14. Banter and Bonds

The three of us were enjoying a lighthearted moment when Carla made her entrance into the room. Despite my annoyance with her, I couldn't deny that she always looked impeccable, never a hair out of place. "You'll never see her having a bad day," I thought to myself. Carla's voice interrupted our laughter as she walked into the kitchen, looking as stunning as ever. She raised an eyebrow and inquired, "What's so amusing?" Jacob and I exchanged glances, momentarily caught off guard by Carla's arrival. "Oh, nothing," I replied with a casual shrug, attempting to downplay the situation. "Just a bit of morning banter." Jacob chimed in, his tone matching my nonchalance. "Yeah, we were just sharing some jokes. No big deal." Carla raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced by our nonchalant responses. "Morning banter, huh? Well, it must have been quite entertaining to have both of you laughing so heartily." I could sense a playful challenge in Carla's voice, and I exchanged a knowing look wit