After their conversation in the living room, something changed.
Not outwardly.
Nobody would have noticed.
Sarah didn't.
Richard didn't.
The neighbors certainly didn't.
To everyone else, Ava and Noah looked exactly the same.
Two teenagers adjusting to life as step-siblings.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing suspicious.
Nothing worth paying attention to.
The problem was that Ava knew better.
And so did Noah.
The truth sat quietly beneath every interaction.
Invisible.
Dangerous.
Growing.
Like a c***k spreading through glass.
Neither of them mentioned it.
They didn't have to.
The confession had happened without actually happening.
I wish things were different too.
The words followed Ava everywhere.
They echoed through her thoughts while she brushed her teeth.
While she read.
Wh
