Bella sat curled up on the end of the couch, wrapped in her pale blue shawl like a sleepy cat, listening half-heartedly as Jay excitedly spilled the latest gossip.
"Bella, do you know Alexa's mom finally refused to accept her as her own daughter?" he said, voice bubbling with dramatic flair. "She gave her the big white house and some money, then left their old place completely! She's gone to live with her side of the family for good. And Alexa? Guess where she's living now—she moved in with Archer!" His face was lit with shock and entertainment, the kind of expression that made Bella giggle even when she didn't want to.
"Really? I think it's for the best," she said, smiling softly. But her smile froze a little when her eyes accidentally landed on the man sitting across from her.
Leonorado, dressed in dark grey slacks and a loose black shirt, sat with one leg crossed, his fingers tapping slowly on the screen of his phone.
