𝑯𝑰𝑴 - Chase Graves

six.

6|BETRAYAL

Winter Snow lay in bed, the only place she had been for the last couple of weeks. Her roommates knew of her sudden depression and knew they had to just leave her alone as she coped differently. The only times she left her room was to use the bathroom or to grab a brain tube when she felt her humanity slipping away.

She felt broken and she did not know why. She had only known Chase Graves for a small amount of time but it felt like forever and now she misses him. His smirk, his lips, his hands that always reassured her she was safe and the way he looked at her that left her knees weak.

She missed him and she hated herself for it.

Wandering out of bed and into the kitchen she was greeted by Peyton making a cup of coffee. "Could you make me one?"

"Winter? Oh, of course." Peyton was shocked to see the woman up and talking. She quickly made her a drink and was surprised to see the zombie sit down on the couch. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Why does it hurt, Peyton? Why do I miss him when I barely knew him?" Her voice was hoarse but Peyton could hear the pain Winter was feeling.

"I don't know." The roommates embraced as Winter cried on Peytons shoulder, finally showing her feelings. Soon Liv joined the hug, reassuring her cousin that the pain will go away eventually.

"You want to come to work? It might take your mind off things?" Liv suggested, wiping some tears of Winters cheeks.

"Yeah, I do miss Ravi." Winter finally smiled slightly before standing up and getting ready for work. Liv drove the pair to the morgue and Ravi instantly embraced Winter after not seeing her for a long period of time.

"It's so good to have you back." He mumbled into her hair, stroking it affectionately.

"I missed you too much to stay away forever." Winter hummed, leaning her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. She felt the tears pricking her eyes but squeezed them tight.

"And you, where have you been? I've had to do all this county paperwork myself." Ravi complained as he let go of Winter and sat back down behind his desk. He shot Liv a small glare but she just chuckled to herself.

"Just tracking Harley Johns to his secret outhouse bunker, realising he turned into a zombie, and subduing him, stashing him in a freezer." Liv listed off her last couple days as she lay comfortably on Ravis leather sofa he kept in his office.

"Ah, well...." Ravi trailed off before shrugging. "I did the paperwork."

"I missed so much." Winter giggled, sitting on the arm of the sofa by Liv's head.

"Before you two get too comfortable, you should probably see this." He pointed at the two women and held up a magazine reading 'ZOMBIES ARE REAL' with a picture of Liv in full on zombie mode.

"Oh my gosh, is that me?" The pale haired woman questioned, sitting up and taking the newspaper from the doctor. "How? How to identify us, all the signs? White hair, pale skin." She listed, reading the front page out loud. "How did they get this?"

"My understanding is that reporters have certain secret sources, "deep background", I believe the term is." He tried to explain to her.