Chapter 175 Intimacy

Sabrina woke up to find Curtis still sleeping. It was a surprising sight. Normally, Curtis would be out exercising or preparing for work by the time she awoke. Sabrina couldn't recall when Curtis had come in to sleep last night. More importantly, why was she holding onto Curtis's arm? She usually slept quite soundly. This situation wasn't something she could imagine herself doing. Reflecting on her sleeping habits, Sabrina figured she might have grown accustomed to treating guys like her sisters. Being a bit closer with a "sister" while sleeping was not so odd, right? Sabrina quietly lifted the covers and attempted not to disturb Curtis, but he instantly opened his eyes, grabbed her hand and pulling her back. Startled, Sabrina let out a cry and stared at Curtis with a hint of fear in her eyes. "When did you wake up? Um… why did you grab me like that?" she asked, flustered. Curtis rubbed his brow, surprised by his own swift reaction. He had only intended to intercept her, but his hand moved much faster than expected. "Nothing. It was just a reflex. What time is it now?" Glancing at the clock, Sabrina noticed it was already 7:30. Curtis usually got up at 6:30, so he was an hour behind today. As Sabrina prepared to get up, she realized Curtis was still holding onto her wrist, and they were barely a fist's width apart, their breath almost brushing each other's faces. This proximity exceeded their usual boundaries. Even last night, Curtis and Sabrina hadn't been this close. For such a long time, they had maintained a clear boundary between them and never got this close. Now, the distance between Curtis and Sabrina felt awkwardly intimate. Even though Curtis preferred men, Sabrina felt uncomfortable being so close to a man. "It's getting late. You should hurry and get up; being late for work isn't good; they might cut your pay," Sabrina said, turning her head away, avoiding Curtis's gaze. Curtis also released her hand and propped himself up on the bed. "Okay, you go freshen up first," Curtis replied, watching Sabrina. He didn't intend to make her feel awkward, realizing the unusual proximity. Sabrina, despite considering their relationship as sisterly, couldn't understand why she'd sleep in such odd positions every night. Did she really have to cling to Curtis to fall asleep? Unable to fathom it, she didn't dwell much and, after tidying herself, changed and came out. Curtis had already finished grooming in the other bathroom. Both of them got ready in their work attire and headed downstairs. After recuperating for so long, Barry's body had mostly recovered from the injury. However, he still needed the cast. Resting more made Barry's entire body feel uncomfortable. He found online work, drawing and creating games to earn some extra income. When Sabrina and Curtis came downstairs, Barry was fervently tapping on his phone, seemingly arguing with a client. Sabrina peeked and saw Barry coordinating with a demanding client. The client's requests were excessive and absurd. Barry couldn't understand the demands but had to make sense out of it. This frustration led to an argument. Even in the midst of the quarrel, Barry glanced at his sister and brother-in-law, greeted them, then resumed his argument. "He's been arguing on his phone since morning. They pay him, yet he has so many issues with their demands. Can't he just give in a little and be more cooperative?" Parker commented. Upon hearing Parker's remarks, Sabrina paused for a moment, then took a look at Barry's tablet. The tablet displayed the details of communication with the client, outlining their peculiar requests. The extensive list of demands justified Barry's annoyance. "Yeah, this is how work is. No pain, no gain. But these requests from the client are really excessive! Grandpa, look at this. They ask for black but want it to be rainbow-like, then ask for white yet transparent. How is Barry supposed to make the impossible? His client's demands are unreasonable. It's no wonder Barry is upset. I'd be annoyed too if I were in his shoes." Sabrina defended Barry. The requests seemed odd, and it appeared that Barry hadn't done anything wrong. Parker remained silent. For now, he was content that Barry could find work. Relying solely on Sabrina wasn't ideal. After all, Sabrina was now married and things were different. There was a need for moderation in such situations. A few minutes later, Barry satisfiedly put down his phone. "How did it go?" Sabrina asked. "We've come to an agreement. He'll revise his demands, and if it doesn't work out, well, he'll have to pay me if he wants me to make changes," Barry replied. Barry seemed unusually practical now. Everything he did was geared towards earning money. If a task didn't yield profit, why put so much effort into it? The prolonged time without income, getting cheated, and relying solely on his sister made Barry feel insecure. As a man, depending on his sister didn't sit right with him. Nonetheless, having an online job brought him immense joy. Apart from online gigs, Barry intended to perform some live divination or something like that for extra earnings.