Ava's POV

The antiseptic smell of the hospital mingled with the tension between us, sharp enough to make me sick.

Holly sat on the edge of the hospital bed, her arms folded across her chest, her expression an unreadable mask—until it cracked. Anger and confusion seeped through, and she couldn’t hold it back any longer.

“Why did you do that, Ava?” she asked, her voice trembling. “He was just trying to be nice. You made him leave like he was some kind of monster.”

I took a deep breath, fighting to keep my emotions in check while staring at my seventeen year old sister. “He’s not who you think he...