( Ava's POV )
The house was quiet in a way that made Ava feel on edge. Lily had been asleep for hours, sprawled across the couch with her favorite blanket half covering her, oblivious to the storm brewing in the rooms beside her.
Ava had tried to focus on her book, flipping pages without really seeing them. Her thoughts kept wandering, as they always did lately, to him, Brian. The memory of his gaze, the intensity, the possessive way he had spoken to her earlier in the week, gnawed at her. She hated how much she wanted him, hated how much she ached for the heat of his presence.
She had hoped that keeping her distance, avoiding eye contact, pretending everything was normal, would be enough. But it never was.
The first sign that this evening would be different came when she went to the
