Ava’s POV
Steve’s gaze burned with clear frustration, and I realized I’d been way too open about the Silverbloom flower during that breakfast. My gut twisted tight, a mix of regret and hurt from Liam’s distant stare, his expression blank like I wasn’t even in the room, though I’d sworn to myself he still cared deeply, those vivid recollections rushing back of us tangled up, all slick with sweat and desire, his grip firm as he kept me pinned until I was yelling out his name.
“I figure… we ought to head out,” I muttered, clearing my throat roughly, pushing my chair back with a scrape, desperate to escape the suffocating vibe of the dining room and Lucy’s phony grin.
“Wait a second,” Lucy replied softly, but laced with that cloying niceness that didn’t fit the woman who’d smeared me as a t
