Belle's POV
It was Zane who finally broke the kiss, pulling back just enough to look at me, his breathing ragged, his eyes dark and filled with something intense- something that made my heart pound even harder.
"Are you alright now?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper, rough with emotion.
I smiled, trying to calm my racing heart. "Yeah," I whispered back, nodding slightly. "I'm alright."
His lips curled into a small, satisfied smile, and he nodded. "Good," he said softly. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "Let's go inside."
We turned and walked back toward the house.
As we stepped inside, the first thing I noticed was that the kids were gone. The living room, which had been filled with laughter and noise just minutes ago, was now empty. The only people left were Zeke and Kamille, who were standing near the kitchen, speaking in low tones. Amanda was nowhere to be found.