she can ask the question hovering in the stilled air around them.

“Chlo, can… god, can we…”

“Do you – are you sure?”

“Yeah,” Beca breathes. She’s never been more sure of anything in her life.

Chloe’s eyes slam closed and her entire body rolls under Beca, silently begging for Beca to touch her.

“Yes,” Chloe chokes out. “Yes.”

And Beca sits up abruptly and she moves herself off Chloe, nervous and excited and scared and honored that this is going to happen, that this is Chloe in front of her. The fact that it is Chloe calms her, reminds her that there’s nothing to be scared of, because it’s Chloe, best friend Chloe, girlfriend Chloe.

“Um, wait –” Beca glances over at the headboard, finding the switch she’s seen earlier. Sure enough, when she flicks it, soft lights emit from the top of the headboard, illuminating the wall and ceiling above the bed.

“Oh,” Chloe says quietly, looking up.

Beca smiles and hurries over to the switch by the door, flicking the main lights in the room off so that the room is delicately lit only by the lights from above the bed. As she does that, Chloe shoves the comforter down the bed to pool at its foot, exposing crisp white sheets. She lies back on against the pillows, and Beca moves to rejoin her. She’s a little worried that the moment had died, but then Chloe immediately pulls her down into a searing kiss and her worries disappear.

After another few moments of kissing, Beca pulls away and sits up. She meets Chloe’s eyes again to make sure they’re still on the same page. Chloe, still lying on her back, nods yes.

Beca’s stomach flips. This is happening. This is really happening.

Her hands tremble with nerves and excitement as they move to Chloe’s jeans, smoothing over the waistband until she reaches the button and pops it out. Chloe’s hips twitch, urging Beca to continue. Still trembling, she finds the zipper and eases it down slowly, revealing blue lace that matches the bra Chloe’s wearing.

She exhales in a hot puff, trying to get her nerves to disappear. She glances up and is stunned to see Chloe’s hand wound into her own hair, expression desperate and almost pained. It tells Beca all she needs to know.

Gripping the jeans, Beca starts to work them down. Chloe has to lift her hips to help, and then Beca’s pulling the pants down over toned thighs, over perfect calves, and off Chloe’s feet, taking her socks with them.

Now Chloe sits up, finding the waistband of Beca’s jeans. Beca’s stomach flips again when Chloe works the button free, and when lithe fingers slide the zipper down, a concentrated bolt of heat hits her center so hard it makes her feel lightheaded. She has to stand from the bed on trembling legs to work the jeans the rest of the way off, taking off her socks as well.

Maybe she should feel self-conscious, undressing in front of someone, but she doesn’t. This is Chloe, and that makes it okay. They way Chloe’s looking at her, her expression full of awe, tells her that she has nothing to be afraid of. So, Beca reaches and slides off her red underwear, too, seeing Chloe’s throat bob up and down.

Beca has never felt more comfortable in another’s presence as she does in this moment, standing naked before Chloe.

“You’re amazing,” Chloe breathes, and the words pull at Beca like a magnet until she’s reaching slowly for Chloe’s panties.

Chloe lifts her hips instantly, not even waiting for Beca’s hands to land on the garment before she’s silently begging her to take it off. A dark patch has formed on the fabric between Chloe’s legs, which is… tantalizing. Flattering. Mind-boggling.

Arousing.

Beca eases the panties down, gasping when Chloe is revealed. She almost wants to stop, to just stare at Chloe all day, but an impatient whine from Chloe has her moving again, sliding the underwear off completely and tossing it to the floor.

She indulges herself just a moment more and simply looks at Chloe, laid before her on the bed against pristine white sheets. Her hair creates a vibrant halo against the pillows, and the bed lighting casts a warm glow over her, somehow making the moment even more delicate. Chloe could have anyone on the planet, but chose her; knowing that sears Beca’s insides and turns her brain to mush.

“Sometime today, Bec,” Chloe smiles, teasing gently.

Beca rolls her eyes and leans forward, lying on her side next to Chloe so they can face each other.

“You’re perfect,” she says, “can you blame me for taking my time?”

Chloe’s pupils are already blown, heavy and dark, but she looks at Beca with so much love that it tangles something in her chest. If the stars could align, they would above their hotel room. Everything in Beca’s life has led to this moment.

Chloe reaches for her, resting her hand on Beca’s bare hip. Chloe’s fingers tremble against her, and it’s strangely reassuring that Chloe’s feeling just as much as she is.

“We’ll talk it through, yeah?” Chloe says softly.

“Yeah,” Beca breathes, nerves fluttering in her stomach.

“Okay,” Chloe says, her fingers flexing against Beca’s hip. “Okay. Just… relax.”

Beca exhales shakily, Chloe leans in, and then they’re kissing again. This time, Beca lets herself be guided to her back, Chloe half on top of her. Beca rests her hands on Chloe’s back, fingertips following the curve of her spine. It’s different this way, their bare skin touching and sliding against each other’s, Beca’s burning wherever Chloe’s touches. Chloe’s breasts push against her own, their combined sensitivity ratcheting Beca’s body up another hundred notches.

Chloe shifts, her lips dropping to Beca’s neck, immediately pulling the skin into her hot mouth to suck and nip at it. Beca groans, her body rolling in response to the knowledge that Chloe’s possessing her, claiming her as her own for the whole world to see, judgment be damned. She belongs to Chloe, and only Chloe.

Chloe’s mouth maps a burning, bruising path down her chest, until she has to shift again. With a quick look into Beca’s eyes, Chloe swings a leg over her hips and settles down, straddling her.

It tears a moan from deep within Beca’s chest and her hips lift, seeking friction. It makes Chloe’s eyes flutter and brow furrow, but a second later she’s moving, leaning down, and she takes one of Beca’s breasts into her mouth.

“Shit, that’s –” Beca gasps, gritting her teeth against the pleasure of Chloe’s hot tongue circling and bathing her. She arches up, tangling her fingers in red hair to encourage Chloe. She’s going agonizingly slow, taking her time first with one breast, then the other, until Beca’s left gasping for air.

Above her, Chloe shifts again, this time to straddle one of Beca’s thighs. Before Beca really registers what’s about to happen, Chloe rocks forward, pressing up into Beca. Fireworks explode behind Beca’s eyes and she moans, shocked at how good Chloe feels against her. She pushes down to meet Chloe’s rocking thigh, her hips rising automatically.

With the positioning, she can feel Chloe against her own thigh, hot and swollen. She bends her knee, giving Chloe something to bear down on and making her shudder and gasp. Chloe drops to a forearm, putting more of her weight onto Beca.

Beca’s whining now; she can hear the moans spilling from her own throat, but she doesn’t care. “Please, Chlo, just –”

Until Chloe’s hand appears on her side, wrapping around her ribs then trailing down between them over her stomach. Beca sinks into the mattress, unable to do anything but wait for Chloe’s touch. Fingertips circle around her navel, moving lower until they pause low on her abdomen, tracing over the invisible line where her panties would normally cover.

“Are you sure?” Chloe asks again, her voice raspy.

“Completely,” Beca says, tilting her hips and lifting her chin to ensnare Chloe’s lips in one more kiss.

Chloe hums against her lips, a sound that promises Beca everything. Her fingers trail lower, dipping down until they glide between Beca’s legs.

Their kiss breaks as they both gasp and Beca’s head falls back into the pillow at the same time her hips lift against Chloe’s hand. Chloe’s touch is light, gentle and careful, but still enough to make Beca’s eyes slam shut and legs shift further apart.

“Wow…” Chloe breathes, and Beca isn’t sure if she even meant to say anything out loud, but Beca still nods in response. She doesn’t need to be told how wet she is, how ready and warm she probably feels, because she knows, especially with how slowly Chloe worked her up. Beca didn’t know it could be like this, didn’t know what it would feel like to want someone so much.

Chloe’s fingers slip over her, dragging through everything that has been begging for attention – for Chloe’s attention – for what feels like an eon. Chloe’s fingers search, finding the bud that has Beca’s eyes rolling back and mouth falling open in surprise.

“You feel amazing,” Chloe whispers, pressing soft kisses to her lips and cheeks.

“God – so do you,” Beca manages, breaking off into a moan when Chloe’s fingers start to move against her.

Gradually, Chloe’s fingers circle and stroke more firmly, almost finding rhythm but not quite, and the way Chloe smiles tells Beca she knows exactly what she’s doing. The touch drifts lower, until a finger lightly circles around her entrance.

Beca inhales sharply, clutching at Chloe’s back, trying to spread her legs as best she can with Chloe on top of one of them. Chloe’s eyes meet hers, the question in them, and Beca wants to both scream and laugh at how careful Chloe’s being, at how delicate, because she’s never experienced anything like it before.

Beca can only nod, taking one hand form Chloe’s back to find her arm, following it down to the hand between her own legs. She covers Chloe’s hand with her own, guiding and showing her, then, carefully presses until Chloe moves in with no resistance.

Even having guided Chloe, knowing what was about to happen, Beca isn’t quite prepared for the sensation. Her own hand flies back to its place on Chloe’s back, needing an anchor as she arches up. Even though Chloe is inside her, she’s still not close enough.

“Okay?” Chloe whispers, not moving, just holding inside.

Beca bites her lip and nods, beyond words. Because it’s way better than okay; she’s not felt anything like it. Holding Chloe inside her isn’t the slightest bit uncomfortable; rather, it’s much better than it was being achingly empty.

Chloe presses a kiss to her temple then starts moving, pulling out and pressing in gingerly, rubbing at Beca’s walls in all the right places. They’ve never done this before, but Chloe already knows what to do, knows how to listen to Beca’s gasps and whimpers in order to respond and play her body like an instrument.

“Keep talking to me,” Chloe says, nudging their noses together.

She pulls out to rub circles against Beca again, then slides in with a second finger that Beca feels herself stretching around. From within, there’s a fluttering, as if Chloe’s wiggling her fingers, and Beca’s hips tilt up and she cries out at the feeling of being filled by Chloe.

Chloe echoes her, whimpering and speeding up her thrusts, pressing the palm of her hand into Beca with every thrust in. She shifts again, and Beca glances down in time to see Chloe’s thigh moving against the back of her hand before Chloe drives forward, with enough force to raise Beca’s back off the mattress.

“Harder,” Beca groans, feeling herself tightening, and Chloe whimpers above her, thrusting with more fervor.

Her hands turn to claws at Chloe’s back, and she knows she’s scratching her, but Chloe just hisses in her ear and presses closer, pushes impossibly faster, until Beca can feel how close she is. She pants a warning into Chloe ear and Chloe nods, pressing deep and holding to grind circles against Beca with the palm of her hand.

Just like that, Beca’s teetering on the edge, rigid and arched, suspended in time.

Then, Chloe breathes, “I love you,” and drops her mouth again to Beca’s neck, and Beca’s falling, collapsing in on herself, her hips jerking against Chloe as she cries out broken variations of her name mingled with swear words. Chloe holds within, gently moving inside Beca to prolong it as long as possible, until, with a final shudder, Beca sags against the mattress.

She lies there, more than a little surprised by it. She hadn’t been expecting to finish, not really. She had no idea an orgasm from someone else could feel like that, or that it was even possible for her to come undone from someone else’s touch. The realization that she can, that she’s not broken beyond repair, is shocking and pleasing and so overwhelming that she has to blink hard, because she is not going to be that person who cries after sex.

After a second, Chloe eases away, pulling out carefully. Beca’s thighs clench together at the loss, and she laughs once, a shaky sound of disbelief as Chloe rolls off of her completely. She misses Chloe instantly, misses the sensation of Chloe above her, and angles her body toward Chloe even as Chloe sprawls next to her.

“Was that okay?” Chloe asks, her eyes wide.

Beca blinks back, shaken by the realization that Chloe is actually asking, she’s not being arrogant or sarcastic, but she genuinely needs Beca to tell her what she felt.

