He didn’t voice the quiet frustration nudging at the edges of his patience. Instead, like he always did, Arnav searched for a more difficult solution, choosing the harder path of compromise over confrontation. He shifted slightly, trying to find a new position that would let him read around her, past her, through the small sliver of space she hadn’t claimed. But it was no use.
Her petite frame, though modest, managed to fill every inch of his lap and his view. No matter how he angled the book or turned his head, her presence was there, gently commanding, entirely unavoidable. And perhaps that was the point. She hadn’t come for doughnuts. Not really. She had come to be close to nestle into him in a way that wordlessly demanded his attention, and perhaps, his surrender.
With a quiet, defea
