[AVA]“I can’t believe you agreed to this.”“Trust me, I can’t believe it either.”I chuckle, not able to help myself. I would have loved to see Brian climbing a mountain, but I can’t, and that makes me sad. But maybe I’ll have better luck next time. I just hope Brian will be as willing to take part
We pull back and Brian glares at his twin brother, who in turn, winks at us, making sure we know he has only been kidding. “We are heading to the next store. Think you can take your make-out session on the go?”Brian flips him off and Mason laughs, walking away with Kian in tow.Kian looks over his
[BRIAN]Time for some honesty: I’m terrified of what I’m about to do.Rock/Mountain climbing, I’m not sure if I’m made for such stuff. I mean, sure, I love treks and long walks and boating and camping and driving and all that stuff but climbing a mountain? That sounds a little stretch, even for me.
[AVA]“I’ll miss you,” I say once Brian and I step into the elevator of his penthouse.Kian and Mason are already downstairs, waiting for us. But Brian, being Brian, needed a moment to “make it up” to me for the whole two weeks he would be absent.I’m excited for him. I swear, I am. And yet, when I
[AVA]“Brian was right, this is a very bad idea,” I mumble to myself as I stand outside the apartment Sean and Aaron share. And yes, let me remind you this is the same apartment where Sean found Aaron furiously making out with his sister.And yes, I should not have thought about that because now the
I chuckle. “I’d love that, but I’m not sure Aaron would appreciate being put on the spot.”“Don’t worry, I’ll work my magic,” Sean winks and heads toward the kitchen, leaving me alone in the living room.I wander over to the bookcase, running my fingers over the spines of Sean’s collection. He has a
[AVA]“It’s a great idea,” I say to him, finally realizing that it’s never the gift that matters, it’s the intention. And Sean loves Aaron; he only wants the best for him.Sean looks so damn relieved, tears twinkling in his eyes.“Oh, thank God!” He chuckles, nervously running a hand through his dar
[MAX]I’m ready to take a break and hand over the counter to Patrick when the rainbow girl walks into the café/diner, and the bell chimes over her head.Her eyes find mine in an instant, and I stop whatever I’m doing for reasons I don’t even want to know.“Hey!” She walks over to me, leans on the co
[BRIAN]When I pull up at Ava’s old address, I have only one goal in mind.To find Max and get the hell out.Why? Because this place always gave me the creeps. Not only is it the most notorious part of the city, but it’s also slightly dangerous.When Dean and his family went bankrupt years ago, I di
He walks back to the couch, and for the first time, I notice a camera that’s already been set up.My stomach tightens.He grabs the camera stand with one hand and drags it closer to where I am. Adjusting the angle, he makes sure it focuses directly on me. Then he straightens, his gaze locking onto m
[AVA]I might have lost consciousness because the next time I open my eyes, the bright lights make me wince and squeeze them shut again.“Ah…” I whimper, only then realizing my ankle is badly bruised.“You’re awake.”A deep male voice rings in my ears, and I look up—only to find the same staff guy w
[AVA]Once Brian leaves, I sink back onto the couch, my fingers dialing Max’s number again.Maybe if he picks up, I can convince him to drop by on his own, and Brian wouldn’t have to go.But every call goes unanswered. And the more I try to convince myself it’s no big deal—that Max is just being him
I run my fingers through his wet hair. “Because I can’t stop thinking about what happens next. About who’s behind this. About how this doesn’t just affect me but everyone around me.”“You don’t have to figure everything out right this second, Ava.”“I know,” I whisper, but knowing and believing are
[AVA]I finally feel a little better—enough to let Brian freshen up after his long flight.He kisses me on the forehead and promises to join me soon.Maybe he knows that if I’m left alone, my mind will start spiraling again, drowning me in guilt. And once that happens, I won’t be able to focus on an
I unlock the door and pull the door open, only to find his familiar handsome face looking back at me.He’s dressed in a white shirt and blue denim jeans, and I don’t think he could look any better.I know, I know. I probably sound like some horny bitch, but I don’t care. It’s Brian. And being horny
[AVA]After dropping me off at Brian’s penthouse, Aaron insists on staying until Brian returns.But I can clearly see the disinterest on his face—he can’t stand another bored minute with me. So, I do what I know is right.I ask him to leave.Maybe out of formality, he insists once more that he doesn
[AVA]“I’m sure she didn’t mean it, Ava,” Miranda tries to say, but she might as well accept that her daughter will never see me as someone to be trusted.Whatever I’ve done to piss this woman off, one thing is certain—I don’t care anymore. I neither have the time to bother myself with her nonsense