“That is for saying I lived in a fantasy world and telling your stuck up sister that I lived in one too. Fucking bitch, I just got happy when you talked to me!”
Abby noticed he was shaking now. His lips were trembling, and his eyes were filled with tears. She stood there watching him as he tossed a few more bottles muttering nonsense. He grabbed a large bottle and glared at it as if it were some monster. Abby grabbed another bottle and started to feel very emotional.
“This is for promising me you wouldn’t turn on me when you tried to quit your addiction for us. How dare you blame me, you asshole. How dare you use and abuse me!” She cursed.
“You always blamed me for your problems. You were the one living in a fairytale, thinking I could be perfect. Fuck you and all your high standards! Screw you for abandoning me for your twisted games!” Abby cried out as she chuckled grabbing another bottle and throwing it to shatter not so far from them.
Abby breathed in deeply and gasped for air. She grabbed her thighs being careful not to touch her wounds. She felt so free, as if she had been released from a cage. She felt invisible chains fall from her wrists.
Evan tossed his bottle weakly, and it fell not too far in front of them. He mumbled something and all Abby could hear was, “How could you blame me?”
He grabbed another bottle, shaking as a cold wind blew around them. Abby’s hair danced in the wind. Tears were rolling down Evan’s face as he shook. He had another bottle in his hands and weakly tossed it.
“You said you would always stay.”
“You told me you would never go,” He reached for a bottle, but it rolled away from him as he sniffled, “You said you were happy; you said you had the one; you told me I was it.” He grabbed a small red bottle, and it almost slipped from his hands. He was shaking so badly that Abby was starting to worry that he would fall. He coughed and rubbed his nose as he shifted the bottle in his hands.
Wind blew into Abby’s ears, and goosebumps traveled across her skin. She shivered and crossed her arms again, staring at Evan with a forlorn expression. She felt hot tears in her eyes as well.
“You lied. You never meant a word of it, did you?” His words were twisted in grief and anger. He swallowed hard as he said, “You… You just…” His legs were wobbling, and Abby knew he was going to fall. He stared at the trees and hills and then at the sun. His eyes glimmered in the light. He never looked so defeated before. The bottle slipped from his hands and crashed onto the pavement under his feet. It broke into pieces.
“Why did you leave me? Why didn’t you take me with you?” He dropped to his knees and started to sob.
“Why did you go?”
Abby watched him curl into a ball, sobbing. She sat down next to him and pulled his head onto her lap and brushed her fingers through his clean brown hair. He cried into her lap, and she carefully brushed her fingers across his bandages. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she kept quiet. She just brushed his cheek lightly and kept the other arm around his stomach. She closed her eyes and listened to the wind blow softly through the trees around them.
After what felt like hours, he had finally stopped crying and passed out in her lap. She smiled sadly at him. She hoped that he would feel better when he woke. It would be hard to get over everything, and he may never be able to. Yet maybe this would help him cope better. She gazed up at the sky as the sun started to set. It was getting colder now. Goosebumps grew along her arms.
She thought of Aaron and those beautiful eyes he had. The laugh she had come to adore and his lovely smile that always made her weak at her knees. She thought of it all and let it go. Their relationship was not healthy. It was just a hard lesson in her life. Aaron was not who she had hoped he was, and she realized that she was not who he hoped. She was stronger than he had thought. She smiled with hope in her eyes.
She felt Evan breathing under her right hand, and she peered down at him cheerfully. Evan was right. Everyone had their own problems. The only way that something would work is if you compromised and saw the other person’s side. She knew Aaron would never be that person. He always swore he saw things from her side, but she knew he never truly did. He always had to be right even when proven wrong. He was weak and not a good person. It hurt Abby to admit it, but it also felt really good to finally admit it to herself.
Evan moved under her hands, and he groaned as he yawned and stretched. She looked down at him and rubbed his cheek with tenderness. He sat up and rubbed his eyes and gazed at her then looked at the setting sun. He had a serene expression on his face. He leaned towards her and pressed his forehead to hers and looked at her with a soft smile.
“Thank you for this,” He whispered.
