Chapter 195

Ava’s POV

“I really don’t care,” I said, my voice cold. The realization that Liam was behind everything settled in. It all made sense now. Why hadn’t I seen it before?

Liam had always been there—the perfect friend, the one no one would suspect. He was Liam, the nice guy who shadowed Grayson. But shadows hide things, don't they? He had a perfect agenda, and as the pieces clicked into place, something else hit me: the day Grayson was shot.

I had seen it in Liam’s eyes—the anger. At the time, I thought it was because my orders to take Grayson to the hospital overrode his. But no. It wasn’t just anger; it was frustration. Frustration because I’d ruined his plan. He hadn’t wanted Grayson to survive. Grayson didn’t have his wolf then, and Liam knew. He knew Grayson wouldn’t heal, and he’d counted on it.

That meant Liam knew about Grayson’s missing wolf. He was perfectly positioned to exploit it, to destabilize Grayson. The messages Grayson had found? Liam’s doing. Deliberately planted.

“What do you mean you don’t care?!” Isabella’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Did you not hear what we said? What Eliza said? Grayson’s practically a zombie! If he’s in danger, he can’t save himself. And he’s wolfless. Who knows how many people Liam has working for him?”

Her voice barely registered. The crushing weight of realization bore down on me. Grayson had believed those messages because, deep down, he couldn’t trust me. And without trust, what did we have? Nothing.

“Ava!” Isabella snapped.

I finally looked at her, but my resolve didn’t waver. “I really don’t care. And if you’ll excuse me,” I gestured to the line at the food truck, “I have to get back to work.”

“You cannot be serious,” Isabella said, incredulous.

I didn’t respond. I walked away, back into the food truck. Tessa’s eyes met mine, curious and cautious.

With my heightened senses, I heard Isabella mutter curses, and Eliza suggested giving me time to cool off. But Isabella refused.

“She’s not going to help,” she said firmly. “I need to call Rickon.”

“Who’s Rickon?” Monica asked.

“My mate,” Isabella answered, “and an Alpha.”

Their footsteps faded, then Isabella’s voice hit me through our psychic link. “This is bullshit, Lilian,” she said, cold and cutting. Then she slammed a mental door shut, making me flinch.

I sighed, rubbing my temples, trying to push away the frustration.

“You okay?” Tessa asked gently.

I plastered a fake smile on my face and nodded. “Fine,” I lied, turning to the next customer.

I didn’t let myself think. If I did, everything would crash. So I focused on the orders.

Then, something slamming shut jolted me. Mikayla stomped in, arms crossed, face red with anger.

She slumped into a corner, glaring at the wall.

Tessa and I exchanged a look, biting back smiles.

Finally, Mikayla snapped, “Aren’t you going to ask what’s wrong?”

Tessa smirked, raising an eyebrow at me. “Okay, fine. What’s wrong? Why are you so mad?”

Mikayla exploded. “It’s Q! Two days until prom, and he still hasn’t asked me!”

Her words tumbled out dramatically, and I bit back a laugh. Tessa didn’t try to hide hers.

“Maybe he’s just looking for the right way to ask,” Tessa suggested. “Or maybe he’s nervous.”

Mikayla snorted. “He’s not nervous. And you’re so old.”

Tessa gasped dramatically. “Old? I’m a classic, thank you very much.”

Despite my emotions, a laugh escaped.

Mikayla turned to me, eyes wide and pleading. “Ava, what should I do? Should I ask him? Or wait?”

I smiled faintly. “Honestly? If you want him to ask, give him a nudge. Guys can be clueless. Or just ask him.”

Mikayla froze, staring at me like I’d insulted her. “Me? Ask him? Are you out of your mind?”

Tessa snorted with laughter. “Oh, the horror! A girl asking a boy to prom!”

Mikayla glared at her, then back at me. “That’s not how it works! He’s supposed to ask me! If I ask him, it’ll look like I’m desperate.”

I leaned against the counter. “But isn’t it better to get what you want? If you like him and want to go with him, why not say something?”

She huffed. “It’s not that simple. He’s supposed to want it too. If I force it, it won’t feel the same.”

I tilted my head. “So you don’t just want him to ask you. You want him to want to ask you.”

“Yes! Exactly!” Mikayla exclaimed. “I don’t want to feel like I’m chasing him. I want to know I’m important enough to him to take the initiative.”

I nodded slowly. “You want to know you matter to him,” I said softly.

Mikayla paused, noticing the change in my tone. “Yeah,” she said, quieter. “Exactly. I don’t want to feel… like I’m not worth the effort.”

Her words hit me hard. I straightened up, my hands gripping the counter.

I thought about Grayson, about the messages, and how he hadn’t trusted me. Because deep down, he didn’t think I was worth it. Or maybe I hadn’t done enough to show him he mattered.

Tessa’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Ava? You okay?”

I forced a shaky breath. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

But I wasn’t.

Mikayla frowned. “Ava, are you sure? You look… like you’re about to cry.”

I shook my head, plastering on a smile. “I’m fine,” I repeated, but the words felt hollow.

Tessa and Mikayla exchanged a look, but didn’t push me.

As Mikayla continued, her words blurred, replaced by a single thought: I couldn’t pretend everything was fine when Grayson was in danger. He didn’t have his wolf, and if Liam was behind this, he wouldn’t stop until Grayson was destroyed. And what was I doing? Hiding.

But I did care. More than anything.

Mikayla’s voice pulled me back. “So, what do you think I should do, Ava?”

I cut her off, my voice steadier than I felt. “You fight for what matters, Mikayla. You don’t wait. You don’t let fear or pride stop you. If something’s important, you fight for it. Period.”

Mikayla blinked, surprised by my intensity. “Uh, okay…”

I turned to Tessa. “I need to go.”

Tessa’s eyes widened. “Go? Go where?”

“To fix something,” I said firmly, untying my apron. “To fight for something that matters.”

Tessa nodded, understanding in her eyes. “Go,” she said softly.

I glanced at Mikayla. “And you,” I said, pointing at her, “stop overthinking it and just talk to him. If he’s worth it, he’ll show you.”

I stepped out of the truck, my heart pounding. I needed to find Grayson, the father of my child.