Noah couldn't stop thinking about the look on Ava's face.
The hurt.
The disappointment.
The jealousy.
The realization had stayed with him all night.
Because for the first time, he knew.
Not suspected.
Not hoped.
Knew.
Ava felt it too.
Really felt it.
The same way he did.
The certainty should have made him happy.
Instead it terrified him.
Because loving her had always been dangerous.
Being loved back felt impossible.
The next few days became strangely peaceful.
After their conversation on the porch, something softened between them.
Not the tension.
That remained.
If anything, it grew stronger.
But the uncertainty faded.
They both knew now.
Not officially.
Not verbally.
But enough.
Enough to understand.
Enough to stop questioning.
Enough to make every moment more
