Zoe's POV
I woke slowly, as if rising from the bottom of a deep lake. For a moment, everything felt warm, quiet, and safe. Then the memories of yesterday began to drift back to me like scattered leaves: Brandon carrying me up the stairs, the way his arms tightened around me as though I might shatter if he loosened his grip, the song he played for me, and his confession that the piece he wrote was the original track for the competition.
My heart swelled.
I turned my head slightly. Brandon was still there. He lay beside me on the bed, one arm bent beneath his head, the other resting loosely near my waist, as if he had fallen asleep mid-guard, determined to keep watch over me. His dark hair was slightly messy from sleep, falling over his forehead, and his breathing was slow and steady.
