Zoe's POV
I slapped a hand over my mouth the second the words escaped me, but it was already too late.
"Oh my God… I'm sorry," I muttered, breath sharp and uneven. Heat crawled up my neck and spilled across my cheeks until my whole face felt like it was burning. Brandon must've thought I'd completely lost my mind. His eyes had widened instantly, disbelief crashing across his expression like a wave slamming into a cliff.
I must have said the thought out loud—too loud.
Mortified, I covered my face with both palms, wishing the floor would swallow me whole.
"I shouldn't have said that," I rambled, the words tumbling out in frantic pieces. "I don't even know what I'm thinking. I'm just— I'm way over my head. You must think I'm crazy. I'm just… I—I…"
My voice cracked into an embarrassed choke, ending in a small, helpless sound.
I was spiraling—too lost inside my own humiliation to notice him calling me.
Until his voice cut through everything.
"Chloe."
Firm. Low. Steady.
