Zoe's POV
Garrett's hands were unsteady. He sipped through his straw like the motion might steady his words, like rhythm could hold the secrets long enough for him to push them out gently. I watched him like a hawk, every small twitch of his jaw, the quick blink, the way his fingers tightened then relaxed around the glass. Waiting for the truth felt like waiting for thunder.
He set the milkshake down, looked at me as if trying to weigh me up. His brows dipped; his eyes went softer, more serious. When he finally spoke, it was under his breath, close enough that the words landed inside me like stones.
"I never intended to abandon you, Zoe." His voice broke. "I was…broken when you left. I wanted to call. I wanted to keep in touch, to be there even from far away. But the day you left—my dad made me promise never to reach out again."
