CHAPTER 14: 14: THE WORLD NEVER STOPS

The air inside the makeshift shelter was thick with the raw smell of sweat and blood. Zara let herself sink against the cold, chipped wall, dragging the back of her arm across her brow to wipe away the grime caked there.

Her chest heaved, but she kept her eyes on the ground, unwilling to meet this stranger’s steely gaze. The quiet stretched between them, charged and prickling.

Calculate us both to death, why don’t you," she spat, breaking the silence. Her voice was sharp, edged with the frayed tension from the escape.

Winter didn’t even look up.

"Only reason we’re here," he said, his voice as cold as the concrete beneath their feet, "is because I kept my head."

Zara scoffed, folding her arms. "Kept your head? If I remember correctly, I saved you two times. You nearly got us killed!"

"That’s not how I remember it,"

She watched him through narrowed eyes, fighting back the grudging admiration she felt for his endurance. He had grit, she’d give him that. But arrogance? He was drowning in it.

"If I hadn’t kept moving, we’d be dead." Winter’s gaze was level, unbothered by her accusation. "It’s not my fault you lack the discipline to follow a plan."

Zara’s jaw clenched. "You call that a plan? I call it a suicide mission."

Silence stretched between them, thick and unyielding. Winter returned to adjusting the strap of his pack, fingers deft.

He was cool under pressure, she’d noticed that early on. But the way he dismissed her, as if she were some wild thing to be tamed, ignited a spark of anger in her.

She glanced up at the tiny window that let in a sliver of light. The sun was already slipping lower, casting long shadows across the abandoned city. Her stomach twisted in a familiar knot as she thought of Leo, her little boy, still hidden in that old storage shelter a few blocks away.

Winter didn’t bother looking up. "Probably your bad luck," he muttered.

Her head snapped around, a flare of irritation sharpening her gaze. "Excuse me?"

"Just a theory," he said, unperturbed, his tone dry. "You do seem to have a talent for attracting trouble."

So," she began, trying to fill the silence. "What’s your grand strategy now, since you’re so keen on having one?"

Winter didn’t miss a beat. "We find shelter until dawn. Keep moving south toward City B, avoid the main roads."

She shook her head. "That’s your solution? Keep running?"

"It’s what keeps us alive," he replied, voice clipped. "If you have a better idea, I’m all ears."

"Funny. I didn’t think you cared for anyone’s opinion but your own," she shot back, but her voice held a grudging respect.

Winter’s gaze flicked toward her, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "It’s rare that I find someone capable enough to keep up." He paused, studying her for a second too long.

Zara couldn’t deny that having him as an ally would be a good idea, but he was just too insufferable! Plus she couldn’t leave Leo. She bit her lip hard, enough to keep the worry from leaking into her voice.

"We should move. Before it gets dark," she said, trying to sound more resolute than she felt.

Trying to mask her desperation, she casually turned to him, forcing a tone of nonchalance.

"There’s a safe house nearby," she lied, hoping he’d take the bait. "If we cut through these buildings, we might get there before nightfall."

Winter narrowed his eyes at her, his lips twitching as if he saw right through her. "You’re not trying to steer me somewhere, are you?"

"Paranoid much?" She shot back, folding her arms. "Or are you really that dense?"

His eyes flashed with something she couldn’t quite read, and for a moment, she felt a pang of guilt. But that quickly evaporated when he smirked and turned away, gesturing for her to lead. "Fine. Show me this ’safe house.’ But if you’re lying, you’re the one who’ll regret it."

They fell into step again.

She hesitated, then spoke, carefully choosing her words. "I used to live here. Before... all of this." Her voice softened, the memory of the life she’d had before the collapse hanging heavy in her tone. She had a little family, a routine, dreams that felt so trivial now. She didn’t look at him as she spoke, her eyes fixed on the ground as if the crumbling asphalt held answers.

For a second, Winter’s gaze lingered on her. The woman was confusing with the way her emotions were all over the place.

After a beat, she dared a glance at him, probing.

"So, what brought you to City B anyway?"

His gaze flicked to her briefly, before he looked away, expression closed off. "None of your business."

Zara rolled her eyes, her irritation returning. "Fine, keep your secrets. Just don’t get in my way."

She didn’t need his whole story, but she couldn’t ignore that Winter had skills she’d rarely seen in others since the world had turned on its head.

Yet, that only made her trust him less. People didn’t get that good at staying alive by being honest.

They kept walking, Zara occasionally stealing glances, her mind buzzing with questions she couldn’t bring herself to voice.

They hadn’t even discussed where they were heading—he had taken the lead as naturally as breathing, and she hated that she was letting him, even if she knew it was for the best.

"I don’t care about your past," he said, his voice cold, distant. "And you don’t need to know mine."

She bristled, her temper flaring up again. "Fine by me. Just thought I’d make the small talk you’re so terrible at."

He gave a slight chuckle, one that felt almost too human coming from him. "I’ll leave the talking to you, then. You’re clearly more experienced in wasting breath."

A retort died on her lips as they heard a faint scuffling sound nearby. They both froze, instincts kicking in as they dropped into defensive stances, backs to the nearest wall. It wasn’t an enemy they could see, but the atmosphere shifted, a cold dread settling in the pit of her stomach.