Two women sat with them. Not sisters.
I felt my stomach drop. A cold, sharp plunge that made my fingers go numb around my cutlery.
Vince passed his lighter across the table to one of the women like it was nothing. She said something that made his lips twitch up, and he looked at her—not a casual glance.
A real look.
The kind of look that made my stomach drop because I recognized it. I’d been on the receiving end of it before the world changed.
The woman touched his arm gently as she spoke again, and Rome smirked like the joke belonged to all of them.
That was the moment my brain finally offered the thought I’d been refusing for three weeks.
Maybe I hadn’t known him at all.
I’d spent days making excuses for him because the alternative made me feel cheap. Replaceable. Like I’d imagined the devotion in his hands because I wanted it badly enough.
Maybe he hadn’t been protecting me from something bigger than me. He’d just gotten bored.
I forced myself to breathe. My fork hovered over my plate like I could pretend food mattered.
I couldn’t.
“I’m going to step away for a moment,” I pushed my chair back carefully so it didn’t scrape.
Uncle Zeke’s head turned immediately.
“Are you alright, Maddy?” my father asked quietly.
“I’m fine,” I lied, because I’d been trained to make that word sound believable.
My mother’s gaze didn’t even lift. She was looking at Aunt Diana with a pleasant smile, like she was already halfway into a different conversation.
“Not clearing every plate like a stabled pig. It’s an improvement.” My mother gave me a smile proud smile.
Heat surged up my neck so fast my vision pinched for a second. I kept my face still. I kept my expression neutral.
Aunt Diana laughed softly like it was charming.
My mother leaned closer to her. “Her calorie intake has decreased. It’s about time she made an effort.”
My father’s jaw tightened. “Massie.”
“What?” my mother asked, feigning innocence. “I’m proud. Aren’t you?”
My father’s attention flicked back to me. “You’re getting concerningly thin.”
I decided now was the best time to go to the bar.
Because I was still not my thinnest.
Not pretty enough.
I still couldn’t even get starving myself right.
I reached the bartender. “Strongest drink you’ve got. Lowest calories.”
His eyes flicked over my face for a second. “A shot?” he offered.
