Zack's pov
The moment Ariana closed the door behind her, I didn’t move.
For a second, I just sat there, watching the faint light spill from her window. The evening breeze rustled through the trees, but all I could think about was her pale face and the way she’d forced that small smile.
She’d said she was fine—but she wasn’t. I knew it.
Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about how the day had started. The fair had been her idea of fun—or maybe my dad’s, really. He’d been the one pushing me to take her somewhere lighthearted, somewhere that wasn’t all city noise and pressure. And honestly, it had been good. Better than good.
I hadn’t laughed like that in a long time. Watching her try to win that oversized teddy bear, the way she wrinkled her nose when I teased her for missing every throw—i
