Ava had always believed that silence spoke louder than words. But tonight, it screamed.
Noah's eyes locked onto hers, filled with something unreadable—something between regret and inevitability.
Liam's words replayed in her mind like a broken record: "You need to know the truth about Noah."
The truth.
The truth that Noah refused to give her.
Ava took another step back. The distance between them felt like an abyss, growing wider with every unspoken word. "You're scaring me, Noah."
His jaw clenched. "That's the last thing I want."
"Then tell me what's going on."
A flicker of hesitation. Barely there—but enough.
Enough to confirm what she feared most.
"Everything I did—everything I am—was to protect you." His voice was low, firm, but there was something almost… desperate about it.
Ava shook her head. "Protect me from what?"
Noah's gaze hardened. "From yourself."
The room seemed to close in around her. "What does that even mean?"
Silence. Again.
Then, finally—
"I don't want to lose you."
Ava's breath caught. "Then stop making me feel like I never really had you."