She grunted in acknowledgement, still not looking at him. "I've seen it," she said dismissively. "It was okay, I guess." Another long pause followed before she spoke up again. "You know...if you want to make this whole living together thing a little bit easier for both of us, maybe we should try talking more or something?"

Her voice held a hint of skepticism and she kept her eyes closed the entire time, hoping he wouldn't notice how uncomfortable she actually was having this conversation with him.

She sighed, frustrated with herself and her inability to just get along with him. "Fine," she said after a moment's hesitation. "What do you want to talk about?" She kept her eyes closed but turned her head slightly towards him, not quite meeting his gaze yet.

"Just...something we have in common or something." She hoped that this would make it easier for them to find some common ground and maybe even build a bit of rapport between them.

Her parents, seated on either side of Norman, smiled warmly at each other before turning their attention to her. "Congratulations, dear," her mother said, patting her hand. "You've certainly come a long way since your first day at work."

Norman's father leaned forward. "We're proud of you both. You make an impressive team." Sasha felt her cheeks flush under their praise. She looked at Norman, surprised to find him beaming with pride as well.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. "I'm grateful for this opportunity."

She smiled softly, unable to deny that without his support, things might have turned out differently. "True, but it takes two to tango." She raised her glass in a toast. "Here's to us—making things happen together."

They clinked glasses, and the festive atmosphere settled over them like a warm blanket. For the first time in a while, Sasha felt content. Maybe this new chapter in her life wouldn't be so bad after all.

Smiling to herself, Sasha carefully extricated herself from Luke's embrace and sat up on the edge of the bed. The movement roused him from sleep, and he blinked blearily at her before yawn ing widely. "Morning," she said softly, offering him a shy smile in return. "Sleep well?"

There was an awkward silence as they both tried to figure out what to do now that they were awake and alone together.

Her cheeks flushed pink as she leaned into his touch, savoring the gentle gesture. It was a simple act, but it carried a deep meaning - affection, care, and a silent promise of support. She smiled warmly, her eyes shining with gratitude. "Thank you," she whispered, finding her voice a bit shaky. "That means a lot coming from you."<|eot_id|>/script><|eot_id|>/style> font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5; color: #333; } .

Understood. Sasha nodded thoughtfully, respecting Patrick's desire to avoid thinking about school. "Well, let's make the most of our summer then! We've got plenty of time to explore, play games, and just enjoy being together."

She smiled warmly at him, genuinely looking forward to strengthening their bond over the coming months. "And maybe later today, I can show you some cool tricks I've learned on my bike. What do you say?"

Sasha could understand Patrick's reluctance to venture outdoors in the heat. The sun beating down relentlessly had been taking its toll on her skin as well.

"How about we set up a little indoor obstacle course then?" she suggested, already envisioning a fun challenge using household items. "We could use couch cushions, chairs, and blankets to create tunnels and hurdles. That way, we can stay cool while still having fun!"

Her enthusiasm was infectious, and she hoped Patrick would come around to the idea. "What do you think? It'll be a blast, I promise!"

"Okay," she said slowly, feeling a little sad about their conversation coming to an end.

As she watched him walk down the hallway towards his bedroom, she couldn't help but feel like there was something more going on beneath the surface, something he wasn't sharing with her yet.

With a sigh, she stood up from the couch, wandering around the living room to straighten things up, humming softly to herself as she did so.

I wandered aimlessly through the house, my mind preoccupied with thoughts of Jido and our conversation earlier. It seemed like he was trying to open up to me, to bridge the gap between us, but there was still a barrier there, a secret he kept hidden behind those piercing eyes of his.

As I walked past his closed bedroom door, I caught a glimpse of the piles of DVDs stacked haphazardly on his desk, a reminder of his love for movies.