She closed her eyes as he pulled away. She opened them after a moment, and they both stared at the setting sun. The cold wind blew, and Abby could see stars slowly appearing in the darkening sky. They sat there until the sky turned black, the moon shined high in the sky, and the insects sang a beautiful song. They both stood up and breathed. Evan touched her arm and looked back at the truck. They walked back towards it and got in.
As night fell around them, Abby started to slowly drift back into sleep. Before she could fall to sleep, her stomach growled. She rubbed her mouth and looked at the backseat. She opened the duffle bag with the food and saw Evan had went hog-wild on it. She grabbed a bag of trail mix and a can of dried banana chips. She opened both and grabbed a handful of the banana chips. Evan smiled at her and grabbed some of the trail mix. She chewed slowly, because of the nausea food caused on her stomach and drank some of her water.
“We will be there soon.” Evan said happily. Abby nodded cheerfully but frowned as it started to rain heavily. It was colder now.
“Looks like we are driving straight into a storm,” Evan said, looking out the window then added, “Looks like snow too.”
Abby gazed out the window as she put a handful of trail mix into her mouth. In the darkness, she could see tiny flakes of snow fluttering in the wind with the rain. Her eyes lowered, and her brows with them. She wrapped her arms around her body then turned the heat on. She clicked her tongue.
“Not good with the cold?” Evan asked with a cocky tone.
“I have always liked the cold, but I’m freezing,” She sucked in her breath and let it out slowly. Evan grinned, but he raised the heat in the car. Abby watched the snow and rain fall until her eyes became heavy, and she fell into a deep sleep. She dreamt of clear blue skies and an empty beautiful ocean.
Chapter twenty
Abby woke to snow alongside the roads and in the trees. She watched the large flakes of snow flittering downward past the truck’s window. She stared at the white ground and realized they were not moving. She glanced over at Evan with every bone in her body aching. They were pulled over on the side of the street. She saw Evan sleeping in the driver’s seat with his gun in his lap. She went to sit up when a blanket fell off of her. She looked down at it and smiled. It was much colder now, and she was shivering.
She swallowed hard and gazed at Evan when she heard movement from him. He yawned and rubbed his sleepy eyes and stared at the wheel for a long time before glancing over at her. He still looked very tired. He nodded his head with a flat expression and leaned forward rubbing his face with a heavy sigh. Abby pulled the blanket to her neck and laid her head back onto the seat.
“How long were we sleeping?” Abby asked as she shut her eyes. There was a slight pain in her chest, and her leg was throbbing. She tried to ignore it. Evan pressed a button on the trucks console, and the time appeared. It showed 5:38am. Evan rubbed his face and grumbled something and shrugged.
“I have to pee,” Abby told him, pressing her lips to the side. He gave her a look and nodded.
“You need some help?” He asked kindly.
“No I think I will be okay. Thank you though.” She reached for the handle on the truck’s door and wished she could hold it. She did not want to go out in the cold. She stopped suddenly and reached into the backseat. She gra
bbed the smaller jacket she had picked up, and then she grabbed some baby wipes from the duffle bag. She gave Evan a long look.
“Now don’t turn into an ice pop.” Evan joked with a wink.
She rolled her eyes and got out of the car. A gust of icy wind blew into the warm truck as she stepped out. She closed the door behind her. Her left leg was very sore, and it felt uncomfortable to stand on it. Goosebumps ran across her body quickly, and she started to shake. She moved to the side of the truck and pulled her sweats down. She released her bladder and cleaned herself up. There was no pain this time; however there was a sight burning sensation. Abby looked down at the icy road and at the pee. It smelt strong but did not have much blood in it.
She turned to walk back towards the truck and almost slipped on the ice. She grabbed the side of the truck and gasped. She pulled herself along the truck and got inside. Evan turned the truck on, and he stared at Abby for a moment. Abby pulled the blanket around her shivering. Evan turned the heat up and gave her a long thoughtful look. She smirked and rubbed her pink nose as she sniffled.
“You okay?” He asked touching her forehead then said, “You look very pale.”
