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Chapter 18: A Week Away

last update publish date: 2026-06-26 18:42:59

The first thing Ava did when she walked into my apartment was grab my favorite blanket like it had been waiting for her all day, dragging it off the back of the couch and wrapping herself in it before I’d even shut the door. She glanced over her shoulder, already settled, and declared, “The blue one is softer,” as if that justified everything.

“You’ve been here for thirty seconds,” I said, dropping my keys on the counter.

“And?”

“You’ve already committed theft.”

“It’s borrowing.”

“You ne
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