Zoe's POV
I heard my own breath catch, sharp and involuntary, the instant Pete's fist connected with Brandon's face.
No retaliation. No anger.
He just… froze.
It was like watching someone plunge into ice water — his body rigid, his eyes locked in place. A ripple of disbelief passed through the crowd around us. Pete's hand lifted halfway to his head, fingers brushing through his hair as though he could smooth out the shock. For a fleeting second, regret flickered across his face — there and gone again. Then, without a word, without a glance at anyone, he turned and walked away.
I stood rooted to the spot, eyes wide, my chest tight. Ashley gripped one of my arms, Guz the other, both of them like anchors keeping me from moving on instinct.
Because instinct wanted me to run to him—to check if he was okay, to put myself between him and whatever had just happened. But I didn't.
