by Kate L. Mary
As I crawled around on my hands and knees, I became aware of someone at my side. It gave me a start until I turned and spotted Logan next to me, doing the same thing I was. He was little more than a blob in the darkness and rain, but having him at my side comforted me. I couldn’t imagine going through this alone.
I reached under the bush and my fingers brushed something solid that wasn’t quite hard enough to be a rock. When I curled my fingers around it, I almost let out a whoop of victory.
“I have it!” I yelled as I got to my feet.
Logan did the same, and together we raced toward the porch. Stepping under the overhang was a relief, but with the wind howling the way it was, we weren’t totally out of the rain. We wouldn’t be until we got inside.
Thankfully, Logan had brought the flashlight with him, making it easier for me to free the key and unlock the door. Then it was open and we were stumbling inside, gasping for breath and soaked to the bone.
Logan shut the door and reached for the lock, but I grabbed his hand.
“Leave it unlocked for Tessa and Rick.”
“What if someone else shows up?” he asked.
He was right. If someone else happened upon the house and the door was unlocked, they could walk right in. While I hadn’t been a huge fan of zombie fiction, I had watched more than a few episodes of The Walking Dead and I knew that in situations like this survivors weren’t always friendly.
“Okay,” I said, letting go of his hand so he could lock the door. “They can knock, I guess.”
Logan flipped the lock and turned to face me. “Let’s get dry.”
He had only taken one step when I froze him in his tracks by saying, “My parents and Claire are in the garage. Should we check on them first? See if they’ve changed?”
Slowly, he turned to face me, and I could tell by his wide eyes that this was something he hadn’t even considered. That he was probably just now thinking about his own parents, somewhere on this island, dead but not quite dead at the same time.
Logan nodded once and then swallowed before saying, “Yeah. I guess we should.”
“Okay.” Tears forced their way up to my throat and I had to swallow. “I just don’t know if I can do that to them. You know?”
“Yeah,” he whispered, then let out a deep breath and held the flashlight out to me. “You hold the light. I’ll take care of them if I have to.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” he said. “Lead the way.”
I took the flashlight and did as I was told, trying not to think about the knife in Logan’s hand and how he might have to use it to stab my parents. Only they weren’t my parents, not anymore. Logically I knew that, but it didn’t help much when I thought about what we might face inside the garage.
We reached the door that led into the garage and I paused to take a deep breath. “Are you ready?” I asked, my gaze on the doorknob and not on Logan.
“Yeah.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him shift and grip the knife tighter.
“I’m going to open it,” I whispered.
Logan’s head bobbed, but my gaze was still on the doorknob. I turned it slowly, trying not to make a sound, and then pushed the door open.
The hinges creaked slightly as it moved, and the wider it opened the more of the garage was illuminated by the beam of my flashlight. The cars first, then the back wall, then the area where Tessa and I had laid out our parents’ bodies. It was now vacant, and the stink hit me only a second after the realization that they were up and moving around did.
“They’re out here somewhere,” I whispered.
Logan took a small step forward. “Move the flashlight around.”
I did, shifting so we could see different sections of the three car garage. At first I couldn’t find them, but then movement caught my eye and I flipped the beam over to find Dad and Claire standing with their backs to us, facing the wall.
“What are they doing?” Logan asked.
I shook my head, but I wasn’t looking at him, instead I was searching the darkness for my mom. She was out here too. Somewhere.
Something moved to our right and when I spun toward it the decaying face of my mother came into view. She was only a couple feet away, her mouth already open, and the moan that floated out of her mouth made the hair on my arms stand up.
“Logan!” I called out.
He was already moving though, already had the knife up, and before the thing that had been my mom could get any closer, he had the blade in her skull. The crack of bone made me shudder, but I forced myself to stay still because I knew Logan needed the light. She dropped to the floor, and when she fell the blade slipped from her skull, leaving Logan panting as he stared down at her.
After a few seconds he turned and headed across the garage with me trailing behind him, the flashlight still up. Claire had turned around at the sound of our scuffle, and was now lumbering toward us, her hands grasping at air as she moved. She was slow, and when Logan reached her, he was able to duck around her with no problem. He slammed the blade into the back of her neck and just like my mom had, my sister dropped to the ground.
“One more,” he whispered.
I held my hand steady as he moved toward Dad even though my shoulders were shaking with silent sobs. Tears had begun to stream down my cheeks at the sight of my mom, mixing with the rain that still clung to my skin, and no matter what I did I couldn’t stop them. Watching my family die once had been heartbreaking, but this caused a whole new pain to form inside me. One I had never experienced before. It was like someone was putting my heart through a blender, and I wasn’t sure if I would survive it.
I closed my eyes when Logan slammed the knife into my father’s head, and they were still closed when he reached me. He eased the flashlight from my hand and pulled me against him, holding me firmly as he led me out of the garage.
