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.&
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
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
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
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 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 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 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 POVFor a long moment, I just stood there staring at him with my mouth open. The words that came out of his mouth didn’t sound real. They echoed inside my head, over and over, like my brain couldn’t accept them.And then, suddenly, I burst out laughing.It wasn’t the kind of laugh that comes from finding something funny. It was sharp, bitter, and Cold.I laughed so hard my chest actually hurt, and I could see the confusion spreading across Zach’s face as he stood there, watching me like I’d lost my mind.“You must be out of your senses,” I said, still letting out small broken laughs. “For you to stand here and say that kind of nonsense to my face.”I was expecting him to flinch, but he didn’t. Instead, Zach looked at me with the most serious eyes I’d ever seen. His lips pressed together for a second, like he was holding back more words. “I’m serious, Ava,” he said, his voice low but clear. “I’ve been in love with you for a long time now. I just… I didn’t know how to say it to
Iris’s POVThe sound of the knife hitting the cutting board filled the kitchen, steady and slow. I wasn’t in a rush. Cooking had always been one of the few things that calmed my mind, and tonight wasn’t any different. The sky outside had already darkened, rain had started falling not too long ago, and the cold breeze slipping through the window kept brushing against my skin.I could hear the soft sounds of gunfire and explosions coming from the sitting room. Zayne was buried deep in another one of his video games. His laughter would echo every now and then, followed by the sound of him trash-talking the other players.In the corner of the room, Steve sat with his head bent over a pile of books, his pen mo
Ava’s POVTwo days had passed, but the weight on my chest only seemed to grow heavier. School hadn’t been any easier either. I spent the day dragging myself from one class to another, pretending to listen, pretending to laugh, pretending to be fine, but I know I wasn’t a little bit fine.I have found a way to escape from Vanessa's torment, but I can’t do that forever. I have to find a way to escape her finally. But how?I have stood up for myself the other day, but that can’t continue forever.I brushed the thought away, trying to ease myself before I’d get home. Knowing fully my stepmom is going to be sitting inside the sitting room waiting for the money I promised he
Ava’s POVI let out a long quiet breath the moment Vanessa was gone. My fingers were still slightly stiff from how tightly I’d held her wrist, and my chest ached from holding my breath too long.Even though Venessa walked away, I knew it wouldn’t be the end. I knew her well enough to know she’d come back harder. Vanessa wasn’t the type to lose and stay quiet. She’d wait for the right moment to make me pay for daring to stand up for myself.But even knowing that, I didn’t feel scared.I pulled in another deep breath, pushing my hair away from my face, and slowly turned back toward my locker. My legs felt heavy, like they wanted to give up, but I forced them to move.When I reached my seat, I sat down with a heavy breath, my eyes scanning my desk, the thought of Zach dropping another unrequited gift lump around me. I swallowed hard, my fingers hesitated on the lock for a moment before I pulled the desk open.The first thing I did was look inside. My eyes swept every corner, half-expect
Ava’s POVVenessa lifted her arms, attempt to slap me but before her hand could reach me, my hand shot up, fast, wrapping around her wrist so tight I felt her pulse jump beneath my fingers, my grip didn’t shake. I made sure of it.Her eyes dropped to where I held her, and for a second I saw the shift of surprise flickered, just barely, in her gaze before the anger came crashing back even harder.I know she hadn’t expected me to stop her…..I know, she thought I’d stand and take every of her shit, like I always did. But not again.“Let go of my hand Ava,” her lips clipped together, her eyes held mine.
Ava’s POVVanessa’s lips curled into a small, sharp snicker as she stared down at me.She didn’t say anything, She just stood before me, tapping her fingers against her folded arms, circling me like a cat deciding how long it wanted to play with its trapped prey. Every of her footstep adds to the tickling of my heart beat.I kept my head down, my fingers gripping the dirt-stained edge of my skirt, holding on like it was the only thing keeping me grounded. My chest rose and fell too fast, my heartbeat pounding inside my ears so loud it drowned everything else, but still, I couldn’t move. My body stayed frozen. Only my ears worked.Venessa suddenly stopped
Ava’s POVMy heart skipped a beat the second my eyes met hers.For a moment, I couldn’t move. My feet stayed glued to the floor, and all the air seemed to disappear from my lungs. Of all the things I expected to face this morning, Vanessa standing right there in front of me wasn’t one of them.My whole body tensed, and one single thought kept spinning through my head. Is this week going to be as fun as last week?Venessa stayed away all last week, and for once, I’d been able to breathe without the thought of her hanging over me.Last week was easier. I guess I let myself hope that maybe, just maybe I’d get a little more time
Writer’s POVMonday came with the usual noise of a new school week. The hallways were crowded with students.Vanessa walked into the school building, her arms folded on her chest.Her steps were slow, but her presence, as always, was impossible to ignore. Heads turned, some whispered, some stared longer than they should. She hadn’t been around lately, skipping school under the excuse of “needing to rest.” But no one dared question her too much, not when it came to Vanessa.The moment she stepped into the classroom, the student noticed her.Their faces lit up almost instantly, one by one, as if the sun
Ava’s POVI couldn’t help it, the moment those words left his mouth, the moment he stood there looking so serious, like all of this was normal I started laughing again.I know I’m laughing so hard but it wasn’t because I was happy. It was because this whole thing felt so stupid and even Zach looks like a stupid creature to me now. I paused with the laugh and shook my head slowly. I stared at him, almost feeling sorry for him. Almost.“You know,” I said, folding my arms across my chest, “I think you are the most foolish person I’ve ever met.” I muttered. His face twitched a little, but he didn’t say anything. He just stood there, watching me like a movie.“You actually expect me to believe that nonsense you just vomited now?” I raised my brow at him, stepping a little to the side, holding his eyes. “Let me guess….” I lifted my hand and started to mock his words, mimicking his voice in the most childish way I could. “‘I thought I could just push it away and pretend it wasn’t real……But
Ava’s POVAfter making my statement, I had barely taken two steps out of the classroom before I heard his hurried footsteps behind me.Before I could even move faster, I felt his hand wrap around my wrist.I froze with my eyes wide open. That same sharp anger that had been buried deep inside me came rushing back like it had never left. My whole body stiffened, and my head slowly turned until my eyes locked onto his hand holding me.I didn’t even have to say a word. The look on my face was enough.Zach’s fingers loosened immediately, and he let go, stepping back as if my skin had burned him.I stood there, staring at him for a second, my heart pounding in a way that had nothing to do with feelings. It was just pure frustration.“What do you want now?” My voice was cold and steady, the kind of voice I usually saved for people who didn’t know when to stop. “Didn’t you hear what I said in there? Or are you pretending you didn’t understand?”His lips parted, but he hesitated like the word