Zoe's POV
Brandon's eyes were fixed on mine.
Not the playful, teasing way he used to look at me before all this. Not the confused, closed-off way he looked at me when he was trying to keep his distance. Like he had nothing to do with me.
This time… it was open. Exposed.
Almost gentle.
His palms were warm where they wrapped around my hands, steadying me even though inside I felt like I was falling apart.
"Are you okay, Chloe?" he asked again, voice low with concern.
I wasn't. I was far from being okay.
But the hallway suddenly felt too loud — too many footsteps, too many eyes, too many whispers ricocheting between lockers. Students passed in twos and threes, glancing over, murmuring, nudging each other.
Of course, they were staring.
Who wouldn't?
I was sitting with Brandon Ross — the star of the moment, every girl's dream. The one person everyone always looked at first.