“That was –” Beca has to stop to clear her throat before she can continue. “That was awesome. Like, really, I don’t – you were – that was so good,” she says, her mind scrambled and body still tingling.

It doesn’t help at all when Chloe beams at her and raises a still-glistening hand to her lips. Beca stares, transfixed, as Chloe pulls her fingers into her mouth, licking them clean.

A groan tears itself from Beca’s throat and something snaps deep within her; she feels she’s going to die if she doesn't touch Chloe immediately. As soon as Chloe’s fingers are out of her mouth, Beca lunges forward to kiss her, hard, her squeak of surprise encouraging Beca on until she’s rolled Chloe to her back and hovers over her on her hands and knees.

“Your turn,” she smiles before she leans down, brushing their noses together, teasing before finally tilting her head for a kiss. Chloe meets her, strong and steady, and Beca wastes no time sliding her tongue between Chloe’s parted lips.

Chloe’s hands trace down her back, dropping occasionally to squeeze and knead her backside with increasing urgency. Beca gets the hint and moves her mouth to Chloe’s neck, feeling the vibrations of Chloe’s groans under her lips. Beca’s becoming impatient, and, judging by the way Chloe pants and strains up into her, so is she.

Beca works her way down Chloe’s chest, again kissing, licking, and sucking at Chloe’s breasts. Chloe writhes under her, and Beca can’t stop smiling against Chloe’s skin; she sees why Chloe had drawn it out so long. She brings a hand between them, running her fingertips over Chloe, trailing over her stomach. She brushes over what must be a sensitive spot on Chloe’s side, and Chloe jerks against her with a whine.

“God, Beca, just – get on with it,” Chloe groans, her hips rising into Beca’s stomach.

“So impatient,” Beca mutters. She’s tempted to wait, to tease, to draw it out, but she never could deny Chloe anything.

Adjusting her weight, Beca mimics what Chloe had done earlier. She straddles one of Chloe’s legs, using her knee to nudge Chloe’s legs apart. Not that she really has to try; Chloe opens for her instantly, and Beca stares in awe. It takes every ounce of her willpower not to reach and touch Chloe right then, but she wants to build it up as long as she can first to make sure Chloe is comfortable.

She fits her thigh against Chloe, a shiver rolling up her spine when she feels wet heat against her leg. Chloe whimpers, squirming against Beca’s thigh and tilting her hips against it before Beca’s even fully settled back over her. As soon as Beca is in place, the leg she’s straddling bends and lifts to fit against her, making her body twitch and roll despite her previous relief.

Beca stills above Chloe, mesmerized by the way she throws her head back as she grinds down against Beca’s leg. Chloe’s hands are at her hips, flexing and clutching at her. After several seconds, it occurs to Beca that she should be doing something; she gives an experimental press and roll of her hips, and Chloe’s mouth drops open in a silent gasp.

Wow.

Beca drops to her right forearm, freeing her left hand to slide down Chloe’s body even as she continues rocking into her. She feels the strain in her core already, but she’s not stopping this for anything. She slides her hand down around Chloe’s hip, resting it high on her thigh. Chloe twists toward the touch, trying to move Beca’s hand a few inches to the right.

Beca makes eye contact, pausing, but before she can even ask, Chloe nods frantically, her hands like talons on Beca’s back.

“Let me know if it feels good,” Beca murmurs, pressing a kiss to the hollow at Chloe’s throat.

Chloe’s only response is a soft whimper; she spreads her legs even further, and Beca moves her hand. Both their jaws drop at the first touch, the sensation of Chloe at her fingertips racing through her interconnected nerves and through her spine to ignite her entire body.

It’s like nothing Beca has ever experienced. It’s so, so different from touching herself; Chloe feels perfect under her touch, all soft, wet heat. Beca’s fingers glide over soaked skin, and she can only imagine how surprised she must look because Chloe half-smiles up at her.

“It’s for you,” Chloe whispers, her voice hitching.

And Beca doesn't know what to say or do because her brain can’t handle that information, can’t possibly comprehend that she turns Chloe on this much, that Chloe wants her, is aroused by her. It’s utterly mind-blowing.

So, she does the only thing she can think of and moves her fingers. She seeks, explores, intending to discover every inch, because this is it, the only first time they get. She learns Chloe’s facial expressions, learns that a stroke of her fingers makes Chloe’s eyes flutter and learns that tight circles around the bud draws Chloe’s hips up and makes her bite down on her lower lip.

Beca touches more, fingers slipping through Chloe, circling with enough pressure to make her entire body jerk, until Chloe’s hands on her shoulders pull her down into a desperate, sloppy kiss. Then Chloe breaks the away and, through labored breaths, whispers into Beca’s ear a single request, something Beca once thought she’d only hear Chloe say in her dreams.

“Okay,” Beca replies numbly. “I can do that. Anything.”

Her fingers drop lower, teasing Chloe’s entrance. And then Chloe’s reaching down and showing her, guiding her in, until Beca’s middle finger is surrounded by soft heat. Chloe moans, a soft, almost surprised sound from the back of her throat that makes Beca’s heart race. After a moment, Chloe replaces her hand, still trembling, on Beca’s back, where her touch anchors Beca.

Beca forces herself to wait, to hold still so she won’t accidentally hurt Chloe. She focuses on how Chloe feels against her hand and around her finger, how beautiful Chloe looks, her face and neck flushed, her hair wild from both Beca’s hands and her own. When Chloe’s eyes flutter open to meet hers, Beca’s chest throbs with how perfect she looks.

Chloe nods then, shifting her hips, and Beca takes the hint. She does her best to mimic what Chloe had done, moving pulling out and pushing in slowly, curling her finger, rubbing at the texture she feels inside. She watches Chloe’s face carefully, figuring what feels nice for her.

Chloe’s whimpers, gasps, and groans fill the space between them in the most harmonic symphony Beca has ever heard. She listens closely to every one, memorizing them, her mind filling the gaps between them with slow, sensual beats that she aligns with the movements of her hand and fingers.

“Like this?” Beca whispers, positioning a second finger at Chloe’s entrance.

Chloe shivers against her, her hips rising. “That’s good,” she pants brokenly. “That’s – that’s really good.”

Beca hums in acknowledgment, pressing forward with two fingers. Chloe’s eyes squeeze closed and her nails dig into Beca’s back; when Beca pulls back to thrust in again, those nails scrape lightly down her spine, leaving stinging trails that only serve to push Beca into her more firmly, using her thigh against the back of her hand. She continues, rubbing inside and pressing her palm against Chloe, moving gradually faster and more rhythmically.

“Beca, shit, I – that’s – oh shit Bec right there – I’m –”

Beca can tell when Chloe’s getting closer; she can see it in the desperation on her face, hear it in the way Chloe’s voice breaks over her name, and feel it in the way Chloe’s hips thrust erratically in time with her thrusts. Chloe tightens, her body going still, and Beca presses deep and holds, dropping more of her weight between Chloe’s legs and fluttering her fingers and pressing her palm against Chloe, doing anything she can to bring her to that brink.

Just like that, she feels it; Chloe shudders up into her, crying out her name and hooking her free leg over her hips and all Beca can do is watch. She’s enraptured, totally blown away, because she’s never felt this before, never felt that sensation around her fingers from within someone else. Knowing that she did that, that she was the one to bring Chloe to this point, that Chloe wants her this much is amazing and astonishing and beyond anything Beca has ever experienced.

Chloe comes under Beca’s touch, and it’s the most beautiful thing Beca has ever witnessed. It’s everything.

It’s Beca’s new favorite memory.

She doesn’t want it to ever end, but, of course, it does eventually. Chloe relaxes down into the mattress, melting into it, a big, goofy grin growing on her face. Her thighs relax, so Beca pulls back slowly, carefully, surveying Chloe’s expression until she’s completely out.

“Yeah?” she asks, lifting an eyebrow.

Chloe smiles up at her, something deep and unidentifiable behind her eyes. “Yeah, perfect,” she sighs, catching her breath. “You’re always perfect.”

Beca grins, moving off Chloe and to the side. She’s hit with the overwhelming need to taste Chloe, so she lifts her hand to her lips, pulling her fingers into her mouth and watching the way it makes Chloe’s lips part in surprise.

As soon as Beca’s fingers are clean, Chloe leans forward with surprising agility and kisses her hard. Beca sinks into it instinctively, her body shuddering when Chloe licks into her mouth sensually. After several minutes, Chloe pulls away from the kiss and Beca blinks her eyes open. She’s on her back again, Chloe hovering over her, and isn’t sure how that happened, but she’s not about to complain.

Especially not when Chloe looks down at her thoughtfully, a single eyebrow lifted.

“Bec, I…”

“Yeah?”

“Can I taste you? Properly, I mean.”

The words come out rushed, as if Chloe’s either impatient or embarrassed to ask, but Beca understands. She’s immediately hit with the image of Chloe’s head bobbing between her legs, and a fresh wave of arousal floods through Beca’s insides, coating her veins in desire.

“Do you – is that – do you want to?” Beca stammers. “You don’t have to.”

Chloe doesn’t answer, instead leaning down to kiss lightly along the bruises she’d already left on Beca’s neck. Beca has no idea what they look like, but from their sensitivity, she imagines they’re big and dark. She shivers again, legs shifting without her conscious command.

“Trust me,” Chloe breathes against her skin. “I want to. If you’re okay with it.”

“Yeah, that’s – yeah,” Beca manages, her voice squeaking. “Please.”

Chloe releases a jagged breath that ghosts over Beca’s skin, and then she starts moving backward, kissing her way down Beca’s body. She presses kisses along her sternum, a kiss to the peak of each breast, and drags her lips down Beca’s stomach, her tongue circling around Beca’s navel. By the time she slides off the end of the bed to stand at its foot, Beca’s quivering with anticipation, somehow even more turned on than she had been before Chloe brought her to that previous high.

A touch to her ankle makes Beca glance down; Chloe’s tugging on her legs gently, wordlessly urging her to move down in the giant bed.

“Fuck,” Beca breathes, and then she’s moving, sliding down the sheets until she’s half on the bed and half off, her legs dangling over the edge, Chloe standing between them and looking down at her.

Keeping eye contact, Chloe lowers herself to the floor, dropping to first one knee, then the other. Beca has to choke down a groan; seeing Chloe Beale on her knees between her legs makes her center actually throb with need, almost to the point of pain.

And when Chloe lifts her left leg to rest it over her shoulder, Beca’s pretty sure her soul leaves her body. Chloe shuffles closer, until she’s up close and personal with down there, and, unexpectedly, Beca feels bashful. But then Chloe looks up at her, her expression soft.

“You’re so, so beautiful, Beca.”

Instantly, Beca relaxes, shyness evaporating to leave only desperation in its wake. Beca whines, trying to convey what she wants – what she needs – and thankfully, Chloe seems to understand. She loops an arm around Beca’s thigh, the fingers of that hand pulling Beca open, while the other hand slides up Beca’s leg, over her stomach, until Beca understands what Chloe’s asking. She links their fingers together so they’re holding hands, winding her other hand into the sheets in anticipation.

Still holding eye contact, Chloe leans in.

The first swipe of Chloe’s tongue through her is long and broad, traveling from her entrance up to her bud; Beca moans loudly, uninhibited, her hips rising automatically into Chloe’s face.

“God, you’re amazing,” Chloe mumbles against her, then repeats the broad stroke of her tongue, this time flicking at Beca’s bud.

“Ah – you – that’s – you –” Beca chokes out, incoherent syllables falling from her lips. This is so different from what they’d done before, so much more intimate. Chloe’s tongue is everywhere, flattening and sweeping, then fluttering, not yet finding a set rhythm. Her nose nudges into Beca, sending zings of electricity up Beca’s spine with every pass.

