CHAPTER TWELVE
The forest whispers around me, a symphony of leaves and secrets as I pace under the canopy. Moonlight filters through the branches, dappling my path in silvery patches. I draw in a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil within me. My heart is a thunderous echo against my ribs, an aching drumbeat that spells out two names over and over: Kyle. Ethan.
"Spill it, Ava." Bella's voice slices through the night, laced with impatience. My little sister perches on a fallen log, her youth not yet touched by the scars of duty that line my own skin.
I stop pacing and look at her, feeling the weight of confession heavy on my tongue. "It's complicated. My heart... it's torn."
"Between Kyle and Ethan?" Bella asks, her eyes wide in the darkness.
"Yes," I admit, the word feeling like a
