Chapter 4

Comparing yourself to other people? Just forget it—everyone got their own league.

Oh, and let's not forget about cats.

After scrolling through Ava's account, I realized she wasn't just a cat lover in general.

She only really cared about the one she raised together with Eric.

But when they broke up, Eric took the cat away.

And over time, that cat became his stand-in—his shadow.

I sat there, numb, staring at nothing.

So that was what Ava's love looked like—deep, loyal, all-consuming.

Next to that, my seven years with her felt like some cruel joke.

She never mentioned Liam in front of me, and I'd convinced myself I'd forgotten.

But ignoring something didn't make it disappear.

Still, she shouldn't have wasted her time on himonly to turn around and waste mine too.

No. That was not fair.

Maybe I had it coming.

I knew she didn't love me.And still, I kept chasing the flame, knowing I'd burn.

I got no one else to blame—this was all on me.

It was four a.m., and everything felt still—like the whole world was holding its breath with me.

Suddenly, an idea hit me—I finally understood.

Ava and I were done.

Maybe it was time we both just moved on.

After I finally figured everything out, I got some sleep at last.

Even though I tossed and turned all night, I still did my best to pull myself together the next day.

Ava had this routine—she'd always head out around eight.

I made sure to wake up early, but she wasn't anywhere to be seen.

I texted her, but she didn't reply. I called, but she didn't pick up.

Then it hit me—her secret account.

Sure enough, she'd updated it.

It was just three words. [Wait for me.]

The location tag? That same road leading to the airport.

God, I hated how sharp I could be sometimes.

But at the same time, I was kind of glad.

Maybe this was for the best.

The more disappointment I felt, the easier it'd be to finally let go.

I just sat there, clutching my phone, waiting for something—anything—from Ava, all the way until noon.

But there was still nothing from her.

Her account hadn't been updated either.

She must've met up with Liam by now.

Reuniting with your first love, old feelings hard to forget.

It seemed like the right thing to do, no matter what.

I lowered my head, trying to escape the images that kept flashing in my mind.

I just wanted to get away from all those painful daydreams playing out in my mind.

But then, unexpectedly, the photo of us on the couch popped up in front of me.

In it, Ava and I were smiling, as if there had never been any distance between us.

It all started with that late-night message from Ava saying she missed me.

That was enough for me to quit my stable government job back home and move to be with her.

To commemorate the end of our long-distance relationship, which had lasted a year and a half, we took that picture.

Back then, our relationship was still in a good place.

I felt a pang of sadness. I turned the photo over, not wanting to look at it anymore.

Just then, my phone screen lit up.

Ava had sent me a message. [What's wrong?]

I didn't reply, just dialed her number right away.

She took a while to pick up. "Hello?"

There was a background noise on her end, muffled and chaotic.

I couldn't quite make it out, but honestly, I didn't care to ask.

"Come back. I need to talk to you," I said.

Ava sounded impatient. "Why can't you just say it over the phone?"

Her voice was calm, but I could tell she was hiding a bit of impatience underneath.

I wasn't having it. "No, it has to be in person."

Maybe this was just some game to her after all these years, but for me, it wasn't.

So, even if it was the end, I needed to do this face to face.

"Dylan Hayes, I have something to deal with," Ava said, unusually formal.

She actually used my full name—a rare move for her.

There was an unmistakable warning in her voice.

Her tone lit my anger, and I called her out without holding back.

"Is this really something important, or are you just rolling out the red carpet for your old flame?" I fired back.

"Ava, don't pretend—you know exactly what this is about," I said, my voice cold and sharp.

I heard her breathing get heavier, and I could feel the tension on the other end.

"Are you keeping tabs on me?" Ava snapped, unmistakable suspicion in her voice.

I was exhausted.

"I'll give you an hour. If you're coming, fine. If not, whatever. I'm hanging up now," I said.

"Wait!" Ava blurted, cutting me off before I could hang up.

She fired off an address in a rush. "Come over now, and see if it's what you think it is."

When I walked into the huge private room, it was just Ava and Charlotte there.

Charlotte had never liked me.

But she just shot me a grudging nod, clearly wishing she didn't have to.

I didn't even spare her a glance and headed straight for Ava.

"Since when did you start playing watchdog?" Ava snapped back, her tone sharp and just a hint reckless from the drinks.

She'd clearly had a few, and tonight she wore her emotions right on her sleeve—so much more obvious than usual.

I shot a look at the seafood spread laid out on the table.

Trying my best to sound casual, I kept my cool. "Just three of us and you ordered all this? Isn't it kinda wasteful?"

Ava frowned. "You still don't believe me?"

"Ava, do you really think I'm that stupid?" I shot back, my voice sharp.

The smell of perfume in the air couldn't be faked—you just knew it was there.

That black briefcase on the table? It stood out so much, you couldn't ignore it if you tried.

But what really got me was, suddenly my skin started itching all over.

It was that familiar allergic reaction kicking in.

"Ava, we're done." My voice was cold, final—there was no room for doubt.

I wasn't here to dig for answers or to put my faith in Ava.