LISA’S POV
The morning sun poured through the tall windows of the dining hall, painting the long wooden table in streaks of gold. The air was thick with the smell of warm bread and sizzling bacon, but it might as well have been dust for all I cared. My mind was still tangled in the mess of last night—Rody’s hands, his breath on my neck, the lies I’d whispered into the dark.
Guilt gnawed at me, a dull ache I couldn’t shake, but I buried it deep. Guilt was a luxury I couldn’t afford. Not now. Not with Aiden sitting at the head of the table, looking like a shadow of the man he used to be.
Aiden.
His dark hair was a mess, like he’d given up on even trying. He sat stiffly, his plate untouched, his eyes fixed on nothing. The shadows under his eyes were deep, his jaw tight. He was thinking ab
