Zayne’s POV
The days moved slower than I expected. Even though Ava had been living with us for a while now, it still felt like she was keeping herself at a distance.
She spent most of her time locked away in her room, only coming out when necessary. Meals, quick greetings, or the occasional quiet answer when one of us tried to make small talk. She smiled sometimes, but her smiles never really reached her eyes.
And every time I saw her like that, a little part of me ached. I hated it. I hated every part of it.
That evening, the three of us were sitting in the living room. The television was on, but none of us was really watching. Steve scrolled through his phone without looking up, and I was leaning back against the couch, lost in my own heavy thoughts.
The sound of footsteps came fr
