“What?” My voice comes out louder than I intended, and Donovan looks over at us, eyebrow raised before I offer him a fake smile and wave him away.
She rests her head on my knee. “I don’t want to say anything until I’m sure.”
I remember that feeling. Being terrified. Not wanting to tell my parents, not wanting to pee on the stick, not wanting to face up to what I already knew. And I didn’t have the end of the world to contend with.
“Ohh, sweetie,” I breathe as I continue stroking her hair.
“What if…” her voice hitches, and I don’t need her to finish the sentence, so I shush her. Making soothing noises as she watches Alex with sad eyes is the only comfort I can really offer her right now, so that’s what I do.
“Avery is looking into it,” I say, my voice firm and filled with a confidence I don’t really feel. “And if you are pregnant, we’ll deal with it together.”
I hope that whatever is going on with the zombies and the babies can be solved, because if not, we are going to have a real problem in the next couple of months. But what good did panicking over it now do? We needed answers, not hysterics.
I wipe away her tears. “We’re going to get through this.”
She inhales and exhales slowly, rubbing her face as she gets her emotions under control. “Please don’t say anything, not yet.”
Her voice is shaky as Donovan and Alex begin to make their way over to us, and I feel her fear in my core. Nodding, I take her hand in mine and squeeze it gently.
Tomorrow was a new day, a fresh start, but some things never changed.
There were always secrets.
Always lies.
Always dangers.
The End of Book II
Tug of War coming soon…
Acknowledgments
Let’s keep it short and sweet this time around. Writing the book took me long enough and we’ll be here for months if I have to think about every person I want to thank.
My husband, thank you for your eternal support! I love you from now until forever ends. Without you, there is no AJ.
Dominque (Dom’s Proofreading), Tammy (The Graphics Shed) and Abigail (Pink Elephant Designs) – I owe you guys so much. You make my book what it is and I’m so incredibly honoured that I get to work with you talented women. You are my dream team.
Thank you to everyone who has read Tag and has been sucked into my little post-apocalyptic world. Right now real life is crazy with the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown, but we will get through it.
The human race are survivors.
We are resilient and brave.
We will get through this and when we do,
we will live fully,
loving harder,
laughing louder,
holding tighter,
savouring every precious moment.
This is not the end.
About the Author
AJ Everheart is the pen name of a Welsh author who lives in a world of books, computer games, and kickass fandoms with her husband and her little dog.
When not binge-watching K-Dramas or reading all her favourite Indie authors, she can be found taking afternoon naps because there is nothing better than a Nana nap.
Books by AJ Everheart
Tag
Hide & Seek
Coming Soon
Tug of War
The Survival Games (Book 2): Hide & Seek Page 20