Ava's Pov
I didn't know why Lucas' words stayed in my head longer than they should have.
It wasn't even the way he said them that bothered me at first. It was the confidence. Like he wasn't trying to convince me of anything, just telling me something he already accepted as fact.
That kind of certainty doesn't come from guessing.
My mum was already awake when I walked into her room. Amanda was there too, sitting beside her bed, scrolling on her phone but still looking up every few seconds like she didn't fully trust silence.
"You're up early again," Amanda said.
"I didn't really sleep."
My mum shifted slightly.
"That makes three of us," she said.
I walked over and adjusted her blanket even though she didn't need it.
"You don't have to keep doing that," she said.
"I know."
"But you still do it."
"I like doing it."
Amanda stood up.
"I'll get water."
She left the room without waiting for a response.
It went quiet again.
My mum looked at me properly this time.
