ENTANGLED HEARTS

me Ava hadn't heard

hone while they were watching a movie together in the

ll in town.

ared at the screen, jaw tight, until Ava

er. "It's not w

humorless laugh. "I

the girl

er really dated-bu

y. Complicated,

or each other, Tessa had been a ghost h

-kiss that Ava never asked a

w she w

on the rooftop alone,

The girl who never asked

gasoline-explosive

teady. Ava made him

red Tessa becaus

f him still felt guilty for how thin

ing was putting Ava

? That wa

t for him to br

d. He acted nor

ass, she cornered

you me

blinke

you wa

va.

t lie

to her. Not because I want her back. But because I never got to end it right. And

d. "So you're going

was

e said, voice trembling. "You don't walk

noon, Tessa sho

. Confiden

tting outside the

ing going for you," she t

"Why are you rea

aid. "And maybe a

that guy

. "So I've heard. Ava

lenched. "Don't

faded. "That

. "More th

silence f

d've been her if things had g

"No. Ava's one of one

"Then I guess I fin

together fro

touch his arm. S

, even briefly, reignited every

Liam showed u

er," he s

ed her ar

want to lose. That whatever we had wasn't real. That I neve

y do I feel like she st

. "But she reminded me

epped

-not over a shadow. Not over

hesit

, "I hate that

tly. "That mak

in a long time, she le

kisse

sn't r

sn't p

t was

real, an

t the meeting with Tessa, the

all the r

the righ

't logical. It

on a loop-every pause, every br

efore telling her T

ounded to

followed was fil

ssa came loo

Ava was heading to the campus caf

ou're Av

rned-an

es

retty. A calm, unread

olding her hands up. "I just... wanted to mee

d. "You tal

day. Said everything he shou

was a

with him," Tessa continued. "But seeing the way he

t to say. Gratitude?

me this?" Ava

Second guessing. Feeling like your relations

ur story anymore. He chose you. And from the way you're looking

chest t

e she w

d scar

a walked until

e she didn'

t wasn't the same

the voice in her head-the one that whispe

t building, phone in hand, fing

, she te

means giving them the power

ied almost

ey're holding something fragile.

nd, Liam su

tudio late at night. The lig

e room, on a single

a pai

col

pages, color swatches, old movie ticket

In every version

breath

is al

he sai

tepped

istakes. But loving yo

, Ava didn

epped f

face in

him like s

't afraid of t

aiting for the past t

lly pulled apar

etter m

smiling sof

breath. Every vers