CHAPTER EIGHT: Shadows from the Past
For the first time in weeks, Ava felt weightless.
Holding Ivan's hand as they walked home after school felt right, like some invisible clock had finally started ticking in sync with her heart. Their fingers brushed, tangled, held. And even though they didn't talk much, it didn't matter.
He was there.
And this time, he wasn't hiding behind silence.
"I still can't believe you drew that picture of me," she said, smiling up at him. "You made me look cooler than I am."
Ivan smirked. "You are cool. You just don't believe it yet."
Ava nudged him with her shoulder. "Keep saying things like that, and I might start thinking you're in love with me."
His grip on her hand tightened slightly. "Maybe I am."
She stopped walking.
He didn't.
When he turned back, she was staring at him like the ground had shifted.
"Ivan…"
He looked unsure now, vulnerable in a way she'd never seen.
"I'm not saying it because I expect anything," he said quickly. "I just—I don't want to keep pretending. You said you wanted to figure us out. That's part of it, right?"
She nodded slowly, stepping toward him.
Before she could speak again, a voice cut through the cool air like a blade.
"Ava?"
She turned—and froze.
Carter.
Standing on the sidewalk a few feet away, hands in his pockets, eyes locked on the two of them. His expression was unreadable, but there was something tight in his jaw. Something almost… hurt.
"I stopped by your place," he said, voice carefully casual. "Your mom said you were walking home. I thought maybe we could talk."
Ivan's posture shifted. Calm, but alert.
Ava felt the air thicken around her. "Carter, I—"
He looked at their hands. Then back at her.
"I didn't know you and Ivan were a thing now."
"We're figuring things out," Ava said softly.
Carter gave a hollow laugh. "Right. So all that time we spent together… was what? Just you waiting for this to happen?"
Ivan stepped forward, tone calm but firm. "Carter, this isn't the place—"
"I'm not talking to you," Carter snapped. "This is between me and her."
Ava felt her pulse spike. "Don't do this."
"You could've told me, Ava," Carter said. "You could've said you were still in love with someone else."
"I didn't know," she shot back, suddenly angry. "I didn't know what I felt until it was right in front of me."
"And what about me?" he asked, softer now. "Did I ever matter?"
Her voice broke. "Of course you did. You do. But… it's not the same."
Silence fell again, thicker than before.
Carter stared at her for a long moment, then nodded once—sharp and clean.
"Good luck," he said to Ivan. "She doesn't always know what she wants."
Then he turned and walked away, disappearing into the streetlight haze.
Ava stood frozen, emotions crashing into each other like waves.
Ivan gently took her hand again. "You okay?"
She shook her head. "I don't know."
He didn't press. Just held her hand tighter.
Because sometimes, being there was the only thing that mattered.