Ava’s POV
Silence settled between us, thick and suffocating.
Liam’s words lingered in the air, heavy with promise. But promises had never been my problem with him. It was what came after—the weight of them, the way they shattered under pressure.
I exhaled slowly, peeling my fingers from the fabric of my sleeves. My heart ached, but my mind was louder this time.
I stepped back. “I need air.”
Liam’s brows pulled together, his expression tightening. “Ava—”
I shook my head, cutting him off before he could say something that would weaken my resolve. “Don’t. Just… let me go for now.”
His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “For now?”
I couldn’t give him that reassurance. Not when everything inside me was screaming that if I stayed, I would keep breaking, piece by piece, until there was nothin
