CHAPTER 231
**ZION**
I leaned closer, lowering my voice so only she could hear.
“He doesn’t get to win, Winter. Not in your head. Not in real life. I swear to you—I’ll be here. Even if it means I don’t sleep until we catch the bastard.”
Her eyes met mine then.
And something shifted. A quiet softening behind her lashes—trust, maybe.
Or the fragile beginning of it. Either way, it undid something in me.
My throat tightened.
God, I didn’t want to leave this room.
I wanted to pull her in, tuck her beneath my chin, hold her so close that not even the ghosts in her dreams could reach her.
I wanted her heartbeat steady under my hand, her breath warming my chest.
But I knew myself.
And I knew if I stayed, I wouldn’t be able to keep it just about comfort.
Not with her looking at me like that.
Not with every protective instinct in me screaming to touch more, hold tighter.
I pulled away reluctantly, and reached up, gently brushing a loose strand of hair from her cheek, letting my fingers linger a little longer than I should’ve.
Slowly, I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment.
Then, I took her hand in mine, bringing her fingers to my lips.
“You lay back down, okay?” I said softly, brushing my thumb over the back of her hand.
“I’m just down the hall.”
Her eyes flicked to mine, still hazy with whatever nightmare had dragged her out of sleep.
I hated that look.
Hated that she’d woken up afraid.
“I’m going over the footage again,” I added, keeping my voice calm. Steady.
“I’ll keep watch. You just… breathe. Relax a little.”
She didn’t answer, but she didn’t argue either.
“I’ll send up some chamomile tea,” I offered, squeezing her hand gently.
“Help you relax.”
Her lips twitched—barely—but I caught it.
That tiny trace of a smile.
I’d take it.
I bent down, pressed a kiss to her forehead again—slow, deliberate.
“You’re safe, Snowflake,” I whispered.
“With me, you’re safe.”
She didn’t let go of my hand until I took a step back.
“I won’t rest… Not until he’s caught. And even then…”
I shook my head, jaw tight.
“Even then, I don’t think I’ll ever stop looking over my shoulder for you. I’ll never stop protecting you—not for a second. Not when the thought of losing you feels like someone’s dragging a blade through my ribs.”
She looked up at me, eyes glassy but steady, her fingers still curled around mine like she was anchoring herself.
Her lips parted like she might say something—thank me, maybe.
Or ask me to stay a little longer.
And then… she moved.
Slow at first—her hand slipped from mine. Then her legs swung over the side of the bed, blankets falling away. Her bare feet hit the floor with a quiet thud.
I blinked.
“Snowflake?”
She stood—wobbly at first, but her spine straightened like she was forcing the fear out of her bones with every inch of movement.
“I’m going to college,” she said, voice quiet, but laced with that familiar, stubborn steel beneath the surface.
“I’ve already missed enough. I’m not letting him control my life,” she said, chest heaving, trying to breathe through the panic.
I blinked, every muscle in my body locking up.
“What?”
Her hands flew up to her hair again, tugging it back from her face like she was trying to get control of something—anything.
“He doesn’t get to decide what I do with my life.”
I saw her legs tremble as she moved toward her closet, grabbing her hoodie like she was trying to armour herself in fabric and willpower.
“I missed my morning class,” she said, like that somehow justified it.
“I need to feel normal. I need to breathe without choking on fear.”
“Snowflake —No”
“If I stay here, shaking and hiding, I’ll lose my mind.”
She turned to walk past me.
I snapped.
My hand shot out before I could stop myself—grabbing her wrist, spinning her toward me, pulling her in like my body just knew that letting her go meant losing her forever.
“No,” I ground out, voice sharp and raw, edged with something fierce and unyielding.
“You’re not going anywhere. Not until we’ve caught that bastard. Not until I know—beyond any doubt—that you’re safe—because if you walk out that door before then, I swear, I’ll lose it.”
She looked at me, startled. But I couldn’t stop.
