Zoe's POV
The moment my eyes landed on them, everything else disappeared: the noise, the lights, the people—gone. My heart leaped so hard it startled me, as if it had been waiting all night for this exact moment.
"Ashley!" I exclaimed, not even realizing I had said her name out loud until I was already moving. My feet barely touched the ground as I rushed toward her, laughter bubbling out of me—raw, unfiltered, and real.
She met me halfway, and then we collided. Her arms wrapped tightly around me, and I held her just as fiercely, as if letting go might make her disappear again.
"I missed you so much, girl!" she gushed into my ear.
"I missed you too," I replied, my voice softer but just as full. She pulled back slightly, her hands going to my shoulders as she scanned me from head to toe.
"Oh my God—look at you!" Before I could react, she spun me around once and then twice. I laughed, feeling a little dizzy and breathless.
