“I’m not a good person, Ava. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me, and I can blame it on my upbringing all I like, but the fact is that I’ve been grown a long time. Long enough to know right from wrong. And I’m done making excuses for myself, but I do swear to you that I’m learning.”
“You’re not giving yourself enough credit, Xavier,” Ava replied. “You’ve done amazing things since the Alliance collapsed. And not just for your people, either. Hundreds of people have you to thank for helping to organize rescue efforts over the last five months.”“Because of you,” he reinforced, his voice going gruff with repressed emotion. “Every single remotely fucking decent thing I’ve ever done has been for you because of you. Because you are a truly good person, Ava. And the strongest I’ve ever met. One day I will be the mate you deserve, Ava Davis.”Ava felt t
