ZOE DEAN'S POV
"Zoe!"
I barely had time to turn before Emily crashed into me. One second I was standing by the entrance, and the next her arms were thrown around my neck, holding on so tightly it felt like she feared I might vanish if she loosened her grip even a little.
The breath rushed out of me in a soft gasp — but it wasn't uncomfortable. It felt… good. Familiar. Like something inside me finally unhooked.
I smiled the second my arms wrapped around her. God, I'd missed her. More than I let myself admit while I was away.
"I missed you," I murmured against her shoulder, my laugh small and breathless from the sheer force of her hug. I could practically feel her happiness vibrating through her — warm, trembling, almost overwhelming. And strangely, it made something in me warm too. Emily wasn't just a friend anymore; she was the one woman in Nero's world who made me feel like I wasn't alone. After everything we'd seen together, that bond had rooted itself deep.
