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He was quiet for a while, the gentle sounds of the forest filling the silence that hung between us. In the distance, the lake caught the fading sunlight, transforming from gold to rose as the sun dipped lower. I studied him, trying to decipher the storm that seemed ever-present in his eyes. When he finally broke the silence, his casual tone was almost infuriating—so much that I nearly laughed.
"Sure," he said with a shrug, his voice low and dismissive. "Whatever. Just don't get in my way."
I blinked, a bit surprised, then couldn't help but grin. "So that's a yes?"
He shot me a sidelong glance, a smirk playing on his lips. "It's not a no."
That was good enough for me. I felt my smile widen before I even realized it. "This'll be fun," I said, barely managing to keep my excitement in check. "Just like one of those mystery novels I sometimes read. You know—the brooding detective and the clever sidekick unraveling a dark family secret."
