Astrid's POV.
Astrid's breath hitched, her mind struggling to process what had just happened. One moment, she was bracing herself for rejection, for awkwardness, for the inevitable fracture that might shatter the friendship she'd held onto so fiercely.
She had kissed Avon out of desperation, believing those few seconds might be her last chance to express the feelings she had buried for so long.
But now, he was kissing her back.
His lips were warm and firm, moving against hers with a tenderness that sent shockwaves through her entire being. Her heart stumbled over itself, a chaotic rhythm that seemed to echo in her ears. For a split second, her mind screamed at her that this couldn't be real, that this was some cruel trick born of adrenaline and fear.