“Just cold. How long until Haven?” She asked. Her teeth were chattering. Evan looked at the road and up at the dark sky and snow. He started the truck and then pulled onto the road and thought about it.
“Two days if the weather isn’t so bad,” He breathed.
“That sounds promising to me,” She replied closing and reopening her eyes.
She wrinkled her nose and pulled the blanket back over her neck, shivering. Her eyes felt very heavy, and she had a lot of pressure in her head. She felt dizzy and drained. She drank some of her water and watched as snow hit the windshield. She watched as they drove past an undead wobbling in the snow. She eyed it in the side mirror and watched it fall. She felt slightly bad for it. For the person it had been before. She looked away.
Suddenly the truck vaulted off the road and back onto it. Abby gasped as she reached for the door and screamed as the truck swayed around on the road. She heard Evan cursing as the truck stopped halfway into the ditch and slammed on the brakes. Abby put her hands over her face then dropped them as she gasped for breath. She felt bile fill her throat, and then she swallowed.
“What happened?” She gasped as she looked around wildly.
“I hit something!” He growled as he looked backwards at the road then ahead. Abby looked around. The sun was rising as rain started to fall over the snow. Abby pulled the blanket back over her chest and frowned.
“Let’s fix this quick.” Evan said, glancing at her then back outside his door.
“Yeah,” Abby hesitated.
Evan grabbed the other jacket from the duffle bag and pulled it on. He opened the door and a gust of wind blew in. It hit Abby’s face, and it felt like ice ripping through her skin. She opened her door reluctantly and slid out. She almost fell as she stepped out. She was right in the ditch, and her feet sunk into the wet snow. She could feel her socks filling with icy water. She sighed annoyed then turned towards Evan.
Rain fell on her head, soaking her. She wrapped her arms around her body and hurried to the other side of the truck. Evan was looking at the front tire cursing. The tire had been shredded. Abby looked back at the road but saw nothing. She narrowed her eyes and tried to lean forward. Her leg hurt, so she stood back up but stayed close to Evan.
“Can you get me the jack? It is in the backseat on the floorboard,” Evan shouted. Abby pulled the backdoor open and dug under the duffle bag. The bag was heavy, and her arms were very weak and useless. It took her a few seconds to get it out. She dropped it when she pulled back outside, and it almost hit Evan’s foot. He grabbed it then stood up and went into the back of the truck and pulled out some more tools.
She stood back as he unscrewed the bolts on the tires.
He glanced up at her, “You can go back inside the truck,” he beamed.
“Okay,” She replied shaking. He must have realized she was not going to be much help being so weak. She accepted it.
She turned around but did not move. Her eyes widened as she saw a handful of undead coming their way. They wobbled and stumbled on the icy road, but their dead hollow eyes were looking right at Evan. She heard Evan curse as he stood up. He stepped next to her, his face red, and his eyes filled with anger. She put a hand on his chest and moved in front of him.
“No. You change the tire. I will take care of them.” She took a large wrench from the backseat. She nudged her head towards the tire. He was panting with a weary stare.
“They don’t see me. You know that.” She said softly with a sad look in her eyes.
She saw him fighting with a decision in his head until he finally turned back towards the tire. She turned back to the undead and walked towards them. Her leg was very sore now, and her head was spinning even worse than before. The wrench felt heavy in her bony fingers, but as one of the undead approached she pulled it upwards and slammed it into its head. It made no sound as it fell unmoving onto the icy road.
She walked towards another. It was a woman whose clothes had been almost torn off. Her blond hair was now almost all gone, and her jaw hung. Abby shoved it away, and it fell onto the road hard. She went to smash it in the head when something grabbed her shoulder pulling her backwards. Suddenly fear entered her, and tears welled in her eyes. Then she saw that the undead was just pushing past her towards Evan. She grabbed it by its arm and felt its dead skin peeling under her fingers. She grimaced.
Its face was horrifying. Abby wanted to scream and run, but she pulled the wrench up and smashed its head in. She let it go, and the undead fell onto the ground. The undead woman was having trouble standing up so Abby left it alone. She backed up towards Evan with her bloody wrench in the air. It smelt awful and reminded her of how her wound used to smell when she first had been bitten. It made her stomach turn.
