"So you are going to his birthday party?" Luke inquired, his gaze fixed on Ava. They were sitting on a bench near the basketball court. Since the basketball final match was the day after tomorrow, Luke was practicing hard.


    "Yeah," Ava replied, sipping the apple juice that she had just bought from the cafeteria beforeing to the basketball court.


    Luke wiped his sweat with a white towel after turning away from Ava.


    Anc


    Ava noticed that Luke was not pleased after hearing that, so she tried to ease his mind by exining,


    “Luke, I understand your thoughts, but as I previously stated, there is a beef between Stephen andn. If I do not attend the party and enjoy myself with you, Abi, and Debra, Stephen might believe that I have not moved on, which is not true. I have moved on, right?"


    Luke turned his head to face her and asked,


    "Have you really moved on, Ava?"


    Ava was taken aback by his question. She got up from the bench and said,


    "Why did you ask that? You know what I want; I have tried everything to move on, and now that I am feeling carefree, you are asking this question.”


    Luke stood up and held her hand. "Rx. Don''t get mad. I was just asking."


    Ava frowned at him. "You can''t just ask me that every single day. Every day since I asked you to date, you have asked me the same question. What will I do to make you believe that I don''t love him anymore?"


    Ava felt tired of answering the same question. Why could he not see that she was trying?


    It was not easy for her. If it was just a rtionship thatn had broken up, she could have gotten over him after some day. But he rejected her as his mate, which affected her wolf.


    Her wolf was still not well. She could not feel her wolf except when she was close ton. She still could not understand why he had an impact on her wolf.


    Thest few days she had made every effort to avoid any kind of encounter withn. It somehow affected her wolf. The painful wounds that had almost stoppeding restarted to appear on her back.


    Her back was hurting, and she could not tell anyone. There was no one who could help her.


    She remembered Abigail''s uncle, who was an Epsilon. He had told her that no one could help her or rescue her


    wolf.


    "Ava, I am really sorry. I really like you. That''s why I don''t want to lose you. Please don''t get mad at me."


    Ava heard Luke and let out a deep breath. She thought he was right from his perspective. He might be feeling


    insecure.


    Ava responded with a nod. "It''s okay. See you at night."


    Luke smiled at her and replied, "Okay."


    Ava left the basketball court and went to the department of marketing. She waited for Abigail and Debra there. They both had the same sses today.


    As Ava waited for them, she stood next to a window. She noticed her brother hade to the university by bike. Not only he but also his other friends did the same.


    96


    She did not seen there. Perhaps they were able to convince him not toe to campus to that their party for him would not be tuined.


    Before Ava could walk out of that building, Stephen had already started the bike and left the campus


    "These kids are really rich! Private cars, bikes, sports cars, what more do they have?" She mormored and shock her head.


    "Ava"


    She heard Abigail''s and Debra''s voices. They called her together. Ava turned around and hugged them


    "So what is our n for tonight?" Debra asked.


    Since Ava had already told them in their group about going ton''s birthday party, they were aware of it.


    "Let''s go to my house. Then we can spend some time thinking about it," Ava offered them.


    Abigail and Debra both agreed.


    When Ava got in her car, Debra got inside. Abigail told her driver to leave because she was going with Ava


    After the three of them were seated together in the backseat, the driver started the car.


    In the whole ride, theyughed and gossiped about what had happened in their sses.


    Everything seemed to be getting normal for Ava. It was like after staying away fromn, she had almost forgotten him and his closeness. 1


    "The girls finally stopped talking about you andn. Now there are new rumors circting about you. They are saying that Luke will kiss you if he wins the match," Debra said, winking at Ava.


    Ava was stunned. Because of whatn had said to her in front of others in the cafeteria, people used to talk about them. However, once they saw her and Luke together, they assumedn had stopped approaching her and she was now only with Luke.


    "K-Kiss?" Ava mumbled.


    She just thought about something like that with Luke and her heart clenched inside for no reason. It felt as though she was not ready for it yet.


    But she did not tell her friends about it and slid this topic with augh.


    Abigail nced at Ava and asked,


    "Are you sure you are going tonight?"


    Ava nodded her head. Debra wrapped her hands around Abigail and Ava''s


    shoulder since she was sitting in the middle, then said,


    "If not tonight, then never. If that day I had been in Abi''s ce, I would have suggested you y with that bad boy.


    11


    "And what about Luke?" Abigail asked Debra.


    Debra smirked at her and replied, "She can have both, you know."


    Both Abigail and Ava gave her a poker face, and Debra burst intoughter.


    "Okay, okay, I was just kidding. Come one, guys."


    96


    Ava looked out of the window as she recalled the day in Stephen''s car. Ian made


    a confession to her. She believed he was just trying to y with her. That type of yboy could not be yed by any girl.


    "What are you nning to wear? Have you decided?" Abigail asked Ava.


    She turned to look at her, and Debra then shook her head it response.


    Debra''s eyes brightened as she said,


    "Why don''t you wear the ck dress you boughtst time? That dress with the back chain! Your body and curves would look so hot on it."