Zoe's POV
The moment Brandon turned on his heel and walked away, an unpleasant tension flooded my senses, and I realized I'd been holding my breath the entire time. It rushed out of me all at once—sharp and shaky—like my body had been bracing for an impact that never quite arrived. My shoulders sagged involuntarily, a weight settling upon them as the adrenaline that had surged through my veins ebbed away, leaving only a lingering ache.
"Hey," Seth said softly, stepping closer with concern etched across his face. "Are you okay?"
I exhaled a humorless laugh, glancing at him, I replied, "What do you think?"
Seth didn't even attempt to argue; he simply nodded slowly, as if he had already anticipated my response, asking the question more for my sake than his own, allowing me the chance to voice what hung heavily in the air between us.
