Before the Blood

Hadley's POV

It started out as a party but ended with the biggest revelation and a stab to the chest.

And that wasn't a metaphor. There was actual blood. And I had absolutely no idea what to do.

But that was six days away.

***

“Maddox… Hads,” Dad called out, pulling us both into one of those big, warm bear hugs the second we stepped through the front door. It felt like we were 19 and 20 again. We’