Bryce’s POV
My mother's warning still rang in my ears, so I kept my distance from Madison and Layla for the rest of that day, meeting a few old friends at a bar instead. I let the noise and the drinks take up all my focus, staying out until late, killing time before I finally drove my car toward the villa.
When I opened the door, a soft yellow lamp lit the otherwise dark living room. Madison and Layla were curled up on the couch, a cartoon playing silently on the screen. They'd been waiting for me.
Madison rushed over the moment she saw me. "Bryce, you're back. Layla won an award for a painting she did at school today. She insisted on waiting up to show you, and she wouldn't go to sleep no matter what I said." She caught the smell of alcohol on me and turned toward the kitchen. "You've
