CHAPTER 20: 20: THE WORLD JUST LOVE TO PROVE HER WRONG

The store smelled of decay and stale air. Broken shelves leaned against walls streaked with grime, spilling their contents across the cracked tiles. Zara pressed her back against the counter, cradling Leo tightly. Her breathing was shallow, her chest rising and falling in a rhythm she fought to keep steady.

"Leo," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the faint shuffle of undead feet outside. "Is there anything in your happy place that can cover you? Anything small? A cloth?"

The boy lifted his tear-streaked face from her chest, his tiny hands trembling as he scanned the floor. "I...I think—" His voice cracked, and he bit his lip, concentrating hard.

A coat flopped out of thin air a few feet in front of them.

Zara kissed his forehead, "Good boy, good job," her hands shaking as she pushed through the pain in her ankle to crawl closer. She winced as her fingers closed around a piece of thick fabric. Pulling it free, she realized it was a coat—worn and familiar—Damon’s coat. Her breath hitched.

Had Leo unconsciously pulled it out because it gave him comfort?

The scent of his cologne still lingered faintly in the material, a bittersweet reminder of everything they’d lost. For a moment, the ache in her chest overshadowed the throbbing pain in her ankle. But she forced the emotion down. She couldn’t afford it.

Wearing the coat, she tucked him close against her chest. His tiny arms clung tightly to her, and he buried his face in her neck, his soft sniffles muffled by the fabric.

"Shh," she whispered, stroking his hair. "It’s okay, baby. Mama’s got you. Just stay quiet. Remember? Just like we practiced."

Leo nodded against her neck, and she held him tighter, rocking slightly. A zombie groaned, its decaying frame toppling into a pile of shattered glass. The distant moans grew louder, dragging their feet on the pavement and sending shivers down her spine. Their hiding spot wasn’t safe anymore.

Zara shifted, biting back a groan as her injured ankle protested with every movement. She pressed her back against the shelf, preparing herself. Her vision blurred for a moment, a flash of something—no, someone—lunging from the shadows. The image flickered in and out, her precognition teasing her with fragmented warnings.

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath.

With Leo clinging to her, she rose as quietly as she could, her breaths shallow and controlled. Every step was agony, her weight pressing down on the swollen joint, but she didn’t let it slow her.

The vision sharpened suddenly. A zombie, its bloated frame lunging from the darkness. Zara twisted sharply, pulling Leo with her. The creature’s clawed hand missed her by inches, its momentum sending it crashing into the shelf.

The boy gasped, a small, panicked sound that sent a fresh wave of terror through Zara. She pressed a hand over his head, cradling him protectively as the zombie snarled and thrashed behind them.

"Quiet, baby," she whispered urgently, her voice shaking. "It’s okay. I’ve got you."

The groans multiplied. They were closing in. Zara forced herself forward, each step a test of her will as she manoeuvred through the ruins of the store. She rounded a corner, her breath catching as she came face-to-face with a figure standing at the far end of the aisle.

For a heartbeat, she froze. Her grip on Leo tightened.

The figure moved, stepping into the flickering light of a hanging bulb. Dark eyes, sharp and calculating, locked onto hers.

It was the man from that day!

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Zara’s body tensed, her grip tightening on Leo. She shifted the boy further beneath the coat, angling herself to shield him from the stranger’s view.

"Fancy seeing you again," Winter drawled, his voice calm but tinged with curiosity. His sharp eyes swept over her, taking in her dishevelled state, the blood on her ankle, and the strain in her posture. "Didn’t think you’d survive out here."

Zara forced herself to meet his gaze. "I could say the same to you."

Winter’s gaze drifted lower, narrowing slightly as if he were trying to see through her. Her body shifted instinctively, shielding Leo beneath the folds of the coat.

The corner of Winter’s mouth twitched, but his expression grew serious as the groans of the undead grew louder. He glanced past her, his jaw tightening. "We don’t have time for a reunion. Move."

Zara’s mind raced. Sure, she had spent some time with him, but she was still high-strung from running from those bastards. "I’m not going with you." Her tone was clipped, her heart hammering. She gestured in the opposite direction. "You go that way; I’ll go this way."

"Not happening." Winter took a step closer, his imposing frame towering over her. "You’re limping, and you look like hell. You won’t make it five minutes out there alone."

"I dont remember when that became your concern," Zara snapped, her tone sharper than she intended.

But a loud crash cut her off. A shelf toppled behind them, the sound of glass and metal scattering across the floor as the horde began to push its way inside. Their grotesque figures shoving against one another. Winter’s hand shot out, grabbing Zara’s arm. His grip was firm, unyielding.

"Come on."

Zara hesitated, her mind screaming at her to refuse, but the advancing horde left her no choice. Gritting her teeth, she let Winter pull her toward the back exit, her arms clutching Leo like a lifeline.

The man led the way, his knife flashing in the dim light as he dispatched any zombies that strayed too close. In his other hand, he carried a suppressed pistol, the quiet pops of its shots barely audible over the chaos.

Zara wondered where he got it. The last she remembered, he used a rifle. It was still strung over his shoulder.

Her ankle throbbed with every step, each movement sending fresh jolts of pain up her leg. But she bit her lip and kept moving, focusing on Leo’s steady breathing against her chest.

Winter pulled her into cover behind a rusted dumpster when they burst into the alley. He raised a hand, signalling for silence as he scanned the street.

"Stay put," he ordered, his voice low but commanding as he moved ahead.

