Then —
A sharp, gasping breath.
Zack's entire body jolted as if an electric shock had shot through him. His chest rose sharply, his eyes flying open, wild and disoriented. His fingers clenched around Arya's sleeve, his breathing erratic. He looked like a man dragged from the depths of drowning.
The room was silent for a moment — then relief crashed over them like a tidal wave.
"Zack!" Arya exhaled. She didn't think — she just moved.
The moment Zack gasped back to life, she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around him in a tight, desperate embrace. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt, her heart pounding against her ribs. He was warm, solid, alive.
For a few precious seconds, nothing else mattered.
Then reality crashed down on her.
Heat flooded her face as she stiffened, suddenly hyperaware of how close they were. They weren't a thing. 'This wasn't — this shouldn't —'
