Dahlia's POV
The moment Eddie Mathews' name left my lips, I watched Brandon's entire demeanor shift. His casual expression hardened into something more serious as his eyes found mine across the dinner table.
Years had passed since Brandon first spotted that name scrawled in my old notebook. Back then, he'd asked me point-blank if Eddie was someone special to me, someone I had feelings for.
I never imagined he'd still remember after all this time.
My gaze drifted to my mother, seated comfortably across from me at the dining table. Her face remained perfectly composed, as though Eddie's name meant absolutely nothing to her.
That unnatural calmness struck me as odd. Too odd.
Normally, my mother would pepper me with questions about any unfamiliar name I mentioned. She'd want to know who they were, how I knew them, what they did for work. Her complete lack of curiosity felt deliberately calculated.
