A NEW REALITY
Ava's eyes met mine, confusion replacing anger for a moment. I tugged her toward the bathroom, desperate for a moment of privacy. As soon as the door closed behind us, Ava rounded on me.
"Kylie, what the hell is going on? Did he hurt you? I swear I'll kill him if he—"
"No, Ava, stop," I interrupted, my voice barely above a whisper. "It's not what you think. Lysander... he didn't touch me."
Ava's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? But the sheets..."
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the confession. "It wasn't my blood. Lysander... he cuts himself. To protect me."
The silence that followed was deafening. Ava stared at me, her mouth hanging open in shock. "He... what? Why would he do that?"
I shook my head, still struggling to understand it myself. "I don't know.
