Chapter 71

• The air crackled with unspoken emotions, a palpable tension hanging between Ava and Alex in the quiet of the living room. They sat close, the space between them filled with a mixture of longing and hesitation.
• Ava gathered her courage, her heart pounding as she looked at Alex. " I've been thinking... about us " she began, her voice steady but tinged with vulnerability.
• Alex listened intently, his eyes fixed on her, waiting for her next words.