Hazel's POV
The roses in my arms felt like a cruel joke now. Their red petals seemed to mock me for being so naive.
Madison's eyes went wide when she saw me at the door. A flash of anger crossed her face, but it was gone in a second, hidden behind a fake look of surprise.
She stood up quickly, her voice full of fake confusion. "Ms. Westbrook, what are you doing here?"
Layla's small face twisted into a look of plain hate the moment she saw me.
Bryce seemed blind to the tension between the three of us. He just stepped forward to explain, like it was the most normal thing in the world. "Layla won first prize in her school's painting contest, and I promised her a nice dinner to celebrate. Since I was having dinner with you anyway, I figured we could just combine the two celebrations. Mor