Zara pressed her back against the cold metal, her breaths shallow. Leo clung to her, his tears soaking into her shirt. She stroked his hair, her voice barely above a whisper. "Shh, it’s okay. We’re okay. Just a little longer, I promise."

Winter turned back to her, his frown deepening. His gaze was sharp and probing as he crossed his arms. "What are you hiding?"

Zara stiffened. "What?"

"You keep looking down like you’re checking on something. Supplies? An injury?"

"None of your business."

His gaze dropped to the slight bulge beneath her coat, and suspicion flickered across his face. Zara’s heart raced as she saw his brows knit together.

He’s not stupid, she thought, panic clawing at her throat. He’s going to figure it out.

"Fine," Winter said, his tone clipped. "Let’s get out of here before they catch up."

The alleys were narrow and littered with debris, forcing them to move in single file. Winter kept a brisk pace.

Zara struggled to keep up, every step pushing pain through her leg. Leo’s weight in her arms felt heavier with each passing moment.

Her precognition flickered again—a brief, vivid image of a zombie lurking around the corner. Without thinking, Zara shoved Winter aside just as the creature lunged. Its teeth snapped inches from his neck before Winter drove his knife into its skull.

He glanced at her, his eyes narrowing. "How did you—?"

"Lucky guess," Zara lied, panting.

Winter didn’t push, but the suspicion lingered in his eyes. "Fine. Let’s get out of here before they catch up."

They reached an abandoned garage, its heavy doors creaking as Winter shoved them shut and barred them with a metal rod.

"I’ll check the place," he said, disappearing into the shadows without waiting for her response.

Zara slumped into a dark corner, her back against the wall. Leo squirmed beneath the coat, and she quickly unwrapped him, pressing a ration bar into his tiny hands.

"Eat, baby," she whispered, her voice soft but urgent.

Leo nibbled at the bar, his wide eyes filled with worry. "Is he a bad person, Mama?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

"I don’t know," Zara hesitated, glancing toward the shadows where Winter had vanished. "But we need to be careful. You have to stay quiet, okay? Don’t let him know you’re here."

Leo’s lip quivered. "He won’t take me away, will he?"

Zara’s heart ached at the fear in his voice. She pulled him close, her hand cradling the back of his head. "No one’s taking you from me, Leo. I promise."

Footsteps approached, and Zara quickly tucked Leo back beneath the coat. Winter emerged from the darkness, tossing her a bottle of water.

Zara caught it awkwardly, her fingers fumbling as she shifted Leo slightly to free a hand.

She stared at the bottle, the clear liquid sloshing as if mocking her. Her throat felt dry, but she hesitated, her instincts screaming to refuse anything from him. Still, she tucked it beside her, a whispered "thank you" barely audible over Leo’s steady breathing.

Winter leaned against a workbench, his arms crossed. "You’re hiding something," he said bluntly, his tone colder now. "I don’t trust it."

Zara glared at him, her exhaustion and defiance warring within her. "I’m not hiding anything."

He didn’t press, but the faint tilt of his head and the flicker of curiosity in his expression told her he’d noticed more than she wanted him to.

"Whatever." He shook his head, pushing off the bench. "You saved my life back there, so I owe you one. For now, we stick together."

Zara bristled. "I don’t need your help."

"Right," Winter said dryly, his gaze flicking to her injured ankle. "And I don’t need air."

He gestured to her ankle with a pointed look. "Just don’t slow me down."

Zara clenched her jaw, biting back a retort. Her pride screamed at her to refuse, to tell him to leave and never look back, but the weight of Leo in her arms and the throbbing pain in her ankle grounded her in grim reality. She couldn’t do this alone, not like this, not now.

Winter turned away, his attention shifting back to the scattered supplies. His back was a broad, silent wall as he sifted through the remnants of what he had found lying around.

This was the second time he’d appeared—like a shadow in her life, emerging just when she’d needed help the most. That had been a few weeks ago. She had thought there was no way she would see him again.

Now, here he was again.

Why did the world Just love to prove her wrong?

The odds felt impossible. The city was large and chaotic, its few surviving humans scattered and desperate. How was it that she kept running into him?

Her stomach churned as a darker thought took root. What if it wasn’t chance? What if he was following her? Watching her?

Her eyes narrowed as suspicion gnawed at her. He had been tracking the zombies when they’d crossed paths—what if he’d been tracking her instead? What if he was waiting for the right moment to strike, to take whatever meagre scraps she and Leo had managed to hold onto?

Winter shifted slightly, pulling a knife from his belt to inspect its edge. The faint scrape of metal against metal set her nerves alight. She tensed, her arms tightening around Leo instinctively.

He’s dangerous.

Her pulse thundered in her ears as the paranoia took hold. She didn’t know his name, intentions, or why he always showed up when she was at her most vulnerable.

Her mind raced through the possibilities. Maybe he’d seen her with Leo earlier, seen her weakness, and decided she was an easy target. Or worse—what if he wanted to hurt her? Hurt Leo?

Her grip on Leo tightened as she swallowed the lump forming in her throat.

"I’ll protect you," she whispered silently, the words barely forming on her lips as she kept her eyes trained on Winter’s back.

He turned slightly, his profile briefly visible in the dim light as he adjusted his pack. Zara froze. Her breath caught in her chest as she watched him, her muscles coiled like a spring. He didn’t look back at her; his focus was already elsewhere.

The waning moon above cast shadows across the room, and as the silence stretched, Zara’s suspicion hardened into resolve. Whether he was a saviour or a stalker didn’t matter. She couldn’t afford to trust anyone.