Beca knots the sheets in her fist so tightly she’s amazed she hasn’t torn a hole through them. As soon as she has the thought, Chloe’s nudging at her again, insistently, and Beca glances down. The sight of bright eyes staring up at her from between her legs almost sends her over the edge right there, but Beca blocks it, gasping for air.

“Yeah?” she pants out.

“Put your hand in my hair,” Chloe says, having to pull back so her voice isn’t muffled.

Beca groans and does it, shaking out her fist from the sheets and moving it to the top of Chloe’s head. As soon as she does, Chloe reattaches her mouth and continues, her tongue and lips relentless against Beca. She licks into Beca, drawing skin between her lips to suck at and soothe with her tongue, until Beca’s writhing, arching, crying out. She knows her grip is too tight in Chloe’s hair, knows she’s pulling, but she can’t stop. Besides, by the way Chloe only hums and groans into Beca, sending vibrations through her, it seems that Chloe likes having her hair pulled.

“Look at me,” Chloe says suddenly.

Beca’s entire body trembles and she forces her head up and eyes open – she hadn’t realized she’d closed them. She watches Chloe, locking eyes as Chloe’s head moves between her legs. It’s somehow even better than she’d imagined it would be and the sight forces her legs open wider, her body begging for more. This is Chloe doing this, best friend and girlfriend Chloe, whose tongue and lips and nose and cheeks are covered in her.

“Christ, shit –” Beca swears, her body tensing and hips rising. She claws into Chloe’s hair, her other hand still intertwined with Chloe’s, that connection between them remaining, sweetening and softening the moment.

Chloe’s eyes seem to sparkle and she drops lower and moves somehow closer and Beca feels a soft intrusion, and she’s tensing around what is unmistakably Chloe’s tongue pressing inside her. It breaks something within Beca, and she’s flopping back, her head falling into the pillows and eyes slamming closed. She cries out and instantly, Chloe moves with more purpose, pressing in and dragging slowly out, then licking and sucking, sweeping over Beca rhythmically before pushing back in.

Beca can only writhe, desperate, breathing hard, her mind only able to focus on how Chloe’s mouth feels against her. She’s utterly destroyed, and all it takes is one more repeat of the cycle, Chloe’s lips closing over her bud to suck and Beca’s thrown over the edge.

She yells and tenses, her body rocking and lifting into Chloe’s face. It seems to last forever, wave after wave crashing over her, ripping wordless noises from her throat in a torrent, until finally, her body gives out and she dissolves into a mess of shivering aftershocks against the mattress.

Chloe makes a soft sound of awe, catching Beca’s attention. She finds the strength to glance up, and her body shudders again; Chloe’s looking up at her, still nestled between Beca’s legs, her cheeks and nose still covered in Beca. They hadn’t removed their makeup, and Chloe’s mascara is smudged and smeared.

“Come here,” Beca gasps, and, with one final lick up through Beca to make her body twitch and jump, Chloe eases Beca’s leg from her shoulder and stands slowly, wiping her face with the back of her hand.

Beca pushes herself back fully onto the bed, collapsing against the pillows at the headboard. Chloe joins her a moment later, sprawling beside her. Beca reaches out tiredly, and Chloe meets her lips in a gentle kiss.

Beca pulls back first, Chloe chasing it before settling against her.

“So…” Beca starts. “I think we can do that again.”

Chloe laughs, curling into Beca, their legs intertwined and arms wrapped around each other possessively. Beca’s body, still sensitive, shivers and twitches at the touch, but she sinks into Chloe.

“I’m glad you liked it,” Chloe whispers, radiant.

“Mmm,” Beca agrees, stifling a yawn. “And if you give me, like, two minutes, I’d like to try the same for you.”

“If you say so,” Chloe murmurs, pressing a kiss to Beca’s forehead.

Beca tries to respond with some snarky remark, but her eyes are already sliding closed and Chloe’s arms around her are just so comfortable that she doesn’t think she can move.

“Love you, weirdo,” she manages, knowing it comes out slurred.

“I love you, too,” Chloe breathes, and that’s the last thing Beca hears before she’s drifting off, at home in Chloe’s arms.

[weareperfectdreams]

How to Unlock iPhone With Apple Support Number Without Passcode

If you're in search of an iPhone unlock, or you would like to get access back to your Apple account there are methods to assist you. You can either reset your Apple ID password, erase your iPhone or recover the Recovery contacts. To regain access to your Apple account, you can use recovery contacts The use of Recovery Contacts can allow you to get access back to your Apple account in the event you have forgotten your password. They can create a one-time recovery code for you and allow you to access your account. They do not have access to your account or data but they can verify your identity. Your Apple account can hold up to five Recovery contacts. Apple suggests adding one contact to your Family Sharing group. However you are also able to add contacts form other sources. To set up Recovery Contacts You must be at minimum 13 years of age and have an Apple device. You must be able authenticate using Touch ID or Face ID on your device. It is also important to ensure that two-factor authentication is turned on for your Apple ID. It is your responsibility to accept adding the Recovery Contact to your account. If you choose one who is not willing to accept your request, Apple will send you an email. You can also delete contacts that are not your recovery contacts. Account Recovery is accessible in the Account Recovery section of the Settings app. Tap Password & Recovery to access it. It's also possible to start Settings and tap the name at the top. Account Recovery is only a last resort option, and it could require a few days to retrieve your account. You can erase your account from Apple devices by going into Settings > Apple ID. After that, you'll be asked to set up a new password. Set your Apple ID password Whether you forgot the Apple ID password or your device was stolen or lost, you can reset your password. However, there are multiple steps to follow. Certain steps are simple to accomplish, while others require more time. The code will be sent to your mobile phone and you'll need to respond to security questions. The Apple Support app is your best option when it comes to regaining your lost passcode. If you require assistance, you may contact Apple Support's customer support phone number. They can help you figure out what the iPhone screen is indicating or help you re-add your password. They will however only be able to help you with a certain percentage of your problems. Checking your password twice is a good option. You should double-check your password when it's used to sign in to Apple services. You can verify this by entering Settings and then clicking on the iCloud tab. You'll be able to see a list on your devices. You can verify which devices are locked, or otherwise unusable. You might also want to create an email backup while you're in the process of setting it up. If you forgot your password, you could use the backup email to sign into. Erase your iPhone without using a password Utilizing a computer to erase your iPhone without the need for a password is an excellent method of getting your device back to the factory settings. You'll need to back up your device before erase it. You can then restore your iPhone to its previous settings using iTunes. Resetting your iPhone has the main benefit of being able to reset your passcode. This is particularly beneficial when you're having trouble making an appropriate passcode. This is useful for those who have made a change of mind and wish to enter a different passcode. You can erase your iPhone using a software application in the event that you don't have a passcode. It will erase all data and settings on your iPhone and restore it to its default condition.

You can also reset factory settings on your iPhone by using iTunes. It will erase all data and settings from your phone. It will also erase the Apple ID. For this, you'll require an Apple computer and a lightning cable. Another option is using an application that runs on a computer called AnyUnlock. This app will wipe your old iCloud accounts. It will also erase the previous Apple ID. You can also make use of a software app known as Stellar Toolkit for iPhone. This program wipes the device and then restore it to its original state. It can be run on either a Mac or on a PC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U21IHo5kG0

[ethxndolan]

Grayson Dolan Must Die (G.D.) Part 9

Summary: Grayson Dolan is known as the schools womanizer. His ability to make a girl fall in love with him, and drop her within a week is legendary. When a series of events peaks Grayson’s interest in Y/N, she is recruited by three of his exes to break his heart in a very public way and exact revenge for all the pain he has caused. However, nothing goes according to plan… and Y/N may be in way over her head navigating the whit and charm that is Grayson Dolan.

A/N: lol i leid i think theres gonna be 11 parts 

Word Count: 1,889

MASTERLIST

Grayson and I spent nearly the entire weekend together plotting and scheming. He took it upon himself to name us the Grayson Dolan Must Not Die Duo, also known as operation GDMNDD. He thought it was funny.

I told the GDMD girls that our date Friday night had gone extremely well, that Gray was an amazing kisser - a detail he insisted on adding or “they would know I was lying”. They were eager to move the plan along so they were totally cool and supportive of me hanging out with him all weekend. Especially when I provided details like he couldn’t stay away from me, he said I was the greatest girl he’d ever met, and that he had made me a playlist full of love songs - a detail which I insisted was important, but Grayson disagreed.

Monday morning I was standing at my locker grabbing my books for the day, when Gray walked up to me, wrapped an arm around my neck and kissed me on the cheek. “Hey,” he said.

“Hey,” I replied. We had decided to make it seem like we were dating so the GDMD girls didn’t suspect anything. So while I knew this interaction was fake, the stupid grin that was plastered on my face as I looked up at him wasn’t. And that worried me a little.

He leaned in and pressed his lips close to my ear as he whispered, “So you remember what you have to do right?”

It took me a second to sort through my thoughts and not the raging waves of heat that were rolling through my body. “Yeah, totally. I’m more worried about you.”

He put his hand against his chest and playfully looked offended. “I’ve got this, don’t worry, partner,” he said. “I’ll text you when it’s done.” He winked at me before placing a kiss on my forehead and walking away. My heart was beating erratically from nerves, from feelings I was unsure about, and general dread of what I had to do later today.

Grayson’s POV

I pushed open the doors of the front office and sauntered in. “Hey Mrs. G,” I said walking up to her desk and leaning against it. I gave her my best smolder, I had been told it was excellent in the past and I wasn’t afraid to use it to my advantage.

The school secretary looked up at me fondly. “Grayson, how are you?”

“I’m good,” I responded. “But, more importantly, how are you? Is your cat doing any better?” I hated small talk like this, but I knew asking about her cat was the best way to schmooze her. She was one of those crazy cat ladies who talked about them like they were her children.

She looked over at the picture of her cat and caressed the frame. “He’s doing much better, thank you.” Her eyes went back to me as a wide grin spread across her face. “You’re so sweet for remembering.”

“Can’t forget anything about you,” I said and gave her a quick wink. “Speaking of forgetting things, I completely forgot what period Rachel Gates has gym. I have her, uh, inhaler and I need to make sure she gets it.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion. “Since when does Rachel have asthma?”

“It’s an, um, new development. It was really dramatic she found out last week when she got too excited over getting asked to homecoming. It was really bad, she couldn’t breathe, she turned all red … not a good situation. So you see, I really needs to make sure she gets it before gym,” I said. I didn’t even know how asthma worked, I was straight up lying through my teeth and I was hoping Mrs. G couldn’t see through it. Everything was riding on this. If I couldn’t pull this off Y/N and I were fucked.

She sighed heavily, “Grayson, you know I’m not supposed to give out that kind of information…”

I gave her my best smile and made sure to look directly in her eyes. “Come on Mrs. G, you know this stays between us. Our little secret,” I said huskily.

She blushed in response and shifted in her seat as she sought about it for a second. “Okay, fine.”

—

I found out Rachel had gym fourth period. So as soon as the bell rang to dismiss third period I darted to her locker to wait for her. When she finally came I could see she was trying to look annoyed by my presence, but it was easy to see how fake it was. She loved when people paid attention to her. “Hey, Rach,” I said.

“Grayson,” she muttered. I watched carefully as she put her combo into her locker. Luckily it was still early enough in the school year that she wasn’t a complete whiz at it, and put it in slowly enough that I could catch it. “What can I do for you?” she asked, side eyeing me.

“Well, actually I need a favor.”

She raised an eyebrow as if she was surprised, but her tone said she wasn’t. “Oh?”

“Can I use your phone real quick? Mine’s dead and I desperately need to text Ethan real quick.” I knew a simple smile and light flirting wasn’t going to do the trick with Rachel, so I had to try a different tactic.

