Chapter 22

KAT’s POV:

The first night felt strangely normal.

And somehow…

That was the most surprising part.

I thought moving in with Pat would feel awkward.

Different.

Like I was stepping into someone else’s life.

But as I lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling, all I could think was:

*Why does this feel so familiar?*

Maybe because for years, Pat had always been a part of my life.

The only difference now was that there wasn’t a screen separating us.

No unstable internet.

No waiting for replies.

No counting the days until the next visit.

She was just…

Here.

A few steps away.

The thought made me smile before I finally drifted to sleep.

—

The next morning, I woke up to the smell of food.

At first, I thought I was dreaming.

Then I heard something fall.

Followed by a very familiar voice.

“Ay.”

I immediately laughed.

Pat.

Of course.

I quickly got out of bed and followed the smell to the kitchen.

What greeted me was a sight I wished I had my phone ready for.

Patricia Dela Cruz.

One of Raven University’s star athletes.

Destroyer of opponents.

Scholar.

Champion.

Standing in front of a frying pan looking completely confused.

I leaned against the doorway.

“What are you doing?”

Pat nearly jumped.

“Good morning.”

“That didn’t answer my question.”

“I’m cooking.”

I looked at the pan.

Then at her.

Then back at the pan.

“Allegedly.”

She pointed a spatula at me.

“I was doing fine until you arrived.”

“Sure.”

“I was.”

“Sure.”

Pat rolled her eyes.

—

Eventually breakfast was saved.

Mostly because I took over before she could accidentally burn anything.

We ended up eating together at the small dining table.

The morning sunlight streamed through the windows.

The city outside slowly waking up.

And for a moment, everything felt peaceful.

—

“This is weird.”

Pat suddenly said.

I looked up.

“What is?”

She gestured vaguely between us.

“This.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Breakfast?”

“No.”

“Food?”

“No.”

I waited.

Pat sighed.

“Living together.”

I smiled.

“Scared?”

“No.”

“Liar.”

“I’m not scared.”

“Okay.”

She pointed her fork at me.

“I just think it’s weird.”

I laughed.

“Good weird or bad weird?”

Pat thought for a moment.

Then smiled.

“Good weird.”

I smiled too.

“Same.”

—

After breakfast, reality finally returned.

Duty.

Training.

Classes.

Schedules.

Life.

The very reason we were here.

I spent most of the morning organizing my things while Pat prepared for practice.

By noon, the condo looked completely different.

My books filled one shelf.

My duty bag sat near the entrance.

My tumbler somehow found its permanent place on the counter.

And my hoodie had already claimed ownership of the couch.

Pat noticed immediately.

“That wasn’t there yesterday.”

I looked at the hoodie.

“It lives there now.”

“It’s been one day.”

“It has chosen its home.”

Pat stared at me.

Then laughed.

—

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly.

Pat left for training.

I reviewed some notes for St. Aurelia.

The condo became quiet.

And for the first time, I realized something.

This wasn’t temporary anymore.

This was our routine now.

She’d leave for practice.

I’d leave for duty.

We’d come home tired.

Eat together.

Talk.

Complain.

Repeat.

The thought made me unexpectedly happy.

—

That evening, Pat returned looking exhausted.

She immediately dropped onto the couch.

Face first.

Without saying a word.

I stared.

“Dead?”

A muffled response came from the cushion.

“Almost.”

I laughed.

Then handed her a bottle of water.

Without looking, she accepted it.

Like she already knew it was there.

Like we’d been doing this forever.

Maybe we had.

—

Later that night, we ended up sitting in the living room watching television.

Neither of us was really paying attention.

We were both too tired.

The city lights reflected through the windows.

The condo was quiet.

Comfortable.

Safe.

Home.

—

“You know.”

Pat suddenly spoke.

“Hm?”

She kept her eyes on the television.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

My heart skipped.

Just slightly.

I looked at her.

Pat still wasn’t looking at me.

As if she’d casually said something completely normal.

Maybe to her, it was.

But to me…

It wasn’t.

Because I knew how much she valued her space.

How long she had lived alone.

How independent she had become.

And yet…

She was glad I was here.

A small smile appeared on my face.

“I’m glad too.”

Pat nodded.

Like that settled everything.

And somehow…

It did.

—

That night, as I returned to my room and prepared to sleep, I found myself smiling again.

Because the first day was over.

No disasters.

No awkwardness.

No regrets.

Just Pat.

Just me.

Just a small condo near Raven.

And for the first time in years…

The distance was finally gone.

Maybe that was why, as I turned off the lights and closed my eyes, one thought stayed with me.

This wasn’t the beginning of a visit.

This was the beginning of a new chapter.

And somehow…

I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.