Chapter 60

Ava’s POV

The silence was deafening.

My pulse thundered in my ears as Alex’s voice cut through the door again.

“Ava?”

Ezra didn’t move.

He stood there like some immovable wall of defiance, his jaw clenched, his gaze burning into mine as though daring me to deny him.

I shook my head frantically, every instinct screaming that if Alex saw him in here, this would spiral into something we could never undo.

“Hide,” I mouthed, pushing the word through stiff lips.

He didn’t budge.

His stubbornness was infuriating, terrifying, and damn it was thrilling.

Another knock, harder this time. “Why is the door locked? Ava, is everything okay?”

Panic clawed at my throat. Alex wouldn’t leave until I opened it and Ezra… Ezra was a storm waiting to explode.

I stepped closer, grabbing his wrist, lowering my voice to a harsh whisper. “Please. Hide.”

For a moment, his eyes softened, like he could see the fear radiating off