Zoe's POV
"Don't touch that!"
The words tore out of me before I could stop them—loud, too loud. The room seemed to freeze instantly.
Ashley's hand paused mid-air, the small leather-bound book clutched between her fingers. Her eyes widened, shock spreading across her face like a ripple in still water.
"Chloe… relax," she said slowly, lifting her free hand in surrender. "It's just a book. I'm not going to read it without your consent."
But it wasn't just a book. It was everything.
My chest rose and fell unevenly, my pulse thundering so loudly in my ears that I could barely hear anything else. Moments ago, everything had been normal. Guz had needed the restroom, and I had walked him down the hallway to one of the guest rooms upstairs.
"You know I could've just used yours, right?" he joked, leaning casually against the doorframe while I waited outside. "I'm a girl's girl. Or what—" he smirked, "—you've got a body hidden in there?"
