Ava stood at the edge of the lake, her eyes fixed on the ripples that spread out from where the moonlight kissed the water's surface. It had been a long day, a long week really, but the quiet here, in this small, forgotten corner of the world, gave her some semblance of peace. She was used to running from her emotions, hiding in places like this, where no one could see her, no one could hurt her. But tonight felt different. The weight of it pressed against her chest, a suffocating pressure that she couldn't shake.
Noah's words echoed in her mind. "Ava, you can't keep doing this to yourself. We're in this together."
But the thing was, Noah didn't understand. How could he? He didn't know the things she'd done, the choices she'd made in the past. Choices that had led her here, to this dark place, trapped between the love she had for him and the remnants of a past that refused to let her go.
A shadow moved behind her, and Ava stiffened. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was. She could feel him, his presence like a storm that never really passed.
"You're running away again," Liam's voice was soft, too soft. It was the kind of voice that still had power over her, no matter how hard she tried to shut it out.
Ava didn't say anything at first. She couldn't. The silence between them stretched long enough that it almost felt like they were still together, like they had never broken apart, like the time between them had never really existed.
"I didn't come here to hurt you," Liam continued, stepping closer. "You know that, right?"
But she didn't know that. How could she? He'd hurt her before, left scars that no amount of time seemed to heal. He was the reason she had run from Noah, from love. Because deep down, she was terrified that she would fall back into the same trap, that he would hurt her again.
"I'm not the same person anymore," Liam said, as though the words were supposed to mean something, as though the past could be wiped away with a simple confession. "I never stopped loving you, Ava. Not for a single moment."
Ava finally turned, meeting his gaze. His eyes, the ones she had once loved, now seemed like they belonged to a stranger. There was no warmth there, no tenderness, just a coldness that cut deeper than anything he had ever said to her.
"Stop." Her voice was barely a whisper, but it held enough power to make him pause. "You don't get to do this. Not after everything."
Liam's jaw clenched, but he didn't back down. "You think I don't know what you're feeling? You think I don't feel the same pull between us?" He stepped closer, his hand reaching out like a magnet to her heart. "Ava, we're not finished. We were never finished."
But Ava was finished. She had to be. She couldn't keep holding on to the ghosts of her past, not when the present was so fragile, so uncertain. She had Noah now, and he was different. He wasn't like Liam. Noah was steady, grounded. He didn't make her feel like she was always teetering on the edge of something dangerous.
"I'm with Noah now," Ava said, her voice shaking, not from fear but from something deeper. "And you need to stay out of my life."
For a moment, Liam just stared at her, as though trying to piece together a puzzle that had fallen apart in his hands. Then, without a word, he turned and walked away. Ava watched him disappear into the shadows, the weight in her chest lifting only slightly. But she knew, deep down, that this wasn't over. It couldn't be. There was something more to all of this, something she couldn't quite understand, but could feel pulling at her, twisting her reality.
She turned back to the lake, her thoughts consumed by the feeling of his words still echoing in her mind. The past wasn't done with her. She could feel it, like a thread that had never really been cut, a connection to something dark and dangerous that was now coming back to claim her.
Noah's face appeared in her mind, his warm smile, the way he held her, the way he made her feel like she was worth something again. She hadn't told him the full truth. She hadn't told him about Liam, about the things they had shared, the things that still haunted her. But she had to. She had to tell him everything, or the weight of her lies would crush her, piece by piece.
But would he even believe her? Could he?
She shook her head, trying to push the thoughts away. Tonight was supposed to be different. Tonight, she was supposed to find peace.
But the peace never came.
A loud crash echoed through the forest, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. Ava's heart skipped a beat as she spun around, her body tensing.
Noah.
He emerged from the trees, his face etched with worry, his eyes wide and searching. The moment he saw her, his expression softened, but there was something else there,something darker. Something that she couldn't place.
"Ava," he breathed, rushing towards her. "What are you doing here? I've been looking all over for you."
"I needed space," Ava said, her voice trembling. "I just needed to clear my head."
Noah looked at her for a long moment, as though trying to understand what she wasn't saying. Then, slowly, he reached out, his fingers brushing hers. His touch was warm, familiar, grounding. For a moment, Ava felt like everything would be okay.
But then the world around them seemed to shift. The shadows deepened, and the air grew heavy with something ,something she couldn't quite name. Noah's hand froze in hers, his grip tightening as he looked over her shoulder, his eyes narrowing.
"Who else is here?" he asked, his voice low, almost fearful.
Ava turned, her stomach sinking.
There, standing just beyond the tree line, was Liam. Watching them.