“Why wouldn’t you ask somebody, who I don’t know, likes you? I really couldn't give a shit if you’re able to text your dumb brother or not,” she said. They way her voice rose told me she was lying, she definitely still liked me.

Letting the comment about my brother roll off my back, which was not easy to do, I leaned in close to her and said, “Come on, Rach, don’t be like that. I really think you and I should reconnect, you really did me a solid when you told me all about Y/N’s plan. That means a lot to me.” I reached up and pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear. That did the trick.

Her eyes practically melted as I could see her resolve quickly disappear. “I heard you still went out with her this weekend.”

I shrugged. “Don’t worry, she’ll get what she deserves.” And I could honestly say I wasn’t lying. I would do anything to make sure this video of Y/N never got out, it was literally the only thing that mattered to me.

“Fine, but be quick I don’t want to be late to gym,” she said.

“You got it.” I watched her type in her passcode and then hand her phone to me. I typed some bullshit message to Ethan about football practice changing times. I handed it back to her, “Thanks.”

“Yeah, so about reconnecting-“

“Oh was that the bell? I have to go to class. See ya!” I dipped out of there so fast, not wanting to have that conversation. I walked down the next hall and waited till the bell actually rang and the halls cleared out.

I walked back to Rachel’s locker, looked around to make sure no one was there, and then put in her combo and opened it up. We weren’t allowed to take our backpacks or cellphones with us to gym class. So just as I had assumed, I saw her shiny black phone sitting on the shelf in her locker. I grabbed it, put in her code and did what I needed to do.

Y/Ns POV

Grayson had texted me and told me his part of the plan had been successful. That eased my anxiety only a little bit, because now it was my turn. I had texted the GDMD girls and called for an emergency meeting after school in the library.

I was the last one to show up, and they were not happy about it. “Y/N, what the fuck? Where have you been?” Megan asked. She looked so out of place in the library, I might have laughed if the situation was different.

“Sorry,” I muttered nervously.

Rachel was on her phone and didn’t even look up as she said, “Well? What is it? Some of us have actual lives.” It was fascinating that she thought that was an insult, considering her life seemed to revolve entirely around Grayson. I wondered if she ever truly meant to go through with the plan of ruining his reputation, or if she was always planning to turn around and tell Gray all about it in an attempt to get back in his good graces.

“Well, um,” I started. I could hear the nerves in my voice and I was actually glad for them for once. “I kind of… I can’t do this anymore. I won’t do this to Gray.” I fidgeted with my fingers and refused to look up at them.  

“What?!” They all shrieked. I could feel three pairs of eyes burning holes into me.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Sabrina spat.

“I just… I really like him, like maybe more than like… and I can’t hurt him like this.” I was doing my best to only say the truth because I knew I was a terrible liar.

Megan laughed so hard she started to tear up. “You can’t be serious?” When I didn’t say anything she stopped laughing. “Y/N, if he wasn’t into me, I can tell you he’s not into you. Look at you,” she said, and pointed to me up and down. “You’re pathetic, literally the only reason he’s even looking at you right now is because we helped you. And you just going to turn  around and stab us in the back like this?”

“You’re delusional,” Sabrina said, “You’re just like the rest of us, as soon as he gets what he wants he’s going to break your heart.”

I shook my head. “No, he won’t you don’t understand. What we have is real and-“

Rachel cut me off. “Oh, honey. What you have isn’t real, not when we’ve made you. He wouldn’t like the real you, the nerd who hooks up with losers like Connor, who spends her weekends at home. He may be interested in the you we’ve invented, but do you really think he’s going to stick around as soon as we stop helping you? Helping you with what to say, what to wear, what to do… You’re nothing without us.” Her words cut deep because I knew there was a strong possibility they could be true. “Besides, if you back out now, I will release the video. I will make sure the whole school sees your sex tape.”

Genuine tears started falling out of my eyes. Even though it hurt, it was good that they’re words were having an impact on me, because I was no actress. “Please don’t….I can’t do this… I … I love him,” I muttered. I wiped the tears off my cheeks, but more just replaced them.

Rachel picked up her purse and glared at me. “You stupid bitch. I’m going to ruin your life.” Her shoulder slammed into me as she walked by. Sabrina and Megan did the same thing as they left me standing in the library.

The damage was done. I just had to hope Grayson and I’s planned played out like we expected.

[alwaysbigwombat]

Password Recovery For Excel Mac

Overview of Excel Files. An Excel file, most commonly found with the extension '.xlsx', is a. Download Excel Password Recovery on Windows & Mac. Compatible with Windows 10, 8, 7 and MacOS 10.9 to 10.13. Free Download Buy Now ' Such a relief to find this software today. I did forget the password of my Office Salary Excel file and it was a complete disaster as.

Best Excel Password Recovery Tool

Password Recovery For Excel Macro

'How to remove password from my Excel file and sheet? What is the way of removing the protection?.'

Put it simply, you set a password to encrypt your workbook/spreadsheet and now what to remove password protection from Excel, do you? OK, here you'll find 7 effective solutions!

Hey, before you dive into further, ask yourself if you know the Excel password. As you can see, the methods are divided into 2 groups.

Now, let's check how to remove a password from Excel 2019/2017/2016/2013/2010/2007.

Part 2. Remove Password from Excel (You Forgot the Password)

Part 1. Remove Password from Excel (You Know the Password)

There are 4 types of Excel password encryption/protection. I'll give brief introductions and show you how to remove.

Since you remember the passcode, it'll be super easy for you to remove password from Excel File, Sheet, Workbook, and Read-Only Protection.

Way 1. Delete the Encrypted Password (Open Locked Microsoft Excel)

If it requires a password to open a password-protected Excel file, it means this workbook is locked. To remove Excel opening encrypted password, follow the steps below.

Step 1. Double-click your encrypted Microsoft Excel Workbook, then enter the password to open it.

Step 2. Click 'File' in the top left corner and then select 'Info'.

Step 3. For Excel 2019/2017/2016/2013/2010, click on 'Protect Workbook' and select 'Encrypt with Password' from the drop-down list.

(For Excel 2007 and older versions, click on 'Protect Document' and select 'Encrypt with Password')

Step 4. Clear the password box (make it empty) and then click OK.

After removing password in Excel file, don't forget to save the file. Now you've successfully deleted the encryption protection.

Way 2. Unprotect Excel Workbook or Spreadsheet

Excel 'Protect Workbook' password is set to protect its structure from being altered, hidden, and renamed. And the 'Protect Sheet' password is to keep your important data safe in the worksheet.

Now let's check how to remove password protect from Excel.

Step 1. Find and open the Excel Workbook/Worksheets.

Step 2. Click 'Review' in the top menu bar.

Step 3. Select 'Unprotect Sheet' or 'Protect Workbook', and then enter your password. Lastly, click OK.

This will remove the password from encrypted Excel sheet or Workbook.

Way 3. Remove Read-Only Limit Protection on Excel

You can't edit or modify the Excel spreadsheets if the read-only mode is turned on. If you know the password and want to turn it back off, here are the steps for you to disabled read-only restriction in excel document.

Step 1. Open the read-only protected Excel file and enter the password. Next, click OK.

Step 2. Go to the menu top toolbar and then click File > Save As > Browse (select a location) > Tools > General Options

Step 3. Locate 'Password to modify' and empty the text box next to it. Click OK to continue.

Step 4. After that, click Save.

Part 2. Remove Password from Excel (You Forgot the Password)

What to do if you forgot Excel password? That's OK. Even though you don't know the passcode, there're useful workarounds to help. In the following sections, you'll learn methods that enable you to remove password from Excel without password.

Way 4. Unprotect Excel Spreadsheet without Password

With this trick, you can easily unprotect Excel spreadsheet/worksheet without knowing the password. Let's see how to do it!

Note: make a backup of your Excel workbook and save it to another folder on computer.

Step 1. Change the extension of the protected worksheet: rename it from *.xlsx to *.zip.

Step 2. Open the ZIP File, double-click the 'xl' folder, and then open the 'worksheets' folder.

Step 3. In there, you can find the spreadsheets (in .xml format).

Step 4. Open a sheet file in Notepad. Now search for the content: <sheetProtection algorithmName='SHA-512″ hashValue='.

Then, select the entire line (the characters between'<' and '> ') and delete it.

Step 5. Save the file to a new folder.

Step 6. Do the same steps for all other spreadsheets.

Step 7. When it's done, drag and drop the modified .xml files to the 'worksheets' folder. Make sure they overwrite all the original XML files.

Step 8. Rename the *.Zip file back into *.xlsx

Voila! Open it and check if the password protection for Excel Spreadsheet/worksheet is removed.

Way 5. Crack/Break Excel Opening Password with Software

Can you remove opening password from excel without password? Sure! Password Genius Standard can easily break Excel file password, and then you can use the passcode to delete the encryption.

In addition to Excel, it also can recover password for Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, PDF, RAR, ZIP, etc.

Check how to crack forgotten Excel password:

Step 1. Download and install the software on PC/Mac. After launching it, select 'Recover Passwords for Files and Archives'.

Step 2. From the password recovery list, click 'Excel Password Recovery'.

Step 3. Click 'Open' to import the password encrypted Excel file.

Step 4. In this step, you need to select the attack type, then set the range, length, and so on.

Mode 1. Brute-force: It is the mode you use when you can recall the password range and length, which will greatly reduce the passcode-cracking time.

Mode 2. 'Mask': If you still remember some characters of the password, then the 'Mask' attack may be best for you. Just enter the known character and replace the rest with '?' in the 'Mask' box.

Mode 3. 'Dictionary': After selecting the 'Dictionary' attack, select the 'Dictionary' tab and then click 'Select Dictionary' to import the dictionary into the Password Genius.

Mode 4. 'Smart': This mode does not require you to make any settings. However, it takes longer to figure out your Excel password.

Step 6. Click 'Start' and wait until the password is retrieved. Once your see the cracked excel password, click 'Copy' in the dialog box. Next, open the encrypted Excel file with the password.

After all these steps, now you can manually remove a password from an Excel file.

Just like Password Genius, PasswordFab for Excel can quickly remove password from excel. The three attack types provide the highest possibility to recover passwords. When you cannot open excel with a password for some reason, PassFab for Excel is a recommended tool. Additionally, there are more excel password removers that can help.

Way 6. Use Workbook Unprotect Genius

Likewise, you can use another assistant software Excel Workbook Unprotect Genius to remove sheet protection password, read-only password, and Workbook protection password.

How to use the Workbook Unprotect Genius

Step 1. Get the software downloaded on your computer. After that, click Open to import a password protected excel Workbook.

Step 2. Click the 'Remove Password' button

Note: If the file is .XLS, you'll need to convert it to .xlsx before password protection removal.

Way 7. Remove passwords from Excel files Online

In case you don't want to install the program on your computer, you can an online tool (www.lostmypass.com).

It's very convenient to use. Just go to the site and upload your password locked Excel document. A few minutes later, you will get the recovered password on screen.

The problem is, I don't think it's safe to upload important documents to an online site. Besides, the service pricing is higher than using software.

The Bottom Line

All in all, we talked about 7 solutions to remove password from Excel workbook and spreadsheet. As you can see, removing protection from Excel is not so much difficult.

As always, if any method helps you solve your problem, please leave a comment and let me know. Thanks a lot!

When you forget password, only VBA programming, extension modification and Excel password remover can solve your problem. But obviously, the first 2 methods are too complicated, and even worse, they can't delete the password of latest Excel, which means you may take the time to deal with useless things.

To save time and money, open and modify the Excel 2019/2016/2013/2010/2007/2003 related to work or life, now let's take a look at the top 7 XLSX/XLS password remover.

Part 1. Summary of Excel Password Remover

Here I have summarized the features of each tool. Any freeware to try? If on MS Excel 1997/2003, you can try #1 Rixler Excel Password Recovery Master, #2 Free Word/Excel Password Recovery Wizard. But for other cases, not really or completely free, and the price varies.

