Zoe's POV
I lay still, eyes wide open, forcing myself to count the faint chirps of the crickets outside my window. One… two… three… anything to trick my brain into shutting down. But the more I counted, the louder my thoughts became, multiplying until they roared over the night sounds. Each time I closed my eyes, I wasn't drifting into sleep—I was drowning. Sinking deeper into the chaos of my own mind.
Then—
Since the counting game was a failure, I tried something else. Something that might smother the fear swelling inside me. My mind had been running in frantic circles, chewing on questions I had no answers for, clawing at the shadows of this house. I needed an anchor. Something stronger than dread.
That was when his face crept into my thoughts. Brandon.
