CHAPTER 62
**ZION**
“What the Fuck!” I shouted as ice-cold, sticky orange juice dripped down my torso, pooling around my feet. My shirt clung uncomfortably to my skin, the sharp scent of citrus filling the air.
“Snowflake!” I roared as I watched her retreating figure disappear around the corner.
“You’re such an asshole sometimes. She was right there, and you were calling her ugly!” Ronald shot me a glare, tossing a roll of paper towels my way.
“You deserved that, and more,” he snapped, clearly fed up with me.
“Fuck’s sake, you’re my friend, not hers. What did I say that she didn’t deserve, huh?” I seethed, irritation clear in my voice as I tried to clean up the mess.
The sticky juice seeped through the paper towels, making the task slow and infuriating. I climbed off my chair, determined to tackle the mess on the floor, silently thankful that the cleaner was due to arrive today.
Ronald pressed on, his concern evident.
“Honestly! Did you not notice her expression when you insulted her? You just can’t call a girl ugly when she’s standing right in front of you. It was hard to tell if she was about to lash out at you or break down in tears!”
“Yeah, and did you notice the marks on her arms? The ones you made last night! Why do you have to grab her so roughly every time?” Clark chimed in.
An unwelcome pang of guilt settled in my stomach, but I shoved it aside.
She deserved it.
She deserved every bit of pain I inflicted on her.
The room fell into silence as we ate, the tension palpable in the air.
I could feel Clark’s staring from across the table, but I ignored him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
Juice still clung to my clothes, I grabbed my fork and took a bite of my omelette, letting out a satisfied groan.
Despite everything, it tasted good.
As I ate, a simmering anger started to build inside me. It infuriated me how my friends were falling for her innocent facade. I couldn’t stand that girl, and the fact that she wrecked my party last night and then intentionally spilt juice on me only fueled my frustration. I’d been too soft on her, letting her get away without any consequences, but that’s over. It’s time to assert control and show her who’s really in charge.
Ronald stood, carrying his plate to the dishwasher. “At least offer to give her a lift to wherever her job is, it's her first day,” he said.
Clark nodded in agreement, speaking through a mouthful of food.
“Yeah, what he said,” he mumbled.
I slammed my fork down, glaring at them both. Ro and Clark stared back at me expectantly, amusement clear on their faces.
“I’m not dropping her anywhere. She can walk for all I care,” I snapped, my voice laced with irritation.
Just the thought of doing anything for her made my blood boil. But before I could even finish my rant, my phone rang, cutting through my frustration like a knife.
I glanced at the screen and saw the name: Mom.
Perfect timing.
I let out an exasperated sigh, trying to push down the rising anger, before answering.
“Hey, Mom…”
“Zion, how’s my boy? And how’s Winter? I hope you’re taking good care of her,” she chirped, her voice full of that motherly sweetness.
I gritted my teeth, gripping the phone like it was the only thing keeping me from losing it.
“Don’t worry, Mom. I’m being the best brother I can be,” I said, forcing the words out even though they tasted bitter on my tongue.
“Oh, I knew you would be,” she continued, oblivious to my growing frustration.
“Anyway, today’s Winter’s first day at work, and since she doesn’t have a car, be a dear and give her a ride, okay?”
“Mom, I can’t… I’m busy, I’ve got—”
“I’m not asking, Zion. I’m telling you,” she interrupted, her tone suddenly firm. “And I don’t want to hear any excuses. Got it?”
I bit back the curses threatening to spill out. “Got it… Bye.”
I slammed the phone down on the table, seething. My eyes met the smirks of Ronald and Clark, and I could feel the rage bubbling up again.
This day just kept getting better and better.
Gritting my teeth, I fought the urge to punch them both. I had to remind myself that they weren’t the enemy here—she was.
My hatred for her had consumed me for so long that it was hard to push away the dark thoughts, to separate the desire to have her from the urge to destroy her.
Ronald looked at me intently. I had filled him in this morning on why I hated Winter. Clark already knew the story.
Neither of them had said much about it since.
“So, what exactly are you planning for her, Z?” Ronald asked as he sat back down, his tone a bit uneasy, like he wasn’t entirely on board with whatever I had in mind.
“Revenge. I’m going to make her life a living hell while she’s here. I’ll make her feel the same pain she caused my family.” And then some.
Clark smirked, his voice dripping with mischief. “So, you’re not going to take a little taste of that hot piece of ass before you ruin her? Or is that your twisted idea of revenge? Imagine if she’s a virgin! Now that would be the ultimate payback, don’t you think?”
“Talk about her ass again, and I’ll beat the shit out of you, friend or not!” I snapped. Clark raised his hands in surrender, but I didn’t miss the small smirk on his face.
Since she showed up here, seeing her again after so many years, I’ve been haunted by the idea of what it would be like to bury myself between her thighs and taste her. Would I devour her with ravenous hunger, or would I savour her slowly, like a fine wine?
Just then, I hear footsteps behind me, and I don’t need to turn around to know who it is.
“Um, I forgot my coffee,” Winter says, hurrying past me to the coffee machine.
Ronald tilts his head, and out of the corner of my eye, I catch him eyeing her up and down.
Across the kitchen, unaware of the attention, she adds sugar to her cup and stirs.
The innocent-looking white nightshirt she’s wearing doesn’t do much to hide the swell of her breasts, and I wonder if she realizes we’re all watching her.
My gaze follows its path, tracing the curves of her heart-shaped face and those bright blue eyes that seem to hold a million secrets. I burn with the desire to break her open, to shatter her defences, and see what lies beneath.
Clark leans in and whispers so only the three of us can hear. “She looks like a sweet little virgin just waiting to be thoroughly fucked.”
“Shut up,” I growl, lowly.
“I doubt it, and even if she is, I don’t care. It changes nothing.” I’ve got a different plan to break her.
.......
After Winter left, We all ate in silence, the tension in the room was almost palpable.
For a few moments, the only sounds were the clinking of cutlery and the occasional sip of coffee.
Then Clark broke the quiet.
“You should probably hurry up and take a shower,” he said with a smirk, glancing at me. “You can’t take Winter to work looking like that with all that juice on you. Don’t want to embarrass your stepsister, do you?”
The comment sliced through the silence, and I felt a sharp irritation. Clark had to keep rubbing in the fact that she was my stepsister. Ronald chimed in,
“Yeah, man, Clark’s right. ”
Clark’s taunting and Ronald’s agreement made me acutely aware of the sticky, citrus scent clinging to my clothes. I clenched my jaw, struggling to push aside the mounting frustration.
“For fuck’s sake,” I muttered, leaving them behind as I stormed upstairs to shower the sticky juice off me. After throwing on clean jeans and a T-shirt, I made my way to Winter's room, irritation simmering beneath my skin.
I swung the door open without knocking and walked straight in. My gaze instantly fell on Winter, who was curled up on the bed, her head resting on her arms as she leaned against the headboard.
What was I supposed to do now?
I stopped just inside the doorway, jaw clenched tight. Ro and Clark were already half on her side. I cleared my throat, and her head shot up, eyes locking onto mine.
“Get out,” she hissed, her voice dripping with venom.
“Not happening, Snowflake. I’m here to tell you to get your ass up, showered, and ready in five minutes. You’re riding with me to your new job,” I said, my tone leaving no room for argument.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No!” she snapped, her voice rising.
“Stop being so damn stubborn. Look, I don’t want you in my car any more than you do, but Mom called and insisted, and I can’t say no to her. So get moving.”
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