Ava’s POV
The rhythmic sway of Liam’s strides lulled me into a hazy daze, the warmth of his arms encasing me in a cocoon of safety. I barely registered the way his grip tightened whenever my breath hitched, or the subtle tension in his muscles as if he was barely restraining himself from storming back out into the night.
It felt unreal.
I had spent hours—days—convincing myself that no one was coming. That no one would find me. But Liam had. He had come, tearing through the night, rage burning in his eyes, and now… now he was carrying me home.
But I couldn’t think about that.
If I let myself believe it too much, the walls I had built to keep myself together might shatter, and I wasn’t ready for that.
So I let exhaustion drag me under, forcing my mind away from the unbearable weight of