If you want to do it online without software, go to #3 password-find.com

If you want a one-stop password recovery tool, try #4 Password Genius Standard, which supports other MS files apart from Excel. But it only recovers Excel open password.

The other three tools: #5 Straxx Excel Password Remover can only remove Excel workbook protected password. And the rest #6, as well as #7, can recover both kinds of Excel password.

Part 2. Introductions of Excel Password Cracker

In this part, you'll see the review result of each tool.

#1. Rixler Excel Password Recovery Master

Rixler Excel Password Recovery Master is the best free Excel password remover that can delete or restore various forms of Excel passwords. It has a unique way of unlocking the Excel, that is, crack Excel password with password encryption server and cloud computing.

Review Result

You can save on the budget if you are using MS Excel from 97 – 2003. It's free and can quickly decrypt workbook and worksheet passwords with simple UI and UX.

Advantages:

1. Support a variety of Excel formats: XLS, XLT, XLA, XLSX, XLSM, XLTX, XLTM, XLSB, XLAM.

2. This is a free password recovery tool.

Disadvantages:

1. Only paying $14.98 for Rixler Excel Password Recovery Pro can unlock Excel files after Excel 2013.

2.Only support Excel, not including other MS Office like Word, PPT and so on.

#2. Free Word/Excel Password Recovery Wizard

It is an Excel password breaker designed for Excel open password. There are 2 recovery methods: Dictionary Attack and Brute Force Attack, where 'Dictionary Attack' is the primary way of Excel passwords.

Review Result

The free unprotect feature only supports from MS 97 – 2003. I tried Dictionary Attack and Brute Force Attack in the order suggested by the official. The Word password was successfully retrieved. It claims to purchase an extra password dictionary for $15 to find the Excel password.

Advantages:

1. Remove Word password as well as specific versions of Excel for free – from 1997 to 2003.

2. An additional password dictionary is provided although paid.

3. Crack the Excel password by character combination.

Disadvantages:

1. Spend a lot of time looking for lengthy and complicated passwords.

2. For Excel 2007-2010, it suggests going to Password-Find.

#3. password-find.com

password-find is an online cracker for Excel password that allows you to retrieve Excel open and protected password without downloading it to PC/Mac.

Review Result

I can try the 'Remove Password' mode for free. Although it will remove the password and allow me to access the Excel, I still need to pay for the Pro one to display everything in the Excel file. And the password still exists after leaving the site.

Advantage:

1. Free to unlock part of the Excel files.

2. Unlock password protection for workbook and worksheet.

3. No need to download, convenient and fast.

4. It is an office password deletion tool, also works as a Word, PowerPoint and RAR password remover

Disadvantages:

1. There is a limit on the size of Excel file.

2. Not completely free. It takes $19.95 to remove password from 10 documents. And you won't get the password.

#4. Password Genius Standard

The Password Genius Standard is the best one of the paid Excel password crackers. It combines multiple technologies to accelerate Excel password recovery to quickly remove Excel password without losing data or corrupting data.

Review Result

The 4 recovery types: Normal, Mask, Dictionary, Smart are provided to use in different situations. I quickly recovered the Excel password with intimate prompts and navigation. In general, the more complex the password, the more time it takes.

Advantage:

1. 4 recovery modes to meet the needs of the market.

2. It is possible to perform Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, RAR, PDF, ZIP password recovery.

3. Built-in acceleration technology.

4. It can recover passwords of up to 3 characters for free, but for others, it says $29.95.

Disadvantages:

1. Can only recover Excel open password, but not worksheet/workbook.

#5. Straxx Excel Password Remover

Straxx Excel Password Remover developed for worksheet and workbook protection password deletion, and you can delete Excel passwords with macros within minutes.

Review Result

After selecting one from 'Unprotect Sheet', 'Unprotect workbook' and 'Unprotect all', I can delete worksheet/workbook protection. However, it should be noted that it can only crack passwords for free in Excel 2007 and 2010 on PC.

Advantage:

1. Excel 2007 and 2010 protection passwords on Windows can be removed free of charge.

2. It has simple steps of password cracking.

3. The original workbook will not be modified.

Best Excel Password Recovery Tool

Disadvantages:

1. It needs $28 if you're on Mac or want to remove protection on Excel 2013/2016/2019.

2. It can't recover Excel open password.

#6. iSeePassword Excel Password Recovery

This is a remover of Excel password, consisting of 2 methods: Recover Open Password from Excel and Remove Workbook/Worksheet Password.

Review Result

I tried to use these 3 attack modes to recover Excel open password. It's all done within 30 minutes!

Advantages:

1. It can crack open password and protection password.

2. Simple and clear design.

3. Three useful attack algorithms.

Disadvantages:

1. It takes $29.95, but only for Excel, not supporting Word, PowerPoint, and RAR etc.

#7. PassFab for Excel

As an Excel password remover, PassFab for Excel has fully realized its potential. It allows users to perform Excel password recovery with one click.

Review Result

There is a detailed Excel recovery guide on its official website. I easily retrieved my open password by the guidelines. Of course, it can also remove the password quickly.

Advantage:

1. Three Attack modes: 'Brute Force Attack', 'Brute Force with Mask Attack' and 'Dictionary Attack'.

2. In 'Dictionary Attack' mode, it allows downloading the latest password dictionary for free.

3. The perfect combination of open and protection password recovery.

Password Recovery For Excel Macro

4. Its price is $15.95 for a lifetime license on 1 PC.

Disadvantages:

It only supports Excel, not including other Microsoft files.

The Bottom Line

When you try any of Excel password remover that suits you, you will find it easy to remove/recover Excel passwords. Each software has its own unique attributes, and discovering its uniqueness is the key to your choice of software. I hope that the software description of this review will give you some hits.

Of course, if you have a better Excel password breaker to recommend, please leave a comment below.

[localocksmithnearme]

Safe Cracking Service Middleburg Heights OH (833)834-7233

If you want to move a large safe, want to change the serial number to your lock box or forgot where you left the key to your coffer goggling for a <strong>safe unlocking</strong> service in Middleburg Heights OH and surroundings area you are reading the right article. Our keysmith workers are practical with opening, rekeying and installing safes and vaults for your residential and commercial buildings and by reading this webpage you will find a resolution. Our mobile safe crack agent excels in improving, opening and installing gun safes, commercial safes, biometric safes and residential safes for your commercial and residential buildings. With over nine years of experience, armed with contemporary safe lockpicking equipage, we are practicable Monday through Sunday all day 24/7 to arrive to your location to fix any safe crack barrier you may suffer onsite.

Safes Cracking is a first-rated road side safe lock man service in Middleburg Heights OH and greater surrounding area. Our technicians are ultimately insured, licensed and bonded, have more then nine years of infield experience, serviceable twenty four hour equipped to the brim with contemporary safe lock and key hardware adequate to drive to your location instantaneously for any sort of general or emergency dialer, keys and locks problems you may encounter.

Whether you have a coffer dialer that wont turn, cleave to change the passcode to your safe or wish to move a large depository, searching for a homegrown consistent lockman service company, all you have to do is give us a call at (833)834-7233 for our dispatch center staff members to give information about your manifestation and one of our helpful and trained safe locksmiths will arrive to your place of choice speedily ferrying applicable auto safe dialer, drill bits and drilling equipage to lift your safe complication on-site to favor optimum services in Middleburg Heights OH.

Safes Cracking is your 24 hrs homegrown lock-smith who will drive to your place of chioce with just out safe lock bumping tools adequate to unlatch, rehabilitate or replace virtually each and every single safe burden on premises for every safemaker implementing you nominal cost  snap service

Zip Codes: 44114, 44106, 44113, 44011, 44202, 44115, 44125, 44308, 44067, 44120, 44145, 44149, 44139, 44060, 44017

Safe Cracking Service Brands: Honeywell, Fatboy, Brattonsound, JFC, Long Guns, Mosler, Phoenix, Relocker, Chubbsafes, Liberty, Burton, Lock box, Browning, Eurograde, Safewell, Sentry, Rhino, Amsec, Vline, Handgun, Fortify, Double, Probe, Electronic, Alpha, Knox, Cannon

[nationaldoorstep]

Smart Home Technology for Your Residents | Resident First Focus

Turning the lights on with a voice command, setting the thermostat to a comfy temperature before your afternoon commute, and even remotely feeding Fido a treat midday sounds like something out of an episode of The Jetsons. But the truth is, smart home technology is infiltrating the housing market at an astonishing rate. 

Smart home tech isn’t just for single-family homes. Multifamily renters want to get connected. Smart home technology ranks among the top amenities’ renters are prepared to pay a more for.

 Let’s dive into why you should contemplate installing smart home technology, what systems are sought-after on the market right now, and some tips to make implementing the new tech smoother. 

 Give renters what they want, and you’ll benefit, too.

According to a survey of 1,000 U.S. multifamily renters from lock manufacturer Schlage and Wakefield, more than 61% of renters are likely to rent an apartment precisely because of electronic access features. The same data show that 86% of Millennials will pay about one-fifth more per unit if furnished with smart amenities like smart locks, thermostats, and lights.

If you can advertise your apartments as “smart,” you’re likely to be a top choice for many desirable renters. Plus, you’ll likely yield higher returns for your units.

POPULAR SMART HOME TECH

Smart thermostats

The Department of Energy reports that heating and cooling accounts for nearly half of the energy use in the typical American household. A smart thermostat is an excellent way to help cut back on energy bills. Your residents can control temperatures in their unit from their smartphones. So, for example, if they inadvertently leave the A/C on before a long weekend, they can shut it off right from an app. Voice control can even control some thermostats. 

Your residents won’t be the only ones seeing a decline in their energy bills. With smart thermostats, you can effortlessly control the temperature of vacant units and common areas. If you outfit your spaces with thermostats that “learn” or have motion sensors, you won’t even have to worry about regulating the temperature. 

 According to online reviewers, here are some of the highest-rated thermostats on the market:

·    Ecobee4 (Ecobee3 Lite is also suitable for apartments)

·    Nest Learning Thermostat

·    Nest Thermostat E

·    Lyric™ T5 Wi-Fi Thermostat

Smart lighting

Heating and cooling might make up the bulk of energy usage, but lighting takes up its fair share. Americans spend about 9% of their residential energy on lighting. Imagine how much power you and your residents could save by using smart lighting!

Much like smart thermostats, equipping your units with intelligent lighting allows you and your residents to turn lights on and off remotely. As an example, say one of your renters rushes off to work without turning their bedside lamp off. With a smart lighting system, your residents can turn the bulb off from their smartphone. And if you forgot to flip the switch after showing a unit, you can turn it off the second you remember. 

Here are some of the top picks for smart bulbs:

·    Philips Lighting Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 Bulb Starter Kit

·    LIFX Mini White

·    GE C-Live 

Wi-Fi connected outlets

 Wi-Fi outlets are yet another way to increase the efficiency in your units. Small appliances found in nearly every apartment — TVs, Blu Ray players, computers — consume energy even when they’re turned off.

With a smart outlet, residents can set timers for their appliances and turn them on and off from anywhere with internet access. Any machine plugged into an intelligent outlet turns into a smart device. A handful offer USB connection for handheld charging. Some outlets provide insights into energy usage, which may prompt some folks to change some of their daily habits. After some time using smart outlets, chances are your residents will see a drop in their energy bills. Happy residents = happy property managers. 

 Here are some of the top picks for the best smart outlets:

·    Sochoose Wi-Fi Smart Plug

·    Securifi Peanut Plug

·    Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug

 Smart locks

One thing renters and property managers agree on is that dealing with keys can be cumbersome. A set of keys is surprisingly easy to lose, and getting locked out is an inconvenience many renters have had to face. And property managers have to keep track of keys for new tenants, people moving out, maintenance staff, leasing agents, and the list goes on.

