CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The moon hangs heavy overhead, its silver light slicing through the night as I stand in the clearing, waiting. My heart hammers against my ribcage like a caged bird desperate for freedom. The forest is eerily silent; even the crickets hold their breath. Then he steps out from the shadows—Kyle, with his tousled brown hair and those eyes that always seemed to pierce right through me.
"Kyle," I start, barely recognizing my own voice, a mix of anger and longing. "Why did you stay away? Five years, not a single word. We all thought—" My throat tightens, betraying the storm within.
He takes a step closer, and the space between us crackles with an energy I almost forgot but instantly recognize. "Ava, I had no choice."
"Didn't you?" I challenge, stepping into him, refusing to
