Ava’s POV
Vanessa lunges at me, her eyes blazing with fury, and before I can dodge, her hand tangles in my hair, yanking hard. Pain shoots through my scalp, but I don’t cry out. I won’t give her the satisfaction.
“You think you can slap me and get away with it?” she hisses, her voice low and dangerous.
“You slapped me first!” I snap back, my hands flying to her arm to try to pry her fingers loose. But she’s stronger than she looks, and her grip only tightens.
The classroom explodes with noise as desks screech against the floor, students jump to their feet, and phones are whipped out to record the fight. No one steps in to help, of course. They just want a front-row seat to the drama.
&nbs
Ava’s POVIrish’s hand is warm and firm as he pulls me out of the principal's office. His grip is strong, like he’s afraid I’ll slip away if he lets go. I don’t know why, but my heart is racing. Maybe it’s because of all the eyes on us. People are staring, whispering, looking at me like I’ve suddenly become someone important.Because Irish is holding my hand.But Irish doesn’t seem to care about their stares. He just keeps walking, pulling me forward like nothing else matters. Meanwhile, I feel completely out of place, uncomfortable with the way everyone’s eyes follow us.“I need to go back to class,” I say, trying to sound firm.
Ava’s POVI stand there, my body rigid, my breath shaky. My stepmom’s eyes narrow as she folds her arms across her chest. “Since when did you start talking back to me?” she asks, her tone sharp with irritation.I lift my chin, meeting her glare. “Just now,” I say, my voice firm despite the storm raging inside me. “And you should answer my question. Did you take money from Vanessa?”Her expression darkens instantly, as if she can’t believe I would dare to challenge her. I see the flicker of shock in her eyes, the way her lips pressed together in irritation. But I don’t care anymore. I’m tired of everything that’s happening.&l
Ava’s POVI woke up the next morning feeling exhausted, my body heavy as if I hadn’t slept at all. The events of yesterday still weigh on me. My stepmom, her cold voice, her cruel words… It’s like an echo in my head.“I just hate that you exist.”I shake my head, trying to push her words away, but they cling to me, refusing to leave. I don’t know why, but for the first time in a long while, I miss my mom. I don’t even remember much about her, just bits and pieces, blurry memories that fade when I try too hard to hold onto them.But I remember the warmth. The softness in her voice. The way she used to hold me.
AVA’S POVI don’t even realize I’m running until I collide with someone. A sharp gasp escapes me as I stumble back, my heart still hammering from the conversation with Steve.I look up only to realize it is Sarah.Of all people? Sarah, why her?She crosses her arms, her eyes narrowing as she looks me up and down. “Why are you roaming around the school?” Her voice is sharp, almost amused. “Shouldn’t you be in class? Or is this what you do while my mother pays your school fees?”I swallow hard. My palms are sweaty, my throat dry. I don’t know what to say, and at the same time, I
AVA’S POVI pull myself together, forcing my hands to stop shaking as I rummage through my bag for the dress I have to wear. The moment my fingers touch the fabric, my stomach twists. My hands feel weak, but I push through, dragging it out and clutching it against my chest.I take slow, careful steps toward the changing room. My breath is uneven, my head pounding. The moment I shut the door behind me, I let out a deep sigh, staring at my reflection in the mirror.I look… empty.Dark circles frame my eyes. My skin looks pale under the dim lighting, and my lips are dry, slightly chapped. I run my fingers over my face, trying to see if I still recognize myself, but all I see is someone who&rs
ZAYNE’S POV“Why are you so straightforward tonight?”“Because I realize I can’t keep running away from the mate bond, aside, you guys are the only people who treat me well.”Damn it.A low growl rumbles in my chest as I close the distance between us, gripping her chin between my fingers. “You have no idea what you’re asking for, Ava.”She tilts her head slightly, pressing her cheek into my palm. “Then show me.”Heat rushes through my veins. My patience snaps.
AVA’S POVWhat have I done?My breath is still shaky, my body warm and tingling from what just happened. I don’t know what came over me, but I blame it on the alcohol. That has to be it. I would never…Bang! Bang!“Ava!” a deep voice shouts from outside, followed by loud knocking.My heart stops. Oh my God.Zayne moves faster than me, grabbing his pants and yanking them on before striding to the door. My body tenses when I realize who the voice belongs to.My boss.
