6
Ava’s POV
I wasn’t trying to be cruel.
Okay—maybe a little.
Noah had spent the entire day acting smug as hell, like he owned me. Like I was just some plaything he could have whenever he wanted. And maybe that was the problem, he was right.
I let him ruin me in that pool house, let him drag me into something I swore we wouldn’t do again. And I loved every second of it.
Which was exactly why I needed to remind both of us that he wasn’t in control here.
The bar was packed, the music thrumming through my veins as I took another sip of my drink. Ethan was off playing darts, oblivious as ever, while Noah sat in the booth across from me, his arm draped over the seat like he was completely at ease.
The guy at the bar wasn’t anything special—tall, decent smile, the kind of man I’d usuall