 Smart locks take all the hassle out of dealing with keys. Much like with the lighting and thermostat systems we’ve mentioned already, you and your residents can manage smart locks from a smartphone. Alternatively, some locks can be unlatched using a fob, card, or code, making them a viable solution for people who don’t carry a cell phone everywhere. Locks designed for the multifamily industry often feature solutions allowing property managers to control locks from a central hub, eradicating the need to keep track of hundreds of passcodes.

 Here are some of the best smart locks for multifamily apartment buildings:

·    Latch

·    Yale Locks and Hardware

·    Kwikset

  Package lockers

Amazon shipped 5 billion shipments worldwide in 2017 — just to its Prime members. Proof that consumers love the ease and convenience of online shopping with free two-day shipping is in the numbers, but a constant flood of package deliveries can cause significant headaches. Every time a parcel comes in, you or your staff have to spend a couple of minutes with each one. A couple of minutes might not seem like a lot, but that time can add up.

Package lockers take the stress out of manually handling box deliveries. In a case study with the University of Nevada Las Vegas, we found that university staff was spending 240 hours every month just on package delivery. Now, with package lockers, the whole process takes only 13 seconds per package, and a team member doesn’t have to be involved at all. Package lockers make it easy for residents to receive and return parcels as well securely. 

On the horizon

 There are smart window coverings, appliances, and security systems on the market as well, but some of the technology is still in its infancy. And just like Sony’s first CD player cost about $1,000 in 1982, some of the new smart home gadgets can get pretty pricey. Keep an eye on emerging tech, and you might find something perfect for your properties down the road.

[myicloudinfo]

Forgot iPhone Password Apple ID recover, How to Guide

Forgot iPhone Password and Apple ID recover, official Guide

Forgot iPhone passcode

The iPhone is one of the most popular models of cell phone offering excelling features, graphics and apps. How Forgot iPhone Password and Apple ID recover, iPhone does not come with a passcode assigned to it. However, it is possible for the user to change the settings so that a passcode is required before it is possible to access the data in the phone. This passcode is a…

[regulardomainname]

Locked Out? Best Password Managers

Passwords play two roles. Their first purpose is to keep our information safe from anyone who might use it for nefarious deeds. The second role, which you hopefully don’t encounter often, is as a gatekeeper preventing us from accessing our own information when we forget the password. Forgetting an important password can bring our otherwise completely productive day to a screeching halt. This is where password managers get to act like heroes saving us from ourselves. Password managers take the guesswork out of remembering our most important phrases and passcodes. No longer are you forced to ponder, “Was there an exclamation point?” or “Did I use the number one instead of the letter i?” Instead, we can save our information into a password manager and let it take over. Note: Do not, I repeat, do not lose the password to your password manager – your life will crumble before your very eyes. Instead, save it in a secure physical location like a safe. To save you from banging your head against the keyboard while trying to remember exactly which password you used for whichever obscure website you had to log into, we have created a list of our favorite three password managers. Our list begins with LastPass, the king of passwords, but we have also included some others you might not be familiar with. Never click the ‘Forgot Password’ link again, see our top three password managers below: LastPass As the undisputed king of passwords, LastPass has an approximate 7 million users. The application integrates seamlessly with most internet browsers and quickly fills in the required login information. As well as safely storing our passwords, LastPass also allows you to share passwords with others and generate rock-solid passwords that will stump any hacker. LastPass offers a free version that meets most basic password needs, but also has Premium versions for additional security. Choose from Individual, Family, Teams, or Enterprise packages that range from $2-$6 per month. LastPass also offers credit monitoring services, two-factor authentication, and auto-fill features for easy shopping. Premium versions include sharing your LastPass between your various devices and expert technical support should you need it. Download now at LastPass.com. 1Password When 1Password was created, developers offered $100,000 to anyone who could break into it. Suffice to say, they never had to pay out. 1Password offers password generation and secure sharing, but where it excels is in its “Watchtower” feature. 1Password screens your internet activity and can actively warn you if you are being breached. Securely save your entire wallet for secure shopping and sync your information between devices. 1Password covers all of your password needs for $3 – $5 per month, but they do offer a free trial while you decide. Sign up at 1Password.com. Dashlane While Dashlane may appear to be another run-of-the-mill password, it actually has some pretty impressive features. The platform allows you to manage up to 50 passwords for free, but also offers premium versions with unlimited space and credit monitoring services. The platform has grown increasingly intuitive over the years and allows you to securely save notes and documents. Dashlane will also alert you to security breaches happening at the locations you have logins for. For example, if a hotel you frequent experiences a data breach, then Dashlane will notify you. The platform also allows you to quickly change passwords in just a few clicks, and even includes a VPN service should you need to protect your browsing in public places like airports or coffee shops. Dashlane is the Cadillac of password managers if you are good with the price. You can sign up at Dashlane.com. Partner with a web host who prioritizes your data security. Visit Midphase.com today!       The post Locked Out? Best Password Managers appeared first on The Midphase Blog. http://dlvr.it/Qv5hX1 www.regulardomainname.com

[unhappyclient-blog]

John M Edwards from Madison Indiana

John and I started dating in June of 2012. We met through a dating website (POF) and he looked like the perfect guy. We texted all day and talked on the phone for hours every night. He was so sweet and even though we lived 4 hours apart, he surprised me at the most adorable of ways by sending me flowers or stuff like that. In August I moved to west lafayette since I began attending Purdue University. Between him working full time and having drill a weekend of this month (because he is in the military NG), and me going to school all during the week and working on the weekends, we only saw each other one weekend out of the month. But then, things were great. We constantly had the best time together and shared wonderful memories. We would go back and forth composing every other long sweet texts professing our love for each other and it was like a fairy tale. But I discovered it started to stop sometime in january. And when I brought this to his attention, he'd say it was because he had been busy hanging out with a friend and hed send one afterwards, or he fell sleep and forgot. In March of 2013, I found out that I was pregnant. He was supposed to be set up to Egypt that June, but the day after I discovered, his installation was cancelled and I thought it was destiny. I finished out the session and we have an apartment together May in his hometown (4 hours away from all of my loved ones and friends). I moved down there to be with him and begin our family together. I found an excellent job within 2 weeks and things were going great. Then I began to notice changes. He went out every weekend to the bars with his friends, leaving me home alone with nothing to do and nobody to hangout with or talk to. I couldnt go if I wanted to because A) I was only 20. And B) he didnt need me out in crowded public areas because theres a great deal of dumb drunk idiots out there and somebody could bump into me and god forbid it caused any harm to the baby. Well I started becoming suspicious because he would stay out in the bars until 4am, yet they closed at 3. (and in addition, he got a DUI in July after blowing a .15 and had his license suspended for a month and was put on probation for the next year, yet still went out and drank in the pubs anyways because his best friend was a cop) He'd conceal his phone and take it with him when he went to shower or poop. He kept a lock on his telephone that I constantly had the code , but then he began altering it and any moment I'd ask for this, hed get defensive or make up and explanation. And when I figured it out, hed change it again the following moment. One night I had figured out the passcode to his telephone and I unlocked it. I found he had a snapchat from some girl, so I viewed it, and it was a photo of her VAGINA. Not full blown, however, it was a straight shot of her pants unzipped with panties on. Obviously my mouth dropped and I woke him up right then pissed off asking questions (bad thought. Always stay cool and get your ducks in a row first). Nicely he course played it off and stated that she had been just a an ex girlfriend of one of his buddies and he had no clue why she'd send him something like that and that hed obstruct her. Well I knew better, but of course gave him the benefit of the doubt. He then got another part time job to help save extra cash before our daughter was born and had gone to see him one night and the women were quite friendly with me and knew we were together and expecting a child except ONE girl. Well I discovered they were friends on facebook and she too was shot with a kid. Well I added her and she never approved. Then I saw text messages on his phone between the both of them as if they had been attempting to get to know each other (such as you do when you first start talking to somebody asking for pictures, etc). He told me it was his friend in the office texting her from his phone bc his was broken. I knew that was probably bullshit but when we hung out with this friend one evening, I asked him when john had gone into the restroom and he confirmed it, so I let it go. (turns out that he was covering for him) oh and also the best part was that after I finally found out this, I found out that this particular woman lived in the same neighborhood as us, just a street over!! Well he quit that job soon after because he said he didnt like it there and got yet another part time job working in video. (he had worked there before and left on good terms so they hired him right away). Well he worked up until a few days before our daughter was born and then just stopped showing up and finally got fired bc he didnt need to have to work for thanksgiving. Nicely November 2013 comes and I have my girl, the most beautiful little girl in the world. He was right there with me every step along the way, through the 16 and a half an hour of labour. I had her and he remained there with me that the whole 3 days we had been in the hospital. He seemed so filled with love and security (like a father should have) that I thought maybe hed realize that a household is more important than anything or anyone. He'd taken another week off of work so he could stay home and be there with us I had been on paid maternity leave for 6 weeks from my job. He came straight home from work daily and could stay home every weekend (except the evenings he had drill). Well one day his buddys girlfriend (who'd become my very best friend) told me that her boyfriend (johns BEST FRIEND) had informed her one night which John had cheated on me with a woman named Olivia at the Family Video shop where he used to work. That he was shutting one night and she came and watched him and they had sex in one of the temptations (aisle 4 or something as it had no detectors ) and this happened like a week until my daughter was born. Well I was angry since this was the SAME GIRL that'd befriended me months ahead, and we had actually hung out a few times and she came over to our apartment one day after our daughter was born. I thought it was strange how he sat there on his xbox enjoying his game and hardly ackowledged her, and the way she had been absolutely fine with thumping her boob and breastfeeding her 3 month old daughter (Yes, she had a girl, was a year younger than me, and her babys dad wants nothing to do with her or his child ). That his buddy would never state anything like that and that it never occurred. Well, Christmas time comes along with his buddy (the one whos a cop) articles a standing on facebook stating hes drinking with a friend of his and invites john over. John comments on it and says no he cant (because we were sitting there watching a movie) and his friend comments back and says that his hitler-ette had to calm down and quit controlling him. So I awakened on his buddy and he explained that the only reason john was was because I got pregnant and if I was brighter and had used birth control then I wouldnt even be here right now. So john went on his buddy and actually stood me up and I told him I want nothing to do with him at all and that he is not permitted over at our home or to visit our kid. He complied and his buddys title wasnt brought up again and they never hung out (even though they'd made up with eachother and still texted occasionally). Well in february, this exact same friend of his has been caught red handed cheating on his girlfriend (my now best friend) with some girl for the previous 2 months. Well things happened between those who I say, but now instead of being a police officer, hes sitting for the next 8 years and can have no contact with either of his daughters or his ex girlfriend (my buddy ). Well the night this all occurred, I wake up into a text message saying we had been perfect. They were cheating with (so and so). So I wake john up and tell him what she said and he said that she had been making s*** up to try to break us up since her connection was about to ***. And since I had no evidence, I let it all go. Well I had posted a standing about cheaters and a week later I get an anonymous letter in the mail at my WORK, addressed to me personally, stating (in badly disguised sloppy handwriting) they saw my status and know for a fact that john had cheated on me with atleast 3 different women, and gave titles. And that they thought I must know (and one of the girls names was Olivia, from earlier in my story). This time I didnt mechanically show him my evidence and accuse him. I played it cool and wished to collect everything. So I figured out the password for his verizon accounts and looked in his telephone records and saw a number continuously popping up on there. I printed everything! That night, iIwake around 1 because my daughter started crying and I started to feed her so she could go back to sleep. I discovered it vibrate, but it didnt light up. (he's an iphone) therefore I click on the home button, and it doesnt show anything on the monitor. (keep in mind his phone is also secured, so I cant test it fully because I dont know the password). Well then it goes back, but it was a different vibration than previously and the telephone really lit up this time. I seem and its some remark notification for facebook. So right then and there's when I knew that he had blocked the alarms for texts so I couldnt see (since it shows that the first portion of the message onto the lock screen) so I waited till he finally awakened at 5:30 that morning and went to check his phone, like he does every morning. And I told him to waitand that I needed to sit behind him as he assessed it. He immediately asked why and I said since somebody texted you at 1:30 in the afternoon and the notification did not show on the display so I wanna understand who it is. He immediately got defensive and said no! That he wasnt going to continue doing so s*** and that I have to trust him. That Saturday nighthe went out to the bars and got really drunk, and for the first time in the past year and a half, I went to a bonfire with my pal and two of her woman friends. It was just the four people plus her friends husband and his friend. I requested Johns mother and sister to babysit for a couple hours so I could hangout and have a wonderful time, and they were happy to. Well once I was there for about an or two, johns sister calls me and informs me john found they were babysitting and got really pissed off that I wasnt house with our daughter. So I advised her id be home soon and she said that he was already on his way home. Well then I get a call from john who asks me what Im doing, I tell him Im at a bonfire and he flips out on me and says could O pawn off our kid to somebody else (if it was his mother and sister) and that I was a horrible mom. (yet he had been the one who was piss ass drunk). So I push instantly home and hes sitting on the sofa with his friend, and his mother and sister are sitting on the other end of the sofa with my daughter. I walk in, since the door was unlocked and he gets up and goes into the bathroom (where he began puking his guts out bc thats how drunk he was the same guy that blew a .15 and believed he was absolutely fine to push and hadnt drank so far ). Well his sister and I go out and she explains to me exactly what happened when he got home. He flew into a rage and began screaming stuff and saying how I was nuts if I thought I was going to have the ability to come in the home and blah blah blah. Nicely his sister told him into the stfu and said shes a mommy. shes going to call the cops. Youll go to prison! Stop being an idiot and calm down! . Well we didnt say a word to each other the rest of the night and his friend passed out, and I slept on the sofa. After that day, one of his own friends had called me and asked what had occurred between us bc he saw we werent together on facebook and I told him why and he explained that was actually cheating on me with this one girl, the one he maintained was texting his friend through his mobile phone. And how he bragged about it to him saying oh this woman is texting me and sending me these pics and what not all happy about it. So that next Saturday, while he was at drill, my parents and my cousin came down with their 12 passenger van and pickup and they moved all of mine and my daughters things back to fort wayne to my parents home. He freaked out on me initially and posted a lot of bullshit on facebook to get sympathy from people who had no idea what actually happened, and I filed that Monday for child service and we had our court in july because he didnt wish to agree on more than $200 a month to get support when Im paying $500 per month daily care alone. _Ùªâ I'd post the women that he cheated on me with, but to tell the truth, I dont know all of their names because there were too many to count. They knew we had been hell the whole town did because its a very small city, nevertheless still fIIked around with him. But the moment I began to get suspicious about one, hed drop them and move on to the next. So hes the actual HOMEWRECKER within this story and he deserves to be here and these chicks will get whats coming to them as will he _Ùªâ The one thing I am thankful for throughout this whole mess was my lovely daughter, along with also the fact that besides his lying adulterous ways, he's really a fantastic father to her. Read the full article