Back in the house, Logan led me to the couch. Even though we were both soaking wet, I didn’t resist when he eased me down. He sat at my side, holding my hands while I cried, and it wasn’t long before I was in his arms. My body shook against his, and once again I was thankful that I wasn’t alone. Thankful that I had someone strong to lean on while I sobbed.
“It’s okay,” he whispered as he rubbed my back. “It’s okay.”
His lips touched the top of my head, and then the side of my face. They were warm as they moved down my cheek, kissing the trail the tears had left behind. I was still crying when I turned my face toward his, allowing his mouth to cover mine.
Logan’s lips were needy, insistent and desperate. His arms were still around me, and the second our lips met his caresses changed. Warmth moved through me when his hands pushed my wet shirt up and warm skin brushed against my bare back. Fingers trailed up my spine while his mouth moved over mine. His tongue tickled my lips and I opened to him, allowing him to plunge inside. I pulled at his shirt, prying the wet fabric from his skin and pulling it up. We were forced to break the kiss, but the second his shirt was off and I had tossed it aside, he was on me again. His lips attacking mine as he pushed me onto my back, his hands moving up my stomach, pushing my shirt up until they were cupping my breasts.
He was on top of me, his body moving against mine as we kissed, his fingers teasing my breasts through the thin fabric of my bra. My body was on fire and I pulled him closer, wrapping my legs around him as the delicious pressure between my thighs built. But it wasn’t enough.
“Logan,” I said against his lips. I reached for the button on his pants. “Take these off.”
He nodded, but continued to kiss me. I unzipped his pants and he yanked the cup of my bra down, freeing my breast. I gasped when he teased my nipple, and when I slid my hand inside his boxer briefs he let out a groan.
We stayed that way for a moment, teasing each other, but it wasn’t long before I got tired of waiting. I needed more. Needed these wet clothes off so I could feel his bare skin against mine.
I pulled my hand free
and pushed him back so I could yank my shirt over my head. My bra came next, and when I reached for the zipper of my shorts he took the cue and hopped up. We both wiggled out of our pants and I had just slid my underwear down when he was back on me.
We were both naked now, both free to explore the other person as much as we wanted. Logan took advantage of it, kissing his way down my body, his fingers following the trail his mouth left behind. I writhed under his expert fingers and tongue, desperate for him to keep going while at the same time desperate for more. He was between my thighs, teasing me as my fingers grasped at his hair. I moaned, gasped, begged for more, and then let out a cry of ecstasy when my body exploded in pleasure.
He was on me before I had time to come down, his mouth on mine again as he settled between my thighs. I felt him at my entrance and lifted my hips to meet his, inviting him in, and he willingly accepted the invitation.
His hands grasped my hips as he slid inside me, moving at a deliciously slow pace. My head was still spinning from my orgasm, and the feel of him sliding into me only intensified the sensations still moving through my body. He kept the pace slow at first, but it wasn’t long before he was moving faster, his fingers digging into my hips as he plunged into me over and over again while I worked to meet his thrusts.
“God,” he grunted. “You feel so good.”
I tightened my legs around his hips when I felt another orgasm building, and he moved faster. One thrust, two. I gasped out his name and dug my nails into his arms as my body began to quake. Then Logan groaned and gave one final thrust before grunting out his own pleasure.
Chapter 11
LOGAN COLLAPSED ON TOP OF ME, PANTING and sweaty, and I let out a deep, contented sigh. Never in a million years had I thought I would be into post-apocalyptic sex, but apparently I had been very wrong.
After a second, he shifted so he was stretched out on the couch next to me. “I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry?”
“Because I feel like I kind of took advantage of the situation.”
“I could have said no, Logan. I didn’t.”
In the dim glow of the flashlight, I saw him grin. “No, you didn’t. In fact, if I remember correctly, you were kind of begging for it.”
I laughed and even though it felt and sounded strange in the midst of everything, it was nice. I wanted to believe that there could still be laughter in this world. That there could still be love and hope, and maybe even a future.
“I think you’re right.”
Logan leaned forward and kissed me, tenderly this time. “I’ve thought about you dozens of times since the wedding rehearsal. I was actually planning to call you once the dust settled between Rick and Tessa.”
“I don’t know if it ever would have settled had the virus not changed things. Tessa isn’t usually the forgiving type, and what Rick did was pretty unforgiveable.”
“It would have been worse if he’d gone through with the wedding even though he had doubts.”
“I know,” I whispered. I reached up and ran my hand down Logan’s cheek, over the stubble. “I hope they’re okay.”
“They are,” he assured me, and then took my hand so he could press his lips to my fingertips. “Are you?”
“I am,” I said, the words coming out like a sigh. “This has all been so difficult and overwhelming, but I believe that we’ll be okay. Eventually.”
“We have to believe it,” he said. “Otherwise, why keep fighting?”
He had a point. If I couldn’t see some hope for the future, I didn’t think I’d be able to go on. I had Tessa, assuming she made it back here, and Logan, as well as Rick. But what else? What else could we have? The virus had been bad enough, but now we had zombies to contend with, and I wasn’t foolish enough to believe that they were a temporary thing. So where did that leave us?
