Ava's breath caught in her throat as her gaze locked onto Liam, standing at the edge of the tree line, his silhouette barely visible in the dim light. His presence felt like a cold draft sweeping through the air, a reminder of all the broken pieces she'd tried to bury. But here he was again, impossible to escape.
Noah's hand tightened around hers, his voice low but firm. "Ava, who is that?"
Ava swallowed, her pulse racing. "It's... it's Liam."
Noah's grip faltered for a second, his eyes scanning her face, searching for any hint of the truth. But Ava couldn't give it to him,not yet. She couldn't explain everything, not without tearing open wounds that had just begun to heal. Not without risking everything she had with Noah, everything she had fought for.
Liam stepped forward slowly, his movements deliberate, almost predatory. He didn't seem to care that Noah was standing beside her, or that Ava had already made her choice. He was still playing his game, always with the same dangerous confidence.
"Ava," Liam called softly, as though trying to pull her in with just the sound of her name. "You and I both know it's not over."
Noah shifted beside her, his hand sliding protectively around her waist. "Stay the hell away from her."
Liam smiled, but it was the kind of smile that sent a chill straight down Ava's spine. "Noah," he said, as though tasting the name on his tongue. "I don't think you understand. She's always been mine, whether she admits it or not."
The words hung in the air, and Ava felt the weight of them pressing down on her, suffocating her. She wanted to scream, to deny him, to tell him that he didn't own her, not anymore. But the truth was far more complicated. The bond between them wasn't something that could be broken so easily. It was the kind of tie that tied them both to a past full of lies and secrets, a past that refused to stay buried.
"Stop," Ava said, her voice shaking as she stepped closer to Noah, putting herself between him and Liam. "This isn't your fight anymore. We're done."
Liam didn't flinch. "No, Ava. You're not done with me. And you never will be."
Ava's heart pounded in her chest, the words cutting through her like shards of glass. She wanted to tell him to leave, to run, to disappear from her life for good. But Liam's gaze never wavered. There was something in his eyes now,something darker, more calculating. Ava could feel it. She could feel the way the air shifted around them, the tension crackling like electricity in the space between them.
Noah's voice broke through the thick silence, raw with anger. "Enough. This ends now."
Without thinking, he pulled Ava closer, his body shielding hers from Liam's relentless gaze. For a moment, Ava felt the warmth of his touch, the safety he provided in a world that had always been so full of chaos. But the comfort was fleeting. Liam wasn't going to let them walk away. He never did.
"I'm not going to stand here and watch you ruin her life again, Liam," Noah spat, stepping forward, his fists clenched. "You had your chance. Now it's over."
Liam's eyes glinted with something dark, something Ava couldn't fully understand, but she felt it in her bones. He was pushing them. Testing them. Waiting for one of them to slip, to reveal something that would give him the upper hand.
"I don't need your permission, Noah," Liam said, his voice colder now, sharper. "I never did."
Ava's heart raced. She felt trapped, cornered between two worlds,one that had already broken her and one that she was desperate to keep whole. She glanced at Noah, his jaw clenched in determination, and then back to Liam, his figure looming in the shadows.
"I don't want this," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, the weight of her words heavy in the still night air. "I don't want you. Not anymore."
For a moment, Liam just stared at her, his expression unreadable. Then, with a single, swift motion, he turned and disappeared back into the forest, the echo of his footsteps fading into the distance.
Ava stood there, frozen, her heart pounding in her chest. Was it over? Or was this just the beginning?
Noah's hand was on her shoulder now, pulling her gently into his arms. "Are you okay?"
She nodded, though the truth was she felt anything but. Liam had left, but the damage had already been done. The words he'd spoken, the threats hidden behind his smiles ,they lingered in her mind like a poison, making it harder to breathe.
"I'm sorry," Noah whispered, his voice thick with concern. "I didn't mean to push you into something you weren't ready for."
Ava shook her head, pulling away just slightly to look up at him. "No, it's not your fault. I should've told you. I should've been honest with you from the beginning."
Noah's brow furrowed. "Told me what? Ava, what's going on? What is all this with Liam?"
Ava hesitated. She could feel the walls she had spent years building around herself start to crack. She could see the concern in Noah's eyes, and for the first time, she wondered if she could let him in. Could she trust him with the truth? Could she let him see all the broken pieces she had spent so long hiding?
"I" She stopped, the words dying on her lips. "There's so much I haven't told you, Noah. So much you don't know."
Noah didn't press her. Instead, he took her hands in his, his touch gentle but firm. "You don't have to tell me everything right now. But I need you to know that I'm here. No matter what. We'll figure this out together."
Ava's breath caught in her throat as she looked into his eyes, seeing nothing but sincerity. But somewhere deep inside, the doubts still lingered. Could she really let him in? Could she trust him with the darkness she carried?
As she stared at Noah, something shifted. The world around them seemed to blur, and for a moment, it felt like the whole universe was holding its breath, waiting for her to make a choice.
And then it happened.
A figure stepped from the shadows, and Ava's heart skipped a beat.
It wasn't Liam.
This was someone new. Someone far more dangerous.