CHAPTER 28: Shadows from the Past

DAVID

I wasn’t going to let Lizzy or my brother ruin this. They’d already destroyed enough. As my phone vibrated with Grandpa’s message, inviting me to dinner, I felt a surge of unease. Had he discovered that Eden was back? This dinner might be my only chance to find out.

Eden. His name alone sent a chill down my spine. He didn’t need to hurt me physically; he knew exactly how to twist the knife in my weaknesses. If he learned about Bella about what she was starting to mean to me I had no doubt he’d use it against me. I clenched my jaw. No, I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t afford to be careless.

With a sigh, I dialed Bella’s number. She picked up on the second ring, her voice sharp and guarded.

“Hello?”

“We’re having a family dinner tonight,” I said, keeping my tone brisk. “Be ready. We’re leaving in three hours.”

She paused, and when she spoke again, her voice was laced with tension. “Okay, I will.”

It stung, hearing the coldness in her words, but I knew I deserved it. I’d push