For a moment, neither Rowan nor Elias spoke. The night pressed around us, quiet and expectant, as if the trees themselves were holding their breath.
Elias was the first to move. He pushed the door open fully, the soft glow from inside spilling out across the porch. "Ava," he said quietly, "come in."
Rowan stood just behind me, not touching, but close enough that I felt the heat of him at my back. "You don't have to be scared," he murmured. "Not of this. Not of us."
But that was exactly why my heart raced.
It wasn't the danger outside.
It was the feeling blooming inside my chest.
I stepped forward slowly. The wooden floor creaked beneath my shoes, the warmth from the house wrapping around me like a blanket. Elias stayed by the door, watching me with a seriousness that made my pulse jump.
When Rowan followed me in, he closed the door gently behind him and the sound echoed like a promise.
The world outside disappeared.
Elias moved past me, flicking on a few low lights. The interior wasn't what I expected. No cold bachelor hideout. No messy chaos. It was warm, lived-in, almost breathtaking in how carefully everything seemed placed. Dark wood. Soft lighting. A fireplace that looked unused but ready.
Rowan brushed his fingers through his hair, glancing at Elias. "Should we… tell her now?"
Elias's jaw tightened slightly. "Not yet." Then he looked at me. "You need rest first."
"I'm not tired," I whispered.
Rowan smiled a little. "Your eyes say otherwise."
I crossed my arms, trying to steady myself. "Before anything… I want to know the truth. Why bring me here? Why risk exposing this place for me?"
Rowan walked over to me, slow and deliberate, but still giving me space. "Because you were in danger," he said.
"That's not the whole reason," I replied softly.
Rowan's smile faded. His eyes dropped to the floor, conflicted.
Elias stepped closer. Not invading my space, but close enough that I felt the gravity he carried. "You're right," he said. "It's not the only reason."
My breath hitched. "Then what is?"
Elias's eyes locked with mine steady, unreadable, burning in a way that made my knees feel weak.
"You matter to us," he said simply.
Rowan exhaled, almost relieved Elias had said it. "Yeah," he added quietly. "More than you think."
My chest tightened. "But why? You barely know me."
Elias shook his head. "That's not true."
Rowan nodded. "We noticed you long before tonight."
The room went still.
I swallowed. "Noticed me how?"
Rowan leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his gaze softer than I'd ever seen it. "The way you listen more than you speak. The way you pretend you're fine even when something scares you. The way you look at people like you're trying to understand them before you decide if they're safe."
Elias added, "And the way you walked into danger alone tonight because you didn't want to bother anyone."
Heat rushed to my face.
"I didn't think you'd care," I murmured.
Rowan pushed off the wall slowly, stepping closer but stopping just short of touching me. "We do," he said softly. "Maybe too much."
Elias didn't move, but his voice deepened. "You're not alone anymore, Ava."
Something fluttered in my stomach fear, hope, something dangerously in-between.
Rowan glanced toward the hallway. "Come on," he said gently. "Let me show you your room."
"Your room?" I echoed.
Elias nodded. "You'll be safe there. Locks. Reinforced windows. Alarm system. We made sure."
That should have comforted me.
But the real reason my heart raced wasn't the security.
It was the way both of them looked at me as if something between us had shifted, and none of us could pretend it hadn't.
Rowan stepped lightly beside me, close enough that our shoulders brushed. "Ready?"
I hesitated but only for a heartbeat.
"Yes," I said.
Elias watched us with an unreadable expression as Rowan led me down the hallway closer to whatever this new, dangerous, impossible connection was becoming.
And all I could think was:
I wasn't sure if I should run from it…
Or fall into it.