Se connecterAva’s POVEthan’s jaw tightened. He cast one more brief glance at me before stepping toward the foyer. "Stay here, Ava. I'll handle this.""Ethan, wait—" I started, my voice tight with panic, but he was already turning the brass deadbolt.I stood frozen in the middle of the living room, my hands clenched into tight fists against my thighs. My brain was firing in a thousand different directions. Ryan was completely reckless. He was going to start a fight. He was going to try to drag me out of here by my hair, and Ethan was going to get hurt trying to protect me.Ethan threw the front door wide open.The cold, wet wind rushed into the house, bringing the sharp scent of the storm with it. Standing on the porch, drenched in rain with water dripping from the brim of his dark baseball cap, was Ryan. He looked massive in the entryway, his shoulders taking up the entire frame.Ethan stepped forward, blocking the threshold with his body. "What the hell are you doing here, Carter? You're track
Ava’s POVRyan stayed completely pinned over me, his heavy chest pressing against mine, his dark eyes locked onto my lips. I wanted to scream at him to get off, but my throat was completely dry.Then, the floorboards groaned softly out in the hallway.My heart stopped. The distant sound of a glass clinking against the kitchen counter echoed up the stairs. It was my mom. She was awake."Ryan," I choked out in a panicked whisper, my hands pushing against his shoulders. "Get off. She’s awake."Ryan didn't scramble. Instead, his eyes narrowed, and before I could gasp, he brought his large hand up and gently but firmly covered my mouth. His other hand pinned both of my wrists securely above my head against the pillow."Shh," he breathed directly into my ear, his skin hot against mine.The heavy, soft sound of slippers padded down the hallway, stopping right outside my bedroom door."Ava?" my mom's soft voice called through the wood, followed by a light knock. "Ava, honey, are you still aw
Ava's povThe words felt like a bucket of ice water dumping over my head. My entire body went completely numb. Only a few seconds ago, Ryan had been holding me against his chest, his lips inches from mine, telling me I belonged to him. And now, my mom was standing in the exact same spot, holding the white fabric that would turn us into brother and sister."It's beautiful, mom," I forced the words out, my throat tight."I can't believe it's finally happening," she beamed, cradling her slightly swollen belly as she walked deeper into the foyer. She looked up the dark staircase, completely oblivious to the storm that had just happened there. "Is Victor upstairs too?""No, just Ryan," I muttered, my hands shaking as I gripped my phone."Oh, good. I want to show him the dress too! We need to start planning the seating charts this week," she said excitedly, already heading toward the kitchen to set her bags down. "Ava, honey, could you help me carry these garment bags to my room?""Yeah. O
Ava's pov"Pretending what, Ryan?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.Ryan turned his head slowly, his dark eyes locking onto mine. The usual walls he kept up were completely gone. "Pretending that seeing you with Ethan isn't completely killing me. Pretending that I don't remember every single second of holding you in your bed line by line. The night we talked on your floor was the only time I’ve actually felt at peace in months."A bitter laugh escaped my throat before I could stop it. I shook my head, my chest tightening painfully. "You're too late."Ryan flinched as if I had hit him. "Ava—""No, Ryan. You're too late," I said, my voice rising as the anger and hurt from the past few days bubbled over. "You don't get to say these things to me now. Not after what I saw in the kitchen with Iris. You always choose her. Every single time. And now that I'm finally trying to move on with someone who actually treats me like I matter, you want to pull me back?""I don't want Iris," Ryan gr
Ryan’s POVThe school hallways were a blurry, deafening mess of noise, but I couldn't hear any of it.I leaned against my locker, my head throbbing. I hadn't slept a single wink after the party ended. The mansion had grown completely quiet hours ago, but my brain refused to shut down.Every time I closed my eyes, a chaotic loop of images played in my head. I saw Ava laughing on her bedroom floor, throwing a pillow at me. I saw her sound asleep beside me, her head resting naturally against my shoulder while I held her waist. I saw the breathtaking smile she gave me right after I scored the winning goal.And then, I saw her walking out the front door, Ethan’s hand firmly planted on her lower back. I tried to think about Iris. I tried to force myself to picture her face, to remember our relationship. But a terrifying realization washed over me. I couldn't remember the last conversation I had with Iris that lasted more than ten minutes. Everything with her felt like a script we were supp
Ava’s POVThe smell of fresh coffee and cinnamon was the first thing that woke me up.I blinked against the soft morning light, temporarily confused by the unfamiliar gray walls and the plush sports posters surrounding me. Then it clicked. I was in Ethan’s room.I sat up slowly, pulling the thick comforter up to my chin. My cheeks instantly burned with a wave of sudden embarrassment. Last night, when I left the party with Ethan, a reckless part of me had completely expected something to happen. I had been so desperate to wipe the image of Ryan from my mind that I was ready to throw myself into something else.But Ethan hadn't pushed. Not even a little.Instead, we had ordered late-night fries, watched a random horror movie on his couch, and talked until my eyelids got heavy. When I started yawning, he simply smiled, kissed my forehead, and guided me to his room. I got out of bed, smoothing down my rumpled clothes from the night before, and walked out into the kitchen.Ethan was stand
Ava’s POVThe second I walked downstairs, I stopped dead in my tracks."What the hell?"The living room looked like a sleepover had completely exploded. Blankets and thick pillows covered half the hardwood floor, and three giant bowls of buttered popcorn sat on the mahogany coffee table. There were
Ava's pov"Wait. What?"Lily was still staring at me like I’d just confessed to robbing a bank right in the middle of town.I let out a soft laugh and shook my head, my cheeks warming up a little. "He didn't exactly ask me out on an official date, Lily. Not yet.""Then why are you acting like that
Ava’s POV"Wait," he muttered.He replayed the audio file from the beginning. This time, everyone in the room leaned in, listening intently to the deep, aggressive tone of the voice.It was definitely Ryan. But the background noise wasn't from the open woods or a snowy hiking trail. The acoustics w
Ava’s POV Three hours ago, this winter trip was supposed to be over. Now, a fleet of state police cars sat outside the resort, their red and blue lights painting the falling snow. Nobody was leaving.The principal stood near the massive stone fireplace, speaking in hushed, hurried tones with two







