"There's nothing to talk about," she snapped, not even turning around as she flopped down onto her bed. "My past with men is the same as every other girl's: full of pain and humiliation. And I don't want anything to do with it anymore." She rolled over, facing away from him again, clearly done with any conversation on the matter.

"Just leave me alone," she muttered under her breath. "I don't need your sympathy or your stupid attempts at understanding.

"You think you're different?" Sasha snapped as she turned to face him, her brown eyes flashing with anger. "Just because I never met you before? You're all the same: ugly, stupid, and cruel." She shook his hand off her shoulder angrily. "No one can ever be trusted when they're a man," she continued, voice shaking slightly. "You all just use us for your own pleasure and throw us away like garbage when you're done."

As Sasha knelt down beside him, Shoku couldn't help but notice how soft and smooth her skin felt under his fingertips. He couldn't believe that he had almost lost her like that, and for the first time since they had met, he found himself feeling a tiny bit grateful to have someone like her in his life.

When she finally turned to look at him, their eyes met and held for what seemed like an eternity.

Her cheeks flushed at his words, and before either of them could say anything else, there was a knock on the door. Sasha sighed and stood up, wiping her hands on her jeans as she walked over to answer it. It turned out to be one of their friends from school, coming by to see what had happened earlier.

As they exchanged pleasantries with the friend and made plans for later in the day, Sasha couldn't help but steal glances at Shoku Rex whenever she thought no one was looking.

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!"