“How will we ever come back from this?” I asked, not sure if I was talking to Logan or myself, but at the same time hoping he had an answer. “I mean, things were bad enough when it was just most of the population gone, but now we have zombies walking the earth. How can we combat that?”
“I don’t know.” Logan exhaled, and then almost as an afterthought he leaned down and kissed my forehead. “By working together? It’s all I can think to do. No matter how I look at it, we’re not going to rebuild unless we can come together.”
“Humanity hasn’t been very good at that in the past,” I mumbled.
“No, they haven’t. We’ll just have to stick close to one another and hope that people have learned their lessons.”
“I guess that’s all we can do.”
Logan kissed me again, and this time his lips lingered on my forehead. “Either way, I’ll be here.”
I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer. For Tessa and Rick, for Logan and myself, and most of all for humanity.
WHEN I WOKE IT WAS MORNING, BUT WITH the thick clouds clogging the sky it was impossible to tell what time it was. Outside it was still raining, and the wind had picked up even more, and I watched as the palm trees in the distance bowed under the intense power of the storm.
Logan and I had stayed on the couch all night, naked and tangled together. His eyes were still closed and his breathing deep and rhythmic. Every now and then his eyes twitched, telling me that he was dreaming. I watched him for a moment, staying still so I didn’t wake him.
It felt unreal to be here right now, curled up next to him and naked. How had I gotten here? Even more important: Was it wrong? Was it some kind of betrayal to my dead family to drown my sorrows in this man’s embrace?
I stayed where I was, thinking about the past while I watched the storm pound the outside world. Hopefully, this was the worst of it. In the past when a hurricane had threatened, Dad had covered the windows, but this time he hadn’t been around to do it and we’d had no warning. If the storm got much more violent we ran the risk of debris being thrown around. Possibly breaking a window or two. Since society had broken down, getting them fixed would be difficult, maybe even impossible.
At my side, Logan stirred, and when I tore my gaze from the storm I found him watching me.
He smiled, a slow, sleepy smile that made my insides tingle. “Morning.”
“Morning,” I whispered, suddenly feeling self-conscious about being naked.
We didn’t know one another that well, and even though the attraction between us was undeniable, I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that this was wrong somehow.
Logan stretched, lifting his arms above his head, and I traced the muscles of his chest and shoulders and arms with my gaze. Wrong or not, I also couldn’t deny that I had enjoyed it, and that I wanted more of this man.
He noticed me staring and his grin widened as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Can I interest you in something?”
Heat licked at my cheeks. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“You’re practically drooling.” Logan waved his hands down, over his bare chest and lower. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but you don’t have to be shy.”
I rolled my eyes, but I doubted it was convincing since my face was still hot. My cheeks were probably bright red. I only hoped that the dim light helped hide some of my discomfort.
Logan opened his mouth to say something, but before he could a bang echoed through the house. He sat up, his hands on my leg like he was steadying me, and we both looked around.
“It sounded like something hit the roof,” I said.
“Hopefully that’s all it hits.”
He got up and crossed the room to the glass door that looked out onto the deck, and I followed. I swiped a blanket up on my way by simply because it felt a little too dangerous to be standing in front of glass door totally naked while a hurricane raged outside.
“If these windows get broken we could be in trouble,” he said.
“I know.”
I wrapped the blanket around my body and moved closer to Logan like he could protect me from the storm.
“It
looks pretty bad out there,” he said, frowning.
“What can we do about it?” I asked even though I knew there were few options available to us.
“Not much. It’s too risky to put up storm shutters now.” Logan scratched his chin as he looked around. “I have a bad feeling that this is only the beginning, though.”
“You think it’s going to get worse?” I asked simply because I had nothing else to say.
“I think what we’re looking at right now is the storm of century.” He turned my way, his gaze moving over me. “The only thing we can do at this point is hunker down and try to ride it out. If it gets too bad, we can take shelter deeper in the house.”
“A closet,” I said. “Where there are no windows.”
“Exactly.” Logan’s gaze flitted to the window at our side, which pretty much took up the whole wall, and then back to me. “For now, it might be smart to steer clear of the glass.”
“You read my mind,” I said, taking a step back.
Logan and I gathered supplies from the kitchen and garage: blankets and water, flashlights and candles, food. We distributed them between the walk-in closet in my parents’ room and my old bedroom, which was where we planned to take shelter. The closet would protect us if things got too bad, but it wasn’t going to be comfortable, so until things got dire, I was planning on sticking to a bedroom.
While the storm outside got worse, just like Logan had predicted, we curled up together on the bed. The storm raged, slamming the house with wind and rain until I felt certain the roof was going to come crashing down on us, or be ripped away completely.
I stared through the window at the world beyond. The thick rain made it difficult to see much, but what I could make out was being pounded by the wind. I couldn’t remember the last hurricane that had hit Charleston like this.