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I huff a laugh. "Not sure we did."

But she steps closer, her hands pressing against my chest, grounding me. "Thank you," she says softly.

And something in me settles.

28

AVA

Istand by the window in the living room of Liam's loft, staring at the city stretched out beneath me, watching the headlights snake through the streets, the neon signs flicker in the distance. The world keeps moving, oblivious to the fact that in less than twenty-four hours, we're walking into a trap.

Liam and Tyler are still in the other room, voices low and tense as they go over logistics.

My brothers arrived an hour back. Ryan stepped outside, probably pacing off his frustration somewhere, and Dean… well, Dean agreed to help, but that doesn't mean he's happy about it.

That leaves Nate.

He's sitting at the kitchen counter, sipping a beer like it's any other night, like we're not planning to outmaneuver one of the most ruthless people we've ever crossed. His posture is relaxed, his fingers tapping idly against the bottle, but when he looks up and meets my gaze, there's something knowing in his eyes.

"Come sit," he says, nudging the stool next to him.

I hesitate, then push away from the window and drop onto the seat.

He eyes me for a second before offering me the beer.

I take it, because why not? A sip burns its way down my throat, and I sigh, setting the bottle between us.

"Dean and Ryan are losing their minds over this, you know," Nate says casually.

I snort. "Tell me something I don't know."

"They're gonna try to strangle Carter when this is over."

I roll my eyes. "Again, not news."

Nate chuckles, then leans forward, resting his arms on the counter. "But me? I'm just wondering how long you two thought you were fooling anyone."

I blink. "What?"

He smirks. "Ava. Come on." He gestures vaguely toward the loft, toward the space Liam and I have been sharing like an orbit neither of us wants to break out of. "The way he looks at you? I'd have to be blind to miss it."

Heat rises to my cheeks, but I scoff, shaking my head. "We were fake dating, Nate. He had to look at me like that."

His brow lifts, amused. "And yet, here you are, still in his apartment, wearing his shirt, drinking his coffee, and looking like you'd rather fight a grizzly bear than admit what's obvious to literally everyone."

I open my mouth to argue, but damn it, what is there to argue?

Because he's right.

Even before Vanessa. Even before this tangled mess we got ourselves into. Even before I knew what this was, before I was brave enough to say it out loud—Liam looked at me like I was the only thing in the room. And I looked at him the same way.

"You know, for someone who stays out of drama, you seem awfully invested in this one."

Nate grins. "I like good storytelling."

I groan. "I hate you."

"Impossible. I'm the best one."