Novels by NyX

Jake's POV.The screen lit up again. The same William was still calling.My brows pulled together, my lips pressing into a thin line as the glow from the screen reflected faintly against my face.For a moment, I just stood there, staring. Why would he be calling Ava? What business did they even have?Or was I just overthinking it?I picked up the phone from the stand. My thumb hovered over the screen, itching to answer, to at least hear his voice and confirm my suspicion, but the call ended before I got the chance to.“Shit,” I muttered under my breath.I knew her passcode. She had told me once. So I tried unlocking the phone, but it declined.My grip tightened around the phone. So she had even changed it. Which meant something was definitely off. She had changed it.That alone was enough to set something off in my head.Why change it?I stood there, holding the phone, hoping he might call back. But the screen stayed dark. No call. No text message.I exhaled slowly, the tension easing

Jake's POVThe moment I stepped into the living room, my gaze landed on the shattered vase.If my father were here, he’d be deeply hurt. The vase had been designed by an old Italian craftsman, something he’d paid a ridiculous amount for during one of his trips to Italy.I looked at Ashley, a silent question in my eyes. She was standing closest to it, but I doubted she’d done it. She knew how much it meant to him.Ashley tilted her head slightly toward Ava, like she was giving her permission to speak first.I turned to Ava, hands tucked into my pockets, waiting.“I don’t know how it happened, but when I walked in, I saw it lying beside Ashley like this. She must have broken it, but I don’t know if it was on purpose.”I turned back to Ashley, who was way too calm for someone being accused. Maybe she had done it after all. But I decided not to jump to conclusions until I was done figuring things out.“Is it true?” I asked. “Did you break it?”She let out a short, humorless laugh, gesturi

Ashley's POV The next morning, I woke up pretty late, somewhere around 10:30 a.m.The house was already buzzing with activity. Footsteps echoed against the floors, and the faint scraping of ladders and furniture filled the air. The decorators from the previous day were still at work. Today was their final day because the wedding was tomorrow.I walked around the house in my pajamas, taking everything in. Flowers were being arranged, drapes adjusted and lights tested. I paused here and there, eyes scanning the details. I had worked briefly with a decoration company during my gap year after high school, before college, so I knew what to look out for.I made sure to keep my gaze away from anywhere Jake or Ava might be, though I didn’t see either of them. Maybe they were still asleep… or out. Either way, I didn’t care.Tonight was supposed to be Mom’s night out, so she had already left with some of her friends. My soon-to-be stepfather had gone to the company for an emergency meeting, at

Ashley's POVI jerked my hand away from his instantly, the contact breaking like it burned, and turned to my mother.She stood by the door, her handbag hanging from her hand, brows drawn together, eyes sharp with unasked questions.Great. I needed a way out of this. If not, she’d start asking questions… the kind I didn’t want to answer. Jake and I’s past had to stay buried.“Mom, you’re back.” I walked toward her, forcing my steps to stay steady, the milk packet still clutched in my hand. “Jake was just helping me look for the milk. You know how I love to drink it every evening.” My voice came out light, almost casual.Her gaze slid past me to Jake, who was leaning against the refrigerator, one shoulder resting on it, hands tucked into his pockets like nothing had happened. His expression had softened.“Is that true, Jake?” she asked, a hint of suspicion in her tone. “Or is she trying to make you feel unwelcome?”Her face didn’t stay serious for long. The corner of her lips twitched s

Ashley's POVI walked William to the Uber that had come to take him to the airport. The low hum of the engine cut through the quiet night. His flight to Paris was scheduled for 9 p.m.“I wish you could stay with me,” I said, wrapping my arms around him tightly as we stood by the front door.“Me too,” he murmured, his hand sliding to the back of my hair, stroking it slowly. “Don’t worry, okay. You’ll be fine.”I exhaled softly and pulled back just enough to look at his face, searching it.“Promise you’ll call when you see your cousin. I’d like to speak to her,” I said, my eyes fixed on his, watching for even the smallest flicker.He let out a short chuckle, his gaze slipping away for a split second before returning.“I know you’re having doubts,” he said, nudging the bridge of my nose lightly, “but I’ll video call when I get there so you can see her and say hi.”His words eased something in me, if only a little. I wanted to believe him. I knew he wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.I brus

Ava's POV By the time darkness settled over the sky, everyone had fully settled in, including Ashley and William. They hadn’t come out of their room since they went in, the hallway outside theirs staying unusually still. I stepped outside to get Louisiana’s doll from the car. She had left it there earlier, too distracted to remember. The night air brushed cool against my skin as I walked over, the faint hum of crickets filling the silence. But as I reached for the door handle, I caught sight of Ashley moving toward one of the cars parked in the compound. My hand rested on the top edge of the door as I stilled, watching her without moving. The dim light from the house spilled across the driveway, casting soft shadows over her figure. After all these years, she had decided to show up in my and Jake’s lives again. She turned, like she felt my gaze, and our eyes met. Her brow lifted slightly, a silent question in it, but she didn’t say a word. No greeting. No reaction. She just reache