She heard a growl and looked up to see a child walking their way. She thought of Tomas, and her heart dropped. She coughed as her eyes watered. She walked towards it almost slipping on the icy road. She raised her arm and went to smash its head when it looked her in the eyes. Its eyes were white, and anything human was now gone. Nothing was inside its rotting body. Abby looked away from it and back at Evan then back at the undead child. She placed a hand onto its shoulder and stopped it from moving.
Its little feet slid on the icy road, and it fell to its knees. It growled, and its face smashed onto the road. Abby stepped back feeling a strange sense of guilt. She stared down at the undead child and tried not to think about the parents who had lost a kid or the kid who had lost its parents. She sniffled and stepped back. She stared around at the snow, the trees, and gray morning sky. The world was a cruel, silent place now; but there was still life in the world. She saw that when she looked back at Evan.
“Okay I got it. Let’s go.” He said as he turned to look at her.
Abby gave the undead child one last long painful look before heading back towards the truck. Evan stood with his door open watching her with an edgy stare. Abby walked back to him, and he eyed her as she slowly walked around the truck. She lowered into the ditch and reached for the door. Her foot slipped, and she felt herself falling. She hit the ground and rolled downward into the ditch with a raspy gasp.
She hit icy water and mud and gasped as her head slammed into it. She sat up quickly, cold, and shaking. She was soaked in water and mud. She heard Evan shouting something as he raced around the truck to her. He almost fell himself but caught the edge of the truck to stabilize himself. He jerked her up with one arm and yanked her into the truck with him. He moved into the driver’s seat and gasped for air. She was shivering and rubbing snot from her nose.
“Your clothes,” Evan snapped.
She eyed him strangely, and he pointed at them, “They are soaked. Take them off and wrap yourself up in the blanket. It’s warm from the heater.”
She nodded and shook as she tried to take them off.
Evan helped her with her shoes, socks, and sweats. She slowly pulled the shirt off, and he wrapped her in the blanket. He put the vents on her, so the heater could hit her directly. He placed her wet clothes behind them on the backseat. He cleared his throat and cursed under his breath.
“Well that was fun,” She said shivering.
“That was stupid. I should have never asked you to help,” He choked.
“If you hadn’t, those things out there would’ve taken more than just our tire,” She said as she tried to smile.
He did not say anything. He just looked at the road and rubbed his hands on his chin. He started the truck and pulled back onto the road. Abby watched the undead child and woman disappear in her mirror. The sun was now out, and morning was on them. The rain was slowing, and snow was shining everywhere. She had never seen so much snow in her life. It was so beautiful. She coughed and rubbed her cold nose. It was no doubt that she had a cold. She had felt it coming a day ago. She shivered as her lungs burned when she breathed. Her body ached, and her mind spun.
She rubbed her nose and her eyes then looked over at Evan. He looked fine, just very alert. He kept glancing over at her with a wide-eyed expression.
She smiled and asked, “Thinking that we should’ve grabbed some more clothes huh?” She laughed.
“It probably would have been a smart idea,” He sighed heavily.
“But this blanket is so nice and cozy,” She told him with a happy smile. She put her hands out of the blanket to warm them on the vents. She saw Evan looking at them sadly. She put them back under the blanket and leaned back onto the seat.
“You should get some rest, Abby,” He suggested as the snow outside became heavier. She chewed on her bottom lip and then closed her eyes.
A candle inside a jack-a-lantern flickered as a man walked by it. Abby chuckled at the two jack-a-lanterns that sat across the street from her and Aaron. One had a beer bottle to its twisted lips and the other looked a bit too happy. Aaron pulled her close as the stars above shined brightly. She gazed up at him, and he kissed her gently. He whispered that he loved her, and she returned his sweet words with a kiss. His tongue tasted like poison mixed with lies. She pulled back and frowned at him as he laughed.
The Amour series (Book 1): The Embers of Amour Page 20