Chapter 117

Ezra’s POV

The city outside my window hummed like it always did, a low, constant pulse of life that made silence impossible but somehow made the quiet moments feel sharper.

I stood by the counter, pouring two glasses of wine, listening to Ava’s soft laugh from my couch.

She was curled up there, barefoot, legs tucked beneath her, wearing one of my hoodies like she’d always belonged in it. Her hair was still damp from the rain we’d gotten caught in earlier, curling at the ends, clinging to her neck.

It hit me then how easy this was, how natural it felt. For years I’d kept myself carefully walled off from anything that looked like romance, like intimacy. But Ava had slipped through the cracks before I even realized the walls were crumbling.

I brought her the wine and sat beside her. “Here.”

“Thanks.” She took the glass, fingers brushing mine, and gave me that small, knowing smile she had, half shy, half dangerous. “You’re quiet tonight.”