Chapter 15
That night, I couldn’t stop thinking about the way Ian had stood up for me.
He hadn’t hesitated. Hadn’t blinked.
He had chosen me. Again.
And it terrified me.
I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, heart pounding in that strange mix of fear and longing. I didn’t know what the future held—but I knew my life would never be the same.
The next morning, things didn’t calm down.
Whispers followed me through the hallways like shadows. Some were curious. Some were cruel. And some… were angry.
I could feel it in the air—shifting. Changing.
Like a storm building.
“People are watching,” Abigail whispered, falling into step beside me between classes. “This is more than a school crush now, Ava. You and Ian? It’s like poking a beehive.”
I looked at her, panicked. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“I know,” she said gently. “But fate doesn’t care what we mean. It just… is.”
I wanted to tell her everything. How Ian looked at me like I was the only person that existed. How his touch made me feel more alive than I’d ever felt. How he whispered “mine” like it was a vow.
But I couldn’t find the words.
And part of me was scared she wouldn’t understand.
Later, I sat on a bench near the edge of campus, trying to clear my head. The wind tugged at my hair. Leaves rustled. The sky darkened.
And then—
I felt it.
That low hum in the air.
A presence.
I looked up, and there he was.
Ian.
He didn’t say anything at first. Just looked at me with that intense gaze that made my stomach flip.
“You okay?” he asked.
I nodded. “I think so.”
He sat beside me. Close. Not touching—but close enough that I could feel the heat from his body.
“I don’t want to mess this up,” I admitted. “Whatever this is.”
“You won’t,” he said softly. “Because I won’t let you.”
I turned to him, trying to read his expression. “Why me, Ian?”
He took a slow breath.
“Because the first time I saw you, I felt… peace. And I haven’t felt that in years.”
His hand brushed mine.
“I spent my whole life being told what I have to be. How to act. Who to lead. But when I’m with you, I don’t feel like I’m performing. I just am.”
The sincerity in his voice left me breathless.
“You make me feel real, Ava.”
I didn’t know what to say. So I squeezed his hand instead.
And for a moment, the rest of the world faded.
But as the wind picked up again, I caught the scent of something unfamiliar.
Sharp. Metallic.
A warning.
Ian stiffened beside me, his head snapping up.
“What is it?” I asked.
He growled low in his throat.
“Someone’s watching us.”