His Doomsday Cage of Ten Years Regret Chapter 08

His Doomsday Cage of Ten Years Regret Chapter 08

My fist finally connected with that infuriating handsome face.

What followed was ugly. Both of us stripped away every pretense and vented all the resentment we’d bottled up.

I called him a heartless jerk; he called me petty and stupid.

I said he knew I was being mistreated and did nothing; he demanded to know why I’d never trusted

him enough to talk about it.

I accused him of hiding everything from me; he revealed he’d stockpiled plenty of zombie cores and

secured a place for us in the northern safe zone well in advance.

I scoffed.

“Your friends all look down on me. Even if I’m completely useless, you’re still stuck taking

responsibility for me!”

He admitted he knew Shane and the others were hostile toward me, but he couldn’t protect me while fighting zombies. Staying with the group was the only way to keep me safe. If I could just hold out until they reached the safe zone, we could cut ties and live for ourselves.

His voice cracked, his eyes reddening.

“We were so close… so close to having that life together…”

I patted his cheek mockingly.

“You only act sorry when it makes you look innocent. Affection that comes too late is worth less

than worthless grass.”

He completely lost it.

“It’s not belated at all!”

“I gave you everything I had this whole time, and this is what I get?”

“Fine, Shane doesn’t like you-but he barely acknowledges anyone besides our core group.”

“I didn’t raise him to be that way, so how can I control him completely?”

“They’re my childhood friends, and they saved my life. As the only combat-type ability user in the

group, isn’t it right that I see them safely to the safe zone?”

“On every supply run, I made sure to take the people who’d bully you with me so they couldn’t bother you alone.”

“I did have a thing with Winnie years ago, but I’ve been completely clean ever since I met you!”

“A single baseless rumor carries more weight than ten of my honest explanations!”

“What meaningful thing have you ever done for me from the start?”

His tirade left a lump in my throat, but I wasn’t about to back down.

“Why are you shouting? Raising your voice just proves you’re guilty and bluffing to cover it up!”

We traded more random, unrelated insults until we were both worn out, collapsing side by side

onto the bed.

“Peyton, you are so exasperating.”

“Takes one to know one. Your awful temper drives me up the wall too.”

A warm weight settled over the back of my hand.

Peyton forced his fingers between mine and interlocked our fingers tight.

“Dawn, give me one more chance, I-”

“Peyton, you’re right. I have nothing to offer you. Let’s go our separate ways in this life.”

We spoke in unison.

Peyton shot to his feet beside the bed, his expression fierce enough to eat someone alive.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“How are you supposed to survive on your own?”

“The apocalypse hasn’t even fully hit yet. What if we wake up tomorrow to clear skies and it was all just a dream?”

“Even then, my answer is still no.”

I fell silent.

“You’ve

“GO

got feelings for me, so we can’t just walk away from each other for good.”

get that checked out if you’re that delusional.”

Peyton straightened up, all his frustration shifting into something sharper and more certain.

“If you really don’t love me and only used me from start to finish…”

“Why did you never pull away from my touch?”

“Why did you care so much about my history with Winnie?”

“And why did you push Winnie out of danger back then?”

“You could have escaped on your own.”

I didn’t have a clear answer.

Maybe the hours of running for my life had driven home how much of a burden Shane had called

Or maybe I just wanted to do something meaningful for Peyton for once.

Either way, Winnie’s survival would always be more valuable to this group than mine.

I blinked back the tightness in my throat.

“Don’t flatter yourself. It had nothing to do with you.”

Peyton let out a cold laugh.

“Is that so? Then let’s talk about something that does concern you. If you really don’t love me, breaking things off is the worst choice you could make.”

“I’m completely devoted to you. If you use that to your advantage, there’s no better asset in this world than me. Think about it.”