[verifiedcomplaints-blog]

John M Edwards from Madison Indiana

John and I started dating in June of 2012. We met through a dating website (POF) and he looked like the perfect guy. We texted all day and talked on the phone for hours every night. He was so sweet and even though we lived 4 hours apart, he surprised me at the most adorable of ways by sending me flowers or stuff like that. In August I moved to west lafayette since I began attending Purdue University. Between him working full time and having drill a weekend of this month (because he is in the military NG), and me going to school all during the week and working on the weekends, we only saw each other one weekend out of the month. But then, things were great. We constantly had the best time together and shared wonderful memories. We would go back and forth composing every other long sweet texts professing our love for each other and it was like a fairy tale. But I discovered it started to stop sometime in january. And when I brought this to his attention, he'd say it was because he had been busy hanging out with a friend and hed send one afterwards, or he fell sleep and forgot. In March of 2013, I found out that I was pregnant. He was supposed to be set up to Egypt that June, but the day after I discovered, his installation was cancelled and I thought it was destiny. I finished out the session and we have an apartment together May in his hometown (4 hours away from all of my loved ones and friends). I moved down there to be with him and begin our family together. I found an excellent job within 2 weeks and things were going great. Then I began to notice changes. He went out every weekend to the bars with his friends, leaving me home alone with nothing to do and nobody to hangout with or talk to. I couldnt go if I wanted to because A) I was only 20. And B) he didnt need me out in crowded public areas because theres a great deal of dumb drunk idiots out there and somebody could bump into me and god forbid it caused any harm to the baby. Well I started becoming suspicious because he would stay out in the bars until 4am, yet they closed at 3. (and in addition, he got a DUI in July after blowing a .15 and had his license suspended for a month and was put on probation for the next year, yet still went out and drank in the pubs anyways because his best friend was a cop) He'd conceal his phone and take it with him when he went to shower or poop. He kept a lock on his telephone that I constantly had the code , but then he began altering it and any moment I'd ask for this, hed get defensive or make up and explanation. And when I figured it out, hed change it again the following moment. One night I had figured out the passcode to his telephone and I unlocked it. I found he had a snapchat from some girl, so I viewed it, and it was a photo of her VAGINA. Not full blown, however, it was a straight shot of her pants unzipped with panties on. Obviously my mouth dropped and I woke him up right then pissed off asking questions (bad thought. Always stay cool and get your ducks in a row first). Nicely he course played it off and stated that she had been just a an ex girlfriend of one of his buddies and he had no clue why she'd send him something like that and that hed obstruct her. Well I knew better, but of course gave him the benefit of the doubt. He then got another part time job to help save extra cash before our daughter was born and had gone to see him one night and the women were quite friendly with me and knew we were together and expecting a child except ONE girl. Well I discovered they were friends on facebook and she too was shot with a kid. Well I added her and she never approved. Then I saw text messages on his phone between the both of them as if they had been attempting to get to know each other (such as you do when you first start talking to somebody asking for pictures, etc). He told me it was his friend in the office texting her from his phone bc his was broken. I knew that was probably bullshit but when we hung out with this friend one evening, I asked him when john had gone into the restroom and he confirmed it, so I let it go. (turns out that he was covering for him) oh and also the best part was that after I finally found out this, I found out that this particular woman lived in the same neighborhood as us, just a street over!! Well he quit that job soon after because he said he didnt like it there and got yet another part time job working in video. (he had worked there before and left on good terms so they hired him right away). Well he worked up until a few days before our daughter was born and then just stopped showing up and finally got fired bc he didnt need to have to work for thanksgiving. Nicely November 2013 comes and I have my girl, the most beautiful little girl in the world. He was right there with me every step along the way, through the 16 and a half an hour of labour. I had her and he remained there with me that the whole 3 days we had been in the hospital. He seemed so filled with love and security (like a father should have) that I thought maybe hed realize that a household is more important than anything or anyone. He'd taken another week off of work so he could stay home and be there with us I had been on paid maternity leave for 6 weeks from my job. He came straight home from work daily and could stay home every weekend (except the evenings he had drill). Well one day his buddys girlfriend (who'd become my very best friend) told me that her boyfriend (johns BEST FRIEND) had informed her one night which John had cheated on me with a woman named Olivia at the Family Video shop where he used to work. That he was shutting one night and she came and watched him and they had sex in one of the temptations (aisle 4 or something as it had no detectors ) and this happened like a week until my daughter was born. Well I was angry since this was the SAME GIRL that'd befriended me months ahead, and we had actually hung out a few times and she came over to our apartment one day after our daughter was born. I thought it was strange how he sat there on his xbox enjoying his game and hardly ackowledged her, and the way she had been absolutely fine with thumping her boob and breastfeeding her 3 month old daughter (Yes, she had a girl, was a year younger than me, and her babys dad wants nothing to do with her or his child ). That his buddy would never state anything like that and that it never occurred. Well, Christmas time comes along with his buddy (the one whos a cop) articles a standing on facebook stating hes drinking with a friend of his and invites john over. John comments on it and says no he cant (because we were sitting there watching a movie) and his friend comments back and says that his hitler-ette had to calm down and quit controlling him. So I awakened on his buddy and he explained that the only reason john was was because I got pregnant and if I was brighter and had used birth control then I wouldnt even be here right now. So john went on his buddy and actually stood me up and I told him I want nothing to do with him at all and that he is not permitted over at our home or to visit our kid. He complied and his buddys title wasnt brought up again and they never hung out (even though they'd made up with eachother and still texted occasionally). Well in february, this exact same friend of his has been caught red handed cheating on his girlfriend (my now best friend) with some girl for the previous 2 months. Well things happened between those who I say, but now instead of being a police officer, hes sitting for the next 8 years and can have no contact with either of his daughters or his ex girlfriend (my buddy ). Well the night this all occurred, I wake up into a text message saying we had been perfect. They were cheating with (so and so). So I wake john up and tell him what she said and he said that she had been making s*** up to try to break us up since her connection was about to ***. And since I had no evidence, I let it all go. Well I had posted a standing about cheaters and a week later I get an anonymous letter in the mail at my WORK, addressed to me personally, stating (in badly disguised sloppy handwriting) they saw my status and know for a fact that john had cheated on me with atleast 3 different women, and gave titles. And that they thought I must know (and one of the girls names was Olivia, from earlier in my story). This time I didnt mechanically show him my evidence and accuse him. I played it cool and wished to collect everything. So I figured out the password for his verizon accounts and looked in his telephone records and saw a number continuously popping up on there. I printed everything! That night, iIwake around 1 because my daughter started crying and I started to feed her so she could go back to sleep. I discovered it vibrate, but it didnt light up. (he's an iphone) therefore I click on the home button, and it doesnt show anything on the monitor. (keep in mind his phone is also secured, so I cant test it fully because I dont know the password). Well then it goes back, but it was a different vibration than previously and the telephone really lit up this time. I seem and its some remark notification for facebook. So right then and there's when I knew that he had blocked the alarms for texts so I couldnt see (since it shows that the first portion of the message onto the lock screen) so I waited till he finally awakened at 5:30 that morning and went to check his phone, like he does every morning. And I told him to waitand that I needed to sit behind him as he assessed it. He immediately asked why and I said since somebody texted you at 1:30 in the afternoon and the notification did not show on the display so I wanna understand who it is. He immediately got defensive and said no! That he wasnt going to continue doing so s*** and that I have to trust him. That Saturday nighthe went out to the bars and got really drunk, and for the first time in the past year and a half, I went to a bonfire with my pal and two of her woman friends. It was just the four people plus her friends husband and his friend. I requested Johns mother and sister to babysit for a couple hours so I could hangout and have a wonderful time, and they were happy to. Well once I was there for about an or two, johns sister calls me and informs me john found they were babysitting and got really pissed off that I wasnt house with our daughter. So I advised her id be home soon and she said that he was already on his way home. Well then I get a call from john who asks me what Im doing, I tell him Im at a bonfire and he flips out on me and says could O pawn off our kid to somebody else (if it was his mother and sister) and that I was a horrible mom. (yet he had been the one who was piss ass drunk). So I push instantly home and hes sitting on the sofa with his friend, and his mother and sister are sitting on the other end of the sofa with my daughter. I walk in, since the door was unlocked and he gets up and goes into the bathroom (where he began puking his guts out bc thats how drunk he was the same guy that blew a .15 and believed he was absolutely fine to push and hadnt drank so far ). Well his sister and I go out and she explains to me exactly what happened when he got home. He flew into a rage and began screaming stuff and saying how I was nuts if I thought I was going to have the ability to come in the home and blah blah blah. Nicely his sister told him into the stfu and said shes a mommy. shes going to call the cops. Youll go to prison! Stop being an idiot and calm down! . Well we didnt say a word to each other the rest of the night and his friend passed out, and I slept on the sofa. After that day, one of his own friends had called me and asked what had occurred between us bc he saw we werent together on facebook and I told him why and he explained that was actually cheating on me with this one girl, the one he maintained was texting his friend through his mobile phone. And how he bragged about it to him saying oh this woman is texting me and sending me these pics and what not all happy about it. So that next Saturday, while he was at drill, my parents and my cousin came down with their 12 passenger van and pickup and they moved all of mine and my daughters things back to fort wayne to my parents home. He freaked out on me initially and posted a lot of bullshit on facebook to get sympathy from people who had no idea what actually happened, and I filed that Monday for child service and we had our court in july because he didnt wish to agree on more than $200 a month to get support when Im paying $500 per month daily care alone. _Ùªâ I'd post the women that he cheated on me with, but to tell the truth, I dont know all of their names because there were too many to count. They knew we had been hell the whole town did because its a very small city, nevertheless still fIIked around with him. But the moment I began to get suspicious about one, hed drop them and move on to the next. So hes the actual HOMEWRECKER within this story and he deserves to be here and these chicks will get whats coming to them as will he _Ùªâ The one thing I am thankful for throughout this whole mess was my lovely daughter, along with also the fact that besides his lying adulterous ways, he's really a fantastic father to her. Read the full article

[balaguntipalli-blog]

Cybersecurity Resilience and Best Practices for Fraud Prevention - Bala Guntipalli

The CFO Leadership Council conducts professional development programs with the goal of empowering CFOs across the globe empowering them to make better strategic IT decisions.

