Chapter 15—Closer Than We Should Be
Ava's POV
I knew something was wrong the second I stepped outside.
The air felt heavy. Still. Wrong.
Voices—two of them—cut through the quiet. Sharp. Low. Tense.
Jacob's. And Noah's.
My stomach dropped.
I followed the sound until I reached the side of the house. I shouldn't have listened. I knew that. But something in Noah's voice made my heart stop.
"I can't pretend I don't feel something anymore."
My breath caught.
Jacob cursed under his breath. "You can't be serious."
"I'm trying to stay away."
Trying. Not wanting.
That word rang through me like a bell.
Before I could think, I stepped forward—twigs crunching under my shoe.
Both boys snapped their heads in my direction.
Jacob went pale. Noah froze completely.
I felt suddenly exposed, like they'd caught my heartbeat instead of my footsteps.
"Ava," Jacob said, voice cracking.
But I didn't look at him.
My eyes found Noah's.
He looked wrecked. Like he'd been holding himself together with shaking hands and suddenly dropped every piece.
"I—uh—" he started, taking a step toward me, but Jacob yanked him back with one arm.
"No," Jacob said sharply. We're not doing this."
I shook my head. "Jacob, stop."
"No," he repeated, anger and fear twisted together. "Ava, go inside."
I held his gaze for one long moment.
Then I walked past him.
Straight to Noah.
Jacob made a noise like he was choking on panic. "Ava!"
Noah's breath hitched as I stopped in front of him.
Close. Closer than we'd ever stood on purpose.
His eyes searched mine—slow, careful, terrified I'd hate him.
"Did you hear all of that?" he whispered.
"Yes."
His chest rose in a shaky breath. "I didn't want you to find out like that."
"I'm glad I did."
Noah blinked hard, like he wasn't sure he heard me right. "You—?"
I nodded, heart pounding so loud it was practically echoing off the siding of the house.
"Because you can stop pretending."
He swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing. "Pretending what?"
"That you don't feel something."
Silence stretched between us, thick and warm and terrifying.
Jacob stood behind us, whisper-yelling, "Ava, stop. He's messing with your head—"
Noah stepped forward, cutting him off softly, his voice steady and low.
"I'm not messing with anything, Jacob. I'm telling the truth."
He wasn't looking at Jacob. He was looking at me.
My breath shook.
Noah's voice softened into something almost fragile. "Ava... tell me to stop, and I will. Tell me you don't feel anything, and I'll back off forever."
My heartbeat stuttered.
This was it. The line Jacob was terrified of. The one Noah was scared to cross. The one I had been avoiding all summer.
I took a tiny step closer.
"I'm not telling you to stop."
Noah's eyes darkened, like he'd been waiting years to hear that.
Jacob made a broken sound behind us. "Ava, PLEASE—"
But Noah didn't look away from me.
He moved like he wasn't sure he was allowed to, lifting his hand slowly, giving me time to pull back. I didn't.
His fingers brushed mine. Barely. Just enough to make every thought dissolve.
"Ava..." he whispered.
I closed my eyes.
"I know," I breathed. "Me too."
Noah exhaled shakily—and the world tilted.
Jacob stepped between us suddenly, breaking the moment like glass shattering.
That's ENOUGH," he snapped. "Both of you. I can't—this can't happen. Do you hear me?"
"Jacob," he said quietly, it's already happening."
Jacob looked between us like he didn't know who to be angry at first.
I took a deep breath. "Jacob... please. Just let me talk to him. Alone."
He stared at me with betrayal and fear in his eyes.
"No," he said, voice breaking. "Because I know exactly where this goes."
And then he walked away.
Leaving me and Noah standing there, hearts pounding, the truth hanging heaving in the air.
Noah looked at me like he didn't know whether to step close again or stay a mile away.
"Ava," he whispered, "what do we do now?"
"I don't know," I whispered back. "But I know how I feel."
The corner of his mouth lifted—small, hopeful, terrified.
And for the first time all summer...
We weren't pretending.