Chapter 66: The World With You (II)
Winter sat in the silence, trying to make sense of what had happened. The storm outside had begun to ease, its relentless howling now reduced to a steady patter against the windows.
Zara had rested on his shoulder, her breathing uneven but gradually slowing as if exhaustion had finally claimed her. The kid was out like a light, his tiny body slack with sleep, cradled protectively in her arms.
Winter’s gaze flicked to them both, his chest tightening in a way he couldn’t quite explain. He wasn’t the sentimental type, never had been. Not since what had happened that day, but Zara seemed to have that effect on him.
Yet here he was, sitting in the wreckage of their lives, unable to leave them behind.
The kid shifted slightly, murmuring something incoherent in his sleep. Winter glanced away, rubbing the back of his neck. What was he even doing here? What kind of mess had he let himself get dragged into this time?
"Why?" she asked suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Winter’s gaze snapped to her, his brows furrowing. So she wasn’t asleep? "Why what?"
"Why did you help us?" Her voice trembled barely steady enough to form the words. "Why didn’t you just...leave?"
Winter regarded her silently for a moment, his jaw working as if debating how much to say. Finally, he shifted slightly, resting his forearms on his knees. "Because I couldn’t."
Zara blinked, caught off guard by the simplicity of his answer. "You don’t owe us anything."
"No, I don’t." His tone was matter-of-fact, but there was something else beneath it—something that made her want to push further. "But I’m not the kind of man who walks away from a fight. Especially when someone like you is caught in the middle."