As part of this I was moderating the seminar titled:

Cybersecurity Resilience and Best Practices for Fraud Prevention - Why should a CFO care and what can they do about it?

Dr. Willie E. May, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and many leaders have often stated that "Cybersecurity Is Not Just an IT Issue, IT Is a Business Risk."  Because financial executives are quantitative by nature, so I would like to put the cost of Cybercrime in context:

Per CNBC: Cybercrime costs the global economy $450 Billion

Forbes: Cybercrime costs projected to reach $2 Trillion by 2019

Here are a few relevant points for the broader cybersecurity community, CFOs, and the boards in most industries and organizations of all sizes.

A)       When performing Risk Analysis and Risk Management, ask these questions:

Which assets, digital and physical, is the organization trying to protect?

How is the data classified? And how is it treated differently?

Where is the risk?

How could that risk change over time?

After these questions are answered, then identify where to begin. Too many companies attempt to “protect everything” and wind up “not” protecting much at all.

Few points to consider:

Trained people and processes should supplement IT tools. Consider the Equifax hack where the staff forgot to restart the system after patching. Relying solely on the technology will have adverse effects.

Do not limit penetration testing to just for one area of the company infrastructure and IT landscape. Choosing the vulnerable areas serves the organization better.

Companies should test across the firewall, server, web applications, mobile applications, infrastructure, for both inside and outside threats.

Hackers don’t play by rules. They do their homework. They are patient.

Perform vulnerability tests to check for potential risks, and pentest (Penetration tests) to identify if any of the vulnerable spots can be exploited.

Ask the CISO/CIO about the current Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) in place and how the alerts are being managed?

Choosing an Intrusion Detection System that best suits the organizational needs is critical.

The options available are:

Network-Based intrusion detection system

Host Based intrusion detection system

Blended option (RealSecure type systems)

Three things to consider when choosing an Intrusion prevention system (IPS) are:

Detection capabilities

Context understanding

Threat intelligence use

Follow all other steps, just as when any other mission-critical technology is acquired.

B)  How to reduce the chances of a hack and steps to take when there is a compromise:

Have multiple levels of authorization.

Reach out immediately to the financial institution (if the finance systems are comprised.)

Documentation of every process is important.

Training is critical – specifically against several social engineering attacks (Pretexting, Quid pro quo, Tailgating, Baiting, Water holing, Diversion theft, Phishing - Phone and Spear phishing.)

Do not shame or punish when someone opens a malicious link. Use it as a teaching moment. Create a culture where employees are not afraid to share what they did.

Do not shame or punish when someone opens a malicious link. Use it as a teaching moment. Create a culture where employees are not afraid to share what they did.

Acting immediately when breached minimizes the impact on the business and the customers.

Want ROI? Act fast. Contact the law enforcement authorities.

A cyber break is like quicksand. One doesn’t realize that the next step taken could sink.

Pay attention to the Business Email Compromise (BEC). Often companies are attacked through email by exploiting the target to allow malware or wire fraud.

C) Conquer the easy threats first:

Implement simple checks and balances.

Do not leave all authority to one person.

Audit each account and user.

Get rid of inactive accounts/users.

Monitor usage.

Test the humans (Drop USB data sticks on the ground to see who will use it.)

Require training for those that fail the tests.

Sharks smell blood: Hackers will look for patterns and wait for a vulnerable time/opportunity.

D)       What can be done?

1.        Create and implement a policy: Being breached is not about if, but when. Put the recovery protocols in place before anything terrible happens. When it does happen, systems are ready to deal with it.

2.        On the Governance side: To determine measurements, the board and C-suite should meet with the CIO, CRO, and CISO and establish the critical metrics of how often the company systems get audited, document and follow-up. Cybersecurity is only as strong as the weakest link in the company (the employees.)

3.        Ask these questions:

Does the organization need a cybersecurity commitment team?

Are the risks analyzed and understood?

What are the investments required and the ROI?

How the staff educated and what are they trained on? How that relates to the business?

Do employees understand their roles?

Is the company utilizing partners?

How do the vendors impact the company?

Does the company have a security policy or process in place for vendors?

4.        Educational options:

Many frameworks are available and specialized to fit specific industries. Some banks and merchant vendors will help with free necessary assessments.

Figure out what data need to be protected and how those different buckets of data will be treated differently.

Know that there is no one blanket protection policy.

5.        How to best protect passwords?

Password manager

Biometrics

Multi-security factors (at sign in) – e.g., using 2nd tier authentication such as enabling second level authentication that requires to send a passcode to the mobile phone

Use Privilege Identity Managers

E) How to validate if the policies are working or not?

When developing technology, most designers/engineers use test-driven development (TDD.) and similar TDD policies in cybersecurity to enhance the posture.

Test

Measure

Improve

Tabletop test

Monitor progress.

Simple clean up. Delete inactive/duplicate data.

F) How the staff, CFO’s, and the board can enhance the cybersecurity posture?

Cyber security involves Process+ People + Technology. Be engaged, ask questions, document, and follow-up. If C-suite is not versed with the latest threats or not aware of which questions to ask, work with passionate consultants whose industry expertise can fill in the gaps.

G) 15 items to consider while enhancing the cybersecurity posture are:

1.        Pay attention to the third party vendors (Remember the Target Corporation breach  where the hackers entered systems through a HVAC vendor from out-of-state?)

2.        Who is accessing the network from the vendor side? Are they sharing the credentials with multiple users?

3.        Are the vendors able to access only the components of the network that they need to conduct their business? (follow “Minimum Authorization Required” rule). Who is responsible for which part of the company systems and network?

4.        Ask how often the vendor systems and policies get audited

5.        Who audits the vendor systems? Pay attention to the answers. Is it a third party independent audit or an internal audit?

6.        If the third party is employed, how reputable they are?

7.        If the internal staff is used, who the information security/audit staff performing the audit report to?

8.        If they are reporting to the CTO, conflict of interests should be considered.

9.        Are the systems getting patched?

10.     What is the formal patching process? Is it verifiable?

11.     How often does the company perform risk assessments? Is there a malware scan in place?

12.     What is the formal method for interpreting the results and what actions are taken for the evaluations conducted in the past 24 months?

13.     How are the vendors and their systems monitored currently?

14.     If Managed Service Provider (MSP) is employed or if the IT and Infrastructure is  outsourced to 3rd party vendors make sure close attention is paid to MSP’s Risk Management, Risk Mitigation, Business Continuity Management policies/procedures

15.     At a few midsize companies I have consulted I noticed the C suite is entrusting cybersecurity to a few engineers with additional full-time duties. Russian proverb President Reagan used during the cold war era (Doveryai, no proveryai - Trust, but Verify), is highly relevant to all aspects of Cybersecurity, where things are not always what they seem.

If small-to-medium (SMB) size companies CFOs are dealing with a lot of in/outbound financial transactions they should shop banks for security tools with support available and ask the staff where they can avoid reinventing the wheel?

Cybersecurity is not a project, it is a process, and it is ongoing.

COST MATTERS

Executives almost immediately ask about cost of such best practices. A thorough and well implemented security plan don’t need to be exorbitantly priced.

Can you find consultants who combine excellent work at a reasonable cost? It’s not easy to find cybersecurity/business technology consultants with the needed industry expertise who can also easily prove the ROI. Instead of a typical consultant model with “ideas” only and no “implementation”, they are the ones who work relentlessly to solve the problems with passion rather than a desire for a quick contract.

My IT and business advisory processes have been honed over the past two decades across the globe in a variety of small, medium and large enterprises and assisted in expert decision making around “partner,” “buy” or “build” decisions to enable business strategies. I served in leadership capacities at a range of companies including TechVelocityPartners.com, Cox Group, CUNA, IBM Corporation, Corcoran Real Estate, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Global Healthcare Rehabilitation and more and responsible for strategy, innovation, corporate growth, operations, P&L, and product management.

As a management consultant, I am supported by 2 proven global IT sourcing companies (610 +employees) to achieve quantifiable results, and lessen the risk of working with unknown or newly hired vendors.

I am a unique business-minded IT professional...and a technology-minded business strategist, who advances projects and initiatives with an out of the box approach…

I have observed that some IT departments view their role as supporting the objectives of a cost center (overhead.)

I focus on:

1) Acquiring/developing cost-effective, business-appropriate technology, and

2) Using IT as a means to attract, keep, engage employees and customers... while generating sales, increasing profitability and satisfied customers guided by the "Rotary 4-way test."

Are you prepared to accelerate the business success by transforming into an omnichannel digital enterprise, for a better long-term marketplace position?

Are you confident that your IT advisors are helping you exceed your business goals?

Are you satisfied in the way your company calculates ROIT (return on IT spend)?

Are you sure when a new product or service is developed, the TCO (Total cost of ownership) is reduced, and the ROIT is improved?

I help companies answer those questions and achieve their goals.

I have accreditations from Harvard University (Cybersecurity: Managing Organization's Critical Business Systems, Networks, Data and Risk In The IT Age), The Indian Institute of Technology (1 Year course in IT),  an MBA from Madurai University, India, Mini MBA in Healthcare from University of St. Thomas, MN. I am a recognized public speaker, an author on Digital Transformation and Cybersecurity. I’m an experienced past board member for 3 for-profit US companies and non-profit.

1) ArtSpace International, owned 25 Art galleries in GA;

2) Global Rehabilitation, a healthcare company in MN;

3) EdTrainU.com - most mgmnt consultants are Ph.D.’s in their specialty; Non-profit – RisingStar Outreach, and serving as a President at Plymouth Rotary.

Linkedin.com/in/bala-guntipalli-mba/; 612 322 2470; BG@BalaGuntipalli.com; BalaGuntipalli.com

Panel members:

Chris Veltsos  @DrInfoSec - Risk and Privacy Strategist, Minnesota State University

Damien Riehl, Vice President, Stroz Friedberg; Doug Underwood, Risk Advisory Principal, RSM

Kyle Mekemson, VP Global Treasury Solutions, Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Moderated by: Bala Guntipalli, Sr. VP - Technology and Operations;

Feel free to comment on your experiences in uncovering/ thwarting cybersecurity threats and risks.