Aaron's POV.
I walked back into the house knowing exactly where Lila would be.
She always chose the east sitting room when she was upset. The one with the wide windows and the low couch. She liked the space. Liked feeling like she wasn’t boxed in.
Everyone else was home. I could feel it before I saw them. The quiet wasn’t empty. It was full in that tense way, like the house was holding its breath.
My mother’s voice came faintly from the kitchen. Lucas laughed at something, low and brief. Elias’s footsteps moved across the upper floor. Rowan stood near the back hall, arms crossed, eyes following me without asking questions.
They all knew something had happened.
They just didn’t know how bad.
Lila was sitting on the couch when I entered the room. Her legs were tucked under her. Her h
