[AVA]All hell broke loose before I even arrived at work.“He’s been fired!” Nicole exclaimed, leaning over the desk and panting as if she had just climbed the stairs from the seventh to the eleventh floor to bring the terrible news.I furrowed my brows, trying to make sense of her urgency. "Take a breath and slow down," I said, placing my handbag and phone on my desk. I turned to face her. "Who are we talking about?"Nicole glanced around, her eyes briefly stopping at Mr. Larson's office. "Your boss."Confusion flooded my mind. I had multiple bosses, so it wasn't exactly a straightforward question. "Which one?" I asked."The immediate one," she clarified, and finally, it clicked in my head.My jaw dropped. "Wait, seriously? Are you kidding me?" This was completely unexpected. "Why? What did he do?""I honestly have no clue, but I'm dying to find out," Nicole exclaimed, shaking her head. "I've

[AVA]As I close the door of the restroom and lean against it, panic begins to consume me.What the hell just happened?Did he really...No. It can't be true. It must have all been in my imagination.But what other explanation could there be? He was standing too close—close enough that I could feel his breath on my face, taste the scent of his strong cologne. His fingers beneath my chin left a burning sensation, and his gaze...it felt like he was piercing into my soul.I take a deep breath, attempting to steady my racing heart, and approach the sink to splash water on my face.I need to rid my mind of this absurd notion. Whatever I felt when he pinned me against the door, it can't be what my mind is telling me. It must have been a misunderstanding. It has to be. There's no way he intended any of that to happen. And the way he so rudely threw me out of his office is clear evidence of that.But I'm burning

[BRIAN] Once again, despite telling myself not to get involved in other people's messes, I found myself right in the middle of one. There was definitely something wrong with me. Why else would I put myself through this? What was I even thinking? But that wasn't even the scariest part. The fact that I didn't regret interfering in Ava's life at all bothered me even more, making me question my sanity. What happened between us a few hours ago was still fresh in my mind. Actually, it was the only thing I could think about. How could I not? I crossed a damn line. It had been a long, long time since I did something so out of character. I was never the impulsive or impatient type. Every decision and action I took was carefully considered and always had a purpose. But this time, I messed up so badly that I had no idea how to fix it. I just didn't want Ava to misunderstand my actions and intentions. Not that I had done anything to clear up any misunderstandings, assuming there were any. So

[AVA] Lost in my own thoughts, I was caught off guard by a knock on the door. I glanced over, expecting to see the nurse, but it wasn't her. It was Brian. Why was he still here? Startled, I jumped up from the chair and took a step back, feeling an inexplicable surge of energy coursing through me. "Hey!" Why did I have to be so awkward? There was no reason for my heart to feel like it was about to burst just because we were in the same room. Get a grip, Ava. What's wrong with you? Brian winced, brushing off my awkward greeting. Instead, his focus turned to Max. "How is he doing?" It was only then that I noticed the red stains on his shirt. Dad had mentioned that Brian was the one who found Max and brought him to the hospital. Could it be Max's blood on him? "Ava?" "Huh?" I snapped out of my daze, looking up at him before turning to face Max. "He should be awake by tomorrow." Brian

[AVA] “You’re dating Sean Edwards?” Mom asked as she followed me into the kitchen while I poured myself a glass of water. “It’s not a big deal, mom. Relax.” I said, maybe for the fifth time since I woke up and found her standing at the foot of my bed, probably contemplating waking me up by bringing in a cup of coffee or a bucket of water. Thank God, she didn't choose any of them, and I woke up on my own. Even a five-year-old could make a better cup of coffee than mom. Not that I was complaining. I was glad she was finally taking the role of her new title of a housewife a tad seriously. Dad would be thrilled to see she was getting used to our non-luxurious lifestyle. For every one of us, the first couple of months of bankruptcy were a living nightmare. Especially for mum, who couldn't believe we were broke. One time she even laughed when dad used the word “broke”. When dad gave her a concerned look and Max and I shared a glance