Zoe's POV
"I didn't think you'd be riding with me to school today. Is there something I'm missing?
Seth's voice sliced through the fog of my thoughts, pulling me back to reality so abruptly that I nearly flinched. The car hummed steadily beneath us as he smoothly shifted gears, the engine's gentle purr harmonizing with the rhythmic thump of my heart. The early morning sun streamed through the windshield, casting pale golden streaks across the interior, while dust particles danced lazily in the beams of light, as if the world itself had the luxury of moving in slow motion.
Everything around me felt serene—except for my mind.
I had been gazing out the window for what felt like ages, nearly forgetting that Seth was sharing the car with me. The neighborhood slid by in a blur of muted colors—cream fences, manicured hedges, and drowsy driveways that whispered of ordinary lives. Everything looked normal, safe.
Yet nothing about my thoughts felt secure.