The thought of her walking out those doors—
God, no.
"But..."
I grabbed her by the shoulders, then pulled her in.
My arms wrapped around her like a vice, like I could physically hold her in place, like maybe if I held her hard enough, she’d forget about the idea of leaving.
My hand curled around the back of her head. I crushed her to my chest and pressed my lips to the top of her hair, breathing hard, trying to hold it together.
“I can’t—” My voice cracked.
“If you walk out that door, and something happens—”
My grip tightened.
“I’ll lose my goddamn fucking mind.”
She stood there, still trembling, but now wrapped in my arms. Her fingers slowly curled into my hoodie, holding on.
She swallowed hard, eyes fierce even through the fear.
“You won’t lose me, Zion. Not now. Not ever.
I’m not letting him steal my life—or you.”
Her hands tightened on my wrists, steadying me, reminding me we were in this fight together.
“But I won’t let him scare me.”
I shook my head.
“You don’t get it. I feel like I just got you back. If something happens to you—if I’m not there—I’ll never fucking forgive myself.”
I breathed, my forehead crashing to hers.
“You won’t,” she said firmly. She pulled back just enough to look up at me, and then, slowly, her hands came up to cup my face.
“I need to live, Zion. Or he wins.”
Her hands came up to my chest, soft and warm against the pounding in my ribcage.
“I can’t lock myself away. He won’t get me. You hear me?”
Her thumbs brushed my cheekbones.
“He won’t. Because I know you’re by my side. Because we’re not going to let him scare us into hiding.”
Her body was still shaking—but her voice was steel.
My hands found her waist, then her back, I wrapped myself around her like I could fuse us together. Like holding her hard enough might stop the world from touching her.
“I know you’re scared, Zion... I’m scared too,” she whispered, her voice soft and trembling as she pressed her cheek against my neck.
“But I’m even more afraid of what happens if I let this fear control me. If I let him steal my life away.”
She pulled back just enough to meet my gaze, her hands sliding up to cup my face gently.
“I won’t let him take away everything.”
I swallowed hard, jaw tight, heart pounding so loud it filled my ears. My eyes burned, but I held her gaze steady.
“You’re the only reason I’m holding on right now,” I murmured.
“Do you really think I care about college when you’re—fuck—you just woke up screaming from a nightmare?”
She gave me a small, broken smile, fierce despite the fear in her eyes.
“That’s exactly why I have to keep moving forward. Because if I don’t... then I’m already lost.”
I stared at her, this girl who was terrified and still choosing to stand tall.
God, I was scared shitless.
But I was also so fucking proud.
Finally, I let out a breath that shook my whole damn body.
“I’ll drive you,” I said hoarsely.
“I’m walking you to every damn class. I’ll be outside every door. He even breathes near that campus, I’ll end him.”
“I’m walking you to every damn class. I’ll be outside every door.”
Her eyes widened. “Zion…”
A flush crept up her neck, and I caught the way her lips twitched—trying to hide the smile tugging at them.
“You planning on standing guard outside the girls’ bathroom too?” she asked, one brow arched.
I didn’t miss a beat.
“Of course not! I’ll be in the bathroom with you.”
That earned a laugh—soft, disbelieving.
“You’re insane.”
“I’m protective,” I corrected smoothly, stepping closer, lowering my voice.
“And maybe a little crazy about you.”
She rolled her eyes, but her smile only grew.
“You realise you’re going to terrify half my professors?”
“Perfect,” I muttered. “Let them know not to mess with you.”
“You’re ridiculous,” she said, cheeks pink now, shaking her head—but she didn’t move away.
And the way she looked at me then… like I was her shield, like I was the one thing in all this chaos that made her feel safe?
Yeah. She didn’t mind one bit.
And for the first time in hours, I saw something in her eyes I hadn’t seen since the call.
Determination.
And maybe a spark of who she used to be.
I pulled her back into my arms and held her like the world was on fire.
Because for me, it already was.
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