Ava
I stared at Chris in stunned silence, my heart pounding furiously.
“Ava,” he said, “I need to talk to you.”
Before I could formulate a response, Ophelia appeared at my side, her silk, feather-trimmed pajamas fluttering around her ankles and wrists. “Chris?”
Chris’s eyes flickered to her briefly before returning to me, a silent question in his gaze. Swallowing hard, I stepped back from the doorway, wordlessly granting him entrance.
He stepped inside and took a deep breath. “Ava, I—”
“Ava! Chris! Wait!”
We turned to see Leonard jogging up the pathway with a basket in hand—cheese and apples, no doubt. Chris’s shoulders slumped a bit, but I was glad for the distraction. “Come in, Leonard,” I said, waving him inside.
Leonard stepped into the living room, his
