CHAPTER 127
**WINTER**
The heavy weight of exhaustion presses down on me, the sleeping tablets Jenny gave me earlier doing their job, numbing the restless anxiety that had plagued me all day. I had been on edge, jumping at every sound, flinching at every sudden movement. But now, just as sleep starts to pull me under, something tugs me back—a feeling, a presence.
I shift slightly, my breath catching as an odd prickle runs down my spine.
Someone's watching me.
Heart pounding, I push up onto my elbows, my eyes scanning the darkened room. A shadow lingers by the wall, barely visible in the dim moonlight.
My pulse spikes.
"W-who's there?" My voice is hoarse, barely above a whisper.
"Shh... it's me." Zion's voice, low and rough, cuts through the quiet.
Relief floods me, but it's quickly swallowed by confusion.
"Everything okay?"
He doesn't answer. Doesn't move. Just stands there, watching me like he's unsure if he belongs here.
Then, without another word, he steps forward, the mattress dipping as he slides in beside me.
A familiar warmth presses against my back, his strong arms circling my waist, pulling me into him as if it's the most natural thing in the world.
"Zion?" I whisper, still trying to catch up.
"Go to sleep," he murmurs, his voice thick with exhaustion. He buries his face in the crook of my neck, his legs tangling with mine like he's trying to anchor himself.
After storming off this morning, leaving nothing behind but the sting of his hurtful words, he’s here. In my bed. Holding me.
I shift slightly, my voice quiet but laced with bitterness. “Are you sure you want to lie here? I might tell Daddy you tried to force yourself on me… I’m a liar, right?”
A heavy sigh escapes him, his grip on me tightening for a second before loosening, like he’s searching for the right words but coming up empty.
“That’s not… I didn’t mean—” He exhales sharply, frustration laced in his voice.
“Fuck, Snowflake. I know what I said, but I—”
He stops himself, as if even he doesn’t know how to justify it.
A beat of silence. Then, quieter, almost defeated—
“Just let me lie here for a while… then I’ll go.”
There’s something in his tone, something raw and unspoken, that makes my chest ache. But I don’t push. I don’t turn to face him.
"So, where were you all day?" I ask softly.
"Here and there..." His breath is warm against my skin, but the scent that follows makes my stomach tighten. Whiskey. Strong, unmistakable.
"You're drunk."
"Maybe just a little," he admits, a lazy smirk pressing against my neck as his fingers slip beneath my pajama top, tracing slow, idle circles against my skin.
"Zion..." I cover his hand with mine, trying to still his movements.
"Shh, Snowflake," he murmurs, his lips brushing my cheek.
"I just want a cuddle."
I hesitate, but then sigh, letting myself relax into him.
"You... Zion Royal... want to cuddle?" I tease, my voice laced with amusement.
"Fuck yeah, I do," he says without hesitation.
A quiet chuckle escapes me as I sink into his warmth, the steady rhythm of his breathing lulling me into a fragile sense of peace. Just as my eyelids grow heavy, I whisper,
"Zion?"
"Yeah?" His voice is barely there.
I hesitate. The words I want to say sit heavy on my tongue, but I can't bring myself to let them out.
"Nothing," I murmur instead, swallowing everything that's threatening to spill.
He exhales sharply, then shifts, pulling away just enough to roll me onto my back. His dark eyes lock onto mine, seeing straight through me.
"Stop overthinking," he says.
"I'm not-"
"You are." His voice is firm, but there's something softer beneath it.
His eyes are dark, unreadable, but there's something there-something raw, something real.
Slowly, I reach for him, pushing back the strands of hair that have fallen over his forehead. The moment my fingers graze his skin, he inhales sharply, his eyes fluttering shut for just a second before he snaps them open again, like he's afraid to let himself feel.
“You care,” I whisper, my voice fragile, barely holding together under the weight of everything unsaid.
His jaw clenches, a muscle ticking as his grip on my waist tightens—just for a second, just enough to betray him.
“No… I don’t.” The words come out sharp, forced, but his hands tell a different story. They linger, pressing into my skin like he’s trying to convince himself as much as he is me. Like he’s fighting a war he’s already lost.
"I just feel..." His tongue darts over his bottom lip, frustration bleeding into his expression.
"We both know this can’t-"
"Shh." I press my finger to his lips before he can say it, before he can ruin this moment with the reality of what we can't be.
His whole body goes still. The air between us shifts, crackling with something I don't dare name. His eyes dip to my mouth, his fingers twitching at his sides.
I swallow hard, gathering the courage to say what's already on my mind.
"Can I ask you something?"
Zion's hand stills against my face, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Depends," he mutters. "Is it going to be something painfully deep and emotional? Because I gotta be honest, Snowflake, I'm fresh out of therapy energy for the night."
Despite everything, a small laugh escapes me.
"Just answer."
He huffs a breath, feigning reluctance, then finally gives a short nod. "Alright. Ask away."
I can still feel him.
The thought alone makes my stomach turn, makes my skin crawl like it's not even mine anymore.
I swallow hard, my fingers curling into the sheets.
"I can still feel him," I whisper, the words tasting like poison on my tongue. "His hands on me. His-" My breath catches, my chest tightening painfully.
"His lips."
Zion doesn't speak, but I feel his body go rigid beside me, the air between us growing heavier.
"I took a shower three times." My voice trembles, and I hate it. I hate how weak I sound, how powerless I feel. "Scrubbed my skin raw. But I still feel it."
My throat constricts as I force myself to meet his eyes. The intensity there, the quiet fury simmering beneath the surface, nearly makes me look away. But I don't. I can't.
"If you could just..." I hesitate, my pulse hammering, unsure how to say what I need. My fingers twitch where they rest on the sheets, my heart pounding as I try to gather the courage to ask.
"If you could just kiss me..." My voice is barely above a whisper, the words feeling fragile as they leave my lips.
I don't even know how to finish. I don't know what I expect from him. All I know is that I need something to erase the feeling of Ethan from my skin, to drown out the memory of his brutal touch.
And right now, even though Zion has been nothing but cruel to me, I can't forget the way he held me last night-the way, just for a moment, I saw a glimpse of the boy who used to be my best friend. The one who once felt like my whole world. The one I probably loved before I even understood what love was.
I know he's different now. Hardened. Distant. But in that moment, when his arms were wrapped around me, I wasn't alone. And right now, when the ghosts of that night still cling to my skin, when no amount of scrubbing has made me feel clean, I know there's only one thing that can.
Him.
Zion is the only one who can make me forget.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
