Sleep Of The Heart

Ava’s POV

The silence of the building was getting heavy, and it was in this moment I missed when the cooks and cleaners were around.

I knew I would have to speak to Andrew, even if it’s concerning a different topic. I wanted to push the messages from Derek out of my mind, and I knew I couldn’t avoid Andrew forever.

Just as I contemplated getting up and checking on him, I heard the creak of the door from his office. I turned my head, expecting him to walk in, but instead, he stood just outside the doorway, his body framed in the dim light of the hallway. His expression was carefully neutral, but I could see the concern in his features. It made my heart sink; I hated that I was the cause of that worry.

“Ava?” he said softly, stepping into the living room. “Can we talk?”

I took a deep breath, nodding even as my heart raced. “Yeah, of course.”

He walked over to the couch and sat down across from me, his body angled slightly toward mine. There was an intensity in his gaze that made me bot