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Ava sat, newly showered, in her robe on her bed and waited. The lock clicked, and the door opened. Jacob walked into her room carrying a mug and a box.

“This is for you,” he told her and handed her the mug.

“Thank you,” she said out of pure habit and started blowing on the hot beverage as she enjoyed the smell of coffee. “Do I need to drink it straight away?” she asked. Ava knew she would scold her tongue and probably her throat if she tried to force it down while hot.

“No, you are allowed to drink it while you get ready, but don’t do anything stupid,” he told her. She nodded. “I’ll place this here. You have an hour to get ready,” he said. He placed the box on the bed next to her, took one look at her, and smiled. “You look really pretty like that.”

“Eh, thank you,” Ava said.

“See you later,” he told her before he left. Ava took her mug into the bathroom and placed it on the counter, taking a small sip of it. It tasted better than any other coffee she ever ha