ZAYN'S POV“You…” Steve’s voice was quiet, but the weight behind it was unmistakable.I leaned against the wall, keeping my arms crossed over my chest. “What about me?”Irish turned his gaze toward Ava, his jaw tightening. “Did you…?” He trailed off as if saying the words would make it worse.Ava looked like she wanted to disappear. Her cheeks burned red, and she stepped back, looking anywhere but at them.I wasn’t going to let her feel ashamed.“Yes,” I said, my voice calm but firm. “I did.&
Ava’s POVI stood there, staring at them, still waiting for someone to crack. But the triplets just kept looking at me like I had grown two heads.“None of us sent you anything,” Steve said first, folding his arms across his chest. His voice was firm, but there was something sharp in his eyes, like he didn’t like the topic at all.“Exactly,” Zayne added, shaking his head, “why would we be sending you love letters and flowers? Are you hearing yourself?” Irish didn’t say much, but his lips twitched like he was holding back a frown.I blinked at them, watching their faces one by one. There wasn’t a single flicker of guilt or amusement, no little smile, no playful tease. Nothing. Just blank denial.“Wait here,” I said, backing away. “Let me show you something.”I rushed back to class, heading straight to my locker. The cake, the ice cream were still sitting inside my locker, next to the love card and the flower. I grabbed them all and walked back to where the triplets were still standing
Ava’s POVThe past few days have been strange.Every morning, I opened my locker and found a love letter and a rose. It started on Monday, and the routine was the same each day, a folded letter with elegant handwriting and a fresh rose, perfectly placed, just waiting for me.After the first day that I opened it, I didn’t bother to open the letter again. I just tossed them straight into the trash without giving it a second thought. Who would send me flowers like this? It didn’t make sense.But still, every morning, it was the same thing. The love letter. The rose. And my confusion grew.Yesterday, though, something had changed. There was no rose, no letter. I thought maybe the person had stopped. Maybe they realized I wasn’t interested, or that it was all a mistake.I didn’t know how I felt about that, though. Part of me had wanted to know who it was. To see if they would do something again. Maybe I was curious, but also a little relieved. I wasn’t sure what to feel.⸻The next morning
Ava’s POVThe morning felt like every other. I got dressed for school. My hair refused to cooperate, so I tied it up in a messy bun and tried not to think too much about how tired I looked in the mirror. I grabbed my bag and headed out, doing my best to ignore the ache still lingering in my chest from yesterday. Probably the triplet is still sleeping or something. Because I don’t see them around, and honestly, I don’t want to disturb them. They slept late yesterday. By the time I got to school. I made my way to class, I glanced around and realized Vanessa wasn’t on seat. Maybe she’s not yet in school. I walked to my desk, reaching up to unlock my locker, when something caught my eye.There was a soft red rose resting on top of my books.I blinked, confused. And next to it, a small folded card, cream-colored with a delicate red heart drawn on the front.I stared at it for a moment, wondering if I was seeing it right. My fingers hesitated, then I slowly picked up the card and opened i
Ava’s POVI stared at him, not knowing what to say. My heart was thudding in my chest, and I could feel the heat in my cheeks, but I tried to hold his gaze. He looked serious, unreadable.“Were you… were you being serious just now?” I asked, finally, my voice quieter than I expected.His eyes didn’t waver. “Yes,” he said, simple and firm.I swallowed hard, feeling my stomach twist. I didn’t want to make this bigger than it already felt. I didn’t want him thinking, whatever it was he was thinking.“I wasn’t reacting to you,” I said, trying to sound calm, trying to make it sound believable. “I just didn’t want any trouble. People were taking pictures. That’s all it was. Not what you’re thinking.”He didn’t say anything at first. Just nodded. Slowly. Like he was hearing me, but not really believing a word I’d just said.The way he didn’t argue, didn’t question me, made it worse. I kind of wished he had snapped, or laughed, or even rolled his eyes. Anything. But the way he just accepted i
AVA’S POVThe car ride is quiet, but my mind is loud.Too much has happened this week. From Zayne to Steve. I still haven’t processed everything. My emotions are running wild, yet I don’t feel as uneasy as I should. Maybe I should hate what’s happening… but I don’t. And that confuses me even more.“Do you want some ice cream?” Steve suddenly speaks, breaking the silence.“No.” I shake my head.He doesn’t push further, just nods and keeps driving. The silence between us feels heavy, but not uncomfortable. I stare out the window, my fingers absentmindedly playing with
Steve’s POVAva’s scream sends a jolt of panic through me. Without thinking, I shove the bathroom door open, ready to tear apart anything that hurt her. But the second my eyes land on her, I freeze.She’s on the floor, her back against the sink, her pants pushed down to her thighs. Her soft, bare skin is exposed to me, and my breath catches.Damn.Heat rushes through my body, tightening every muscle. My fists clench at my sides as I force myself to breathe, to focus, but it’s impossible. She’s right there, looking up at me with wide, embarrassed eyes, her lips slightly parted.I clear my throat, tryi
Steve’s POVI was still annoyed about what happened last night. No, maybe annoyed wasn’t the right word. Jealous. That was the truth. I wasn’t angry at Ava. I could never be. But knowing that Zayne had marked her first left a bitter taste in my mouth.I gripped the steering wheel a little tighter as I drove to the library, stealing glances at Ava from the corner of my eye. She sat quietly in the passenger seat, her fingers playing with the hem of her shirt. She wasn’t looking at me, but I could tell she was lost in thought.She had no idea how much she affected me.Every little thing she did, every breath, every shift in her seat pulled me deeper into her. It drove
ZAYN'S POV“You…” Steve’s voice was quiet, but the weight behind it was unmistakable.I leaned against the wall, keeping my arms crossed over my chest. “What about me?”Irish turned his gaze toward Ava, his jaw tightening. “Did you…?” He trailed off as if saying the words would make it worse.Ava looked like she wanted to disappear. Her cheeks burned red, and she stepped back, looking anywhere but at them.I wasn’t going to let her feel ashamed.“Yes,” I said, my voice calm but firm. “I did.&
AVA’S POVWhat have I done?My breath is still shaky, my body warm and tingling from what just happened. I don’t know what came over me, but I blame it on the alcohol. That has to be it. I would never…Bang! Bang!“Ava!” a deep voice shouts from outside, followed by loud knocking.My heart stops. Oh my God.Zayne moves faster than me, grabbing his pants and yanking them on before striding to the door. My body tenses when I realize who the voice belongs to.My boss.