I watch as David studies Ella, his expression softening. “We were trying to give you a normal life,” he says softly.
“And how’s that working right now?” she asks, gesturing vaguely toward the trees, the road, the space where everything just happened.
He doesn’t answer because there isn’t a good one.
Her attention shifts to me next, sharper this time. “And you,” she continues, “you’ve at least been honest about what’s going on. So, tell me something useful.”
I hold her gaze. “You’re not leaving this house without someone with you,” I say.
She rolls her eyes. “That’s not new information.”
“No, it’s not,” I agree. “But now it’s not a suggestion.”
She studies me for a second, weighing whether to push back. She does, but not fully. “Fine. Then who?”
“Liam,” I reply immediately. “Or me
