CHAPTER 166
**WINTER**
I stop at the top of the stairs, my hand gripping the bannister like it’s the only thing keeping me upright.
Every part of me screams to turn around.
I owe him nothing.
Not my time.
Not my words.
Not even a glance.
Just walk away.
If he’s choking on guilt, good. Let him. He earned every second of it.
Pretend he’s not standing down there, like he pretended I didn’t matter.
Like I wasn’t worth the truth.
Like, I was just another name to cross off his list.
And yet… my feet won’t move.
Not forward. Not back.
Just stuck—in the ache, in the fury, in the goddamn what-ifs.
But something pulls me forward anyway—
With a quiet breath, I force myself down the stairs, each step feeling heavier than the last.
Get it over with, I tell myself.
Then I stop.
Zion is standing there, one fist gripping Clark’s collar so tightly I can almost feel the pressure from here. The look in his eyes makes my stomach twist.
“Shut the fuck up,” Zion growls, his voice low—dangerously quiet, laced with barely restrained fury.
Clark laughs.
“Relax, man. I was just messing around…” he mutters, flashing that smug little grin.
Zion’s grip tightens, his jaw clenched.
“If you’re not going to fucking help, then do us all a favor and fucking shut up.”
“You really haven’t changed, have you?” I say, arms crossing tightly over my chest, my voice sharp with irritation.
Zion’s head snaps toward me like he wasn’t expecting the bite in my tone.
“Still stomping around, trying to intimidate anyone who doesn’t fall in line with your royal mood swings. Classic Zion—same ego, same temper, same need to control everything around you.”
His hand drops from Clark’s collar instantly and turns to face me fully, a flicker of surprise crossing his features,
“S-Snowflake—”
“Don’t you dare ‘Snowflake’ me,” I snapped, the words slicing out before I could stop them.
“Just tell me what the hell you’re doing here.”
“I—”
“Oh, save it,” I cut in, folding my arms tightly across my chest.
“You don’t get to act all torn up now. You lost that right a long time ago.”
I take a step forward, heat rising in my chest.
“I left earlier without a word. I thought that was clear enough—I didn’t want to talk. But no, that doesn’t register in your world, does it? The almighty Zion Royal doesn’t wait, doesn’t ask, doesn’t even pause to think if maybe—just maybe—someone else’s feelings matter.”
My voice cracked slightly, anger boiling beneath every word.
“As long as you feel entitled to show up, it’s fine. Doesn’t matter if I’m hurting. Doesn’t matter if I needed space. If Zion wants something, the rest of us just have to deal with it, right?”
Zion’s jaw flexed, his hands clenched at his sides. For a moment, he didn’t say anything—just stood there, taking it.
“I know you’re pissed,” he said finally, his voice low, rough around the edges.
“And you have every right to be.”
His eyes locked onto mine, but there was no fight in them. Just something hollow and aching.
“I didn’t plan this. I didn’t even know you were here when I showed up—I swear,” he said, his voice cracking
“But the second I knew… I couldn’t leave. I should’ve walked away. I know that. But I couldn’t.”
He stepped closer, slow and deliberate, like he didn’t want to spook me but couldn’t stop himself either.
“I couldn’t just walk away—like I hadn’t ripped us to shreds and walked away from the wreckage. I know I’m the last person you want to see right now. Hell, I don’t even deserve to ask you for a fucking thing.”
He paused, his eyes locking onto mine with a rawness that almost made me look away.
“I just— I couldn’t leave without telling you how sorry I am. How fucking sorry. For everything.”
His hands trembled at his sides, and when he looked at me, there was no anger—just pain.
“I don’t have a speech or some clean-cut apology. I’m just… trying. Trying not to lose the only person that matters.”
He took a slow, unsteady step toward me, eyes glinting with the threat of tears.
“I messed up—I know that. I destroyed the one thing that ever mattered to me without even realizing what I was doing. And now… now I’m standing here, trying to figure out how to clean up the mess I made when I can’t even find the right words.”
He shook his head, frustrated with himself.
“I don’t have a plan. All I have is this—me, standing here, begging you to believe that I’d take it all back if I could. Every cruel word. Every ruthless action. All of it.”
His voice cracked, raw and pleading.
“I just need you to see me, Winter. Not who I was, but who I’m trying to be… for you.”
He shook his head, helpless.
“I’m not asking you to forgive me. I just.... Let me try. Let me try to make it right, even if I don’t deserve the chance.”
I felt the anger surging through me, hotter than it had ever been. His apology was nothing but empty words to me right now.
“Let you try?” I spat, my voice trembling with the weight of my fury.
“You think that after everything you did, you can just come here and act like saying ‘I’m sorry’ makes everything okay?”
I took a step closer, each word dripping with the resentment I could no longer hold back.
“You destroyed me. You made me the enemy. You bullied me for revenge for something I didn't even do..."
My chest tightened, but I pushed forward, my hands clenched at my sides.
“You took your pain and turned it into a weapon—and you aimed it at me. You used your issues like an excuse to destroy me, like my feelings never mattered. Don’t stand there acting like regret makes it better. You didn’t care about me then, Zion. And now? I don’t give a damn how sorry you are. It doesn’t erase what you did.”
I shook my head, disgusted, flooding my veins.
“You were supposed to be my friend. The one person I could trust. And you turned on me. You crushed me just to make yourself feel better.”
I stopped, feeling the weight of my words settle in the heavy silence between us.
“So no,” I shot back, my voice trembling with rage.
“You standing there with that sad, regretful look on your face isn’t going to fix anything. It doesn’t undo the damage you’ve done. Nothing you say or do will ever make what you did okay. Do you get that?”
Zion’s eyes flicked around at his friends, his jaw clenching as he seemed to realize how badly he’d fucked up. He took a step back, raking a hand through his hair, frustration clouding his face.
"Can we just go outside?" he asked, his voice rough, raw.
“I swear, I won’t take up much of your time. I just… I need you to listen. I know I was a complete asshole, but I need you to know why. I need you to understand what was going through my head, even if it doesn’t excuse it.”
His hands were clenched at his sides, shoulders tense, like he was barely holding himself together. There was no arrogance in him now. No smug grin.
“I know I don’t deserve a second of your time,” he continued.
“But I couldn’t jist give up without at least trying to make you understand. Not for me—for you. You deserve to know the truth, even if you never want to see me again after.”
Harry’s voice cut through the thick silence.
“Look, I know what he did was messed up. I’m not defending it. But Winter, he’s not going to stop until you hear him out. He’s been driving himself insane over this. I’ve never seen him this wrecked. Just… give him five minutes. If you still want to walk away, do it. No one’s gonna stop you.”
My fists were clenched so tightly I could feel my nails digging into my skin. Every part of me screamed to turn around—to walk away like he had so many times before.
“I’ll take whatever you want to throw at me,” said voice, cracking.
“Hit me. Scream. Hate me. Just… don’t walk away before I get the chance to say what I couldn’t before. Please.”
I didn’t move. Couldn’t. My anger was still there, fierce and burning—but beneath it, something cold and sharp twisted in my chest.
Maybe I didn’t owe him anything.
But maybe I owed myself the closure.
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