Zoe's POV
This was one of those nights — the kind you never know what to expect or how to act.
The air felt heavy, still, almost too quiet to be real.
The words Seth had just said were still hanging between us, thick and heavy, almost impossible to breathe through.
He didn't even let me speak.
"Seth—"
He raised a hand, his jaw clenched tight, eyes glistening faintly under the soft amber glow of the living room lamp. "You don't have to say anything, Chloe. I get it."
I blinked fast, unsure if I heard him right. "What?"
"I know you like Brandon." His tone wasn't accusing — it was quiet, resigned, a confession in itself. "You don't have to deny it. I've seen it."
Something in me went cold. My lips parted, but the words tangled somewhere between my throat and heart. I didn't want to hurt him. God, the last thing I wanted was to hurt Seth — not after everything he'd done, not after how gentle he'd been tonight.
