Chapter 38 Ava
Ava
Isee it before the shot.
The angle.
The line.
The way the rifle settles—steady, certain—
Tracking.
Not Ethan.
Not me.
The president.
There’s no time to think.
No time to call it out.
I move.
Fast.
Pain rips through my side the second I push off—
white-hot—
I ignore it.
Drive forward—
Slam into him—
Knock him out of the line—
The shot cracks.
Impact hits me like a hammer.
All at once.
Heat.
Force.
Air gone from my lungs.
The floor slams into me.
Hard.
Everything goes distant.
Sound dull.
Muted.
Like I’m underwater.
No.
No, no—
Not again—
Not like this—
Voices blur around me.
Shouting.
Movement.
Boots pounding.
Then—
Ethan.
He’s there.
Suddenly.
Hands on me.
Grounding.
Real.
“Ava—stay with me—hey—HEY—”
His voice cuts through everything else.
Sharp.
Breaking.
I try to breathe.
It doesn’t work.
My chest burns—tight, wrong, not pulling in enough air—
“I’m okay,” I try.
It barely comes out.
A ghost of a sound.
His hands press down, searching, stopping the bleed—
Too much blood.
I see it in his face.
That look.
The one right before everything inside him breaks loose.
“No,” I whisper.
His eyes snap to mine.
“You don’t get to go.”
His voice is rough.
Shaking.
Fierce.
“I just got you back.”
My hand lifts.
Heavy.
Barely makes it.
Finds his wrist.
“I know.”
The world flickers.
In.
Out.
But I see him.
Only him.
“Ethan…”
He leans down, forehead pressing to mine—
just like before—
only now it’s desperate.
Fractured.
“Stay with me.”
I try.
God, I try.
But something’s pulling me under.
Dark.
Cold.
“Later…” I whisper.
His breath catches.
“No. Not later. Now. You stay now.”
A faint smile tugs at my lips.
Even now.
Still him.
Still fighting.
Always.
“I love you,” I whisper.