Chapter 18

The air in the room was stale with tension and hostility. The divide in this family is baffling. June and Dotty are the light; friendly, caring, and warm. While Benji and his father are the darkness; domineering, angry, and harsh. How the Goddess ever thought to put such jarringly different people together makes no sense to me.

"Yes, this is her." Benji answered his father after a fleeting moment. "She has a name. It's Aria."

I swiveled my head to peer at him, my eyes wide with shock. I had never considered what type of relationship Benji had with his father, but I always assumed it was a positive one. I would have never expected Benji to be so brash with his father on my own accord.

Elijah's face flickered with something similar to amusement before it returned to stone. "No need to be defensive, son." Benji and Elijah held each other's heated stares in silence, only interrupted by June clearing her throat. "Shall we start eating? I don't want the food to get cold." She smiled at both