Julian’s POV
We sat around the round table. Just the four of us. Leon to my left. Ava straight across. Bella to my right.
The white tablecloth felt stiff and rough under my fingertips. Like it had been ironed too hot for the night. The candle flame in the center hissed softly. Wax dripped slow and thick, pooling red at the base. Warm orange light jumped across our faces. Shadows carved deep under Ava’s eyes. It made her look hollow. Tired.
Ava sat rigid. Her spine locked straight. Hervhands knotted in her lap so tight her knuckles stood out sharp. Her fingernails dug into her own palms. Tiny red crescents already forming. She kept swallowing. Her throat bobbed slow and dry.
I could tell that she was nervous. Her smile stayed pinned on—small, and thin, trembling at the corners. Her e
