Chapter 49. Happy 21st Birthday, Ava!

Ava

I woke up to an empty house and a sky the color of wet concrete.

No Enzo, no Amanda, no Jason, no ghosts in the hallway. Just me, the low hum of the fridge, and the faint smell of yesterday’s coffee still clinging to the air.

For the first time in weeks I didn’t reach for my phone to text someone, didn’t open the escort booklet, didn’t even think about getting off.

I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, feeling the bruise inside my chest throb in a quieter way.

I got up, showered slowly, let the water run cold at the end until my teeth chattered.

When I stepped out, I caught my reflection and didn’t look away. Eyes red rimmed but clear. Mouth set. Hair dripping. I looked like someone who’d been through a war and was still standing.

I put on the softest thing I own, an oversized black hoodie that used to be Adrian’s and nothing else. Bare legs, bare feet, sleeves pulled over my hands.

I padded downstairs, made tea instead