Ava's POV
I knew the weight of the unspoken words between us as soon as I entered the room. Eli was standing beside the old desk, his fingers following a line in the dust, yet he was staring at me. His demeanor had something raw, even vulnerable—something I had hardly encountered.
"Close the door," he murmured gently.
I did; the faint click of the latch locked us into an unusual familiarity. The walls were closing in, the secrets whirling about us like a ghostly mist. It was time to face whatever lies beyond weeks of half-truths and tight silences.
Eli, what are you concealing from me? Feeling the words come out of my mouth like a dare, I inquired. Particularly given all we had gone through together, he owed me the truth. I stayed firm for whatever he was about to say.
Eli looked dow
