Chapter 16

• "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
• The words left my mouth before I could stop them. I didn’t know why I said them. Maybe I was trying to convince myself. Maybe I was trying to make it true. Either way, there was no going back. Ava turned to face me, her expression unreadable, her eyes still holding a hint of wariness that I couldn't blame her for.
• "Didn’t mean for what, Lowan?" she asked, her voice soft but laced with suspicion. I could hear the bitterness there, and it twisted something deep inside me. I had been expecting this, but still, it hurt. "Didn’t mean to tear everything apart? Didn’t mean to push me away?"