Chapter Twenty
I didn’t mean to say it.
Not like that.
Not out loud.
But the moment the words left my mouth, I knew there was no taking them back.
What if I go willingly?
The silence that followed felt heavier than anything we had faced so far.
Ethan didn’t move.
Didn’t blink.
Didn’t even breathe, it seemed.
“Ava,” he said finally, his voice low—too controlled. “Don’t say things like that.”
“Why not?” I asked, even though my voice came out quieter than I intended. “It’s a real possibility, isn’t it?”
“No.”
The answer was instant.
Sharp.
Final.
But it wasn’t convincing.
“Ethan—”
“No,” he cut in, stepping closer now. “You don’t get to even consider that.”
His tone hit something in me.
Not fear.
Not this time.
Frustration.
“Why not?” I snapped. “Because you said so?”
“
