by Sarah Bale
“Heard you climbing. Figured I should follow.”
“But why?”
He gives me a look. “Because I don’t want you to fall through the roof.”
I hadn’t thought about that. I climb through the hatch and he follows. I test the tarred roof beneath my feet. It bounces, but doesn’t feel weak. A vine has snaked its way up the side of the building and over a good portion of the roof. At least something can thrive in this world.
He says, “Without care, most building are going to start collapsing. Roads will be next. Nature will continue to take back what humans fucked up.”
I follow him to the edge of the roof. From our viewpoint we can see for miles. There’s not a soul in sight, but I do catch a glimpse of a few biters in the distance.
“Do you ever wonder if things are ever going to get better?”
I’m surprised by his question.
“I’m not sure. I mean, we have things to be thankful for. We’re alive. We’re not hungry. We’ve been lucky so far.”
He snorts. “Not exactly what I’d call a good life.”
“Maybe not, but it is something.”
“Yeah. I guess so.”
I say, “As long as I follow my rules I think I’m good.”
“Rules?” His eyebrows lift. “This I have to hear.”
“I’ve been making rules to survive the apocalypse. It helps pass the time.”
And keep me sane. I don’t say that part out loud.
He laughs. “Nikki’s guide to surviving the zombie apocalypse. I like it. Maybe one day you’ll show them to me.”
I reply, “Maybe.”
We stand in silence for a moment, looking at the empty town below. When the outbreak started there were more survivors around, so you’d see people out. As the days go on is seems the Dead are growing in number. And running into humans isn’t always good.
Dave asks, “How was your date with Noah?”
Glancing at him from the corner of my eye, I reply, “It was nice.”
“Figured as much.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“The kid doesn’t exactly scream Don Juan.”
“Well, we’ll see how well you do.”
He grins. “Is that a challenge?” Before I can protest he goes on, “I accept.”
I feel like I’ve opened Pandora’s box. But, the idea also excites me.
I say, “Guess we’ll see. I’m betting Jeff or Harper are going to be the hard ones to follow up.”
With that, I spin on my heels, going back to the ladder. Just before I climb down, I see Dave grinning.
When I get to the kitchen Harper is at the counter, flour smeared on his shirt.
“Were you on the roof?”
I nod. “Just looking around.” I go next to him. “What are you making now?”
“Going to attempt some cornbread. Not promising anything. There were weevils inside the mix.”
“Don’t you need eggs and milk?”
He winks. “Like I said, not promising anything.”
He lets me help him finish breakfast. By the time we’re done, we actually have cornbread to go with the hash browns. I find some honey that’s in the store room and we all sit to enjoy breakfast together. Dave is quiet and I wonder if it has to do with our conversation earlier.
When we’re finished, Jeff pulls me aside. “Ready for our date?”
My heart patters in my chest, but I nod. He takes my hand into his. I’ve never noticed how big his hands are. We go outside and a warm breeze caresses my skin.
“I’m glad the morning chill burned off.”
He nods. “Won’t have many days left like this before fall really sets in.”
“Do you think it’s a good idea to go to Texas?”
He replies, “Hard to say. In theory, yes. I just worry about what we’re going to face out there. We’ve been lucky here.”
He leads the way over a small bridge to the wooded area. The trees are starting to show signs of changing, with hints of red, gold, and yellow. It reminds me of when Skeeter and I would take a weekend trip out of town and go to an orchard to collect apples.
Jeff says, “Scouted out here earlier. The woods wrap around most of the town. Figure that’s why it’s so quiet around here.”
I reply, “Wonder if we should consider sticking around.”
“I was thinking the same thing. Dave isn’t going to like it. Think he has his mind set on Texas.”
Texas seems like a million miles away, especially since finding a running car is getting harder and harder.
We make our way to a creek. It gurgles as the water flows downstream. Jeff squats, picking a small yellow flower. He hands it to me with a grin.
“Thank you.”
“In another time I would have brought you a bouquet of flowers.”
I smile. “What kind?”
He gazes up at me. “Maybe daisies or wildflowers. You don’t strike me as a rose or lily kind of girl.”
I sit next to him on the ground and reply, “You’re right about that. What’s really funny is my almost mother-in-law picked out exactly those two flowers for my wedding. Didn’t listen to me when I said I didn’t want them.”
“Can I ask you something personal?”
“Sure.”
He looks off into the distance. “From what little you’ve said about your fiancé, he sounds like a real tool. How did a sweet girl like you end up with a prick like that?”
“I ask myself that a lot. We met at a party. He was charming. I should have seen through it, specifically when I caught him cheating on me.” Sighing, I go on, “My best friend used to say I was a fixer. I think she may have been right.”
“I was married once. We were high school sweethearts and got hitched before I joined the Army and was deployed.”
His jaw ticks and I touch his arm.
“I’m guessing it didn’t end well?”
“Came home on a surprise leave. Caught her with my cousin. Guess it’d been going on for a while.”
“I’m sorry, Jeff. You didn’t deserve that.”
He looks at me and my stomach flutters. His head lowers and his lips press against mine before covering my mouth in a kiss that sings through my veins. I moan softly. God. I’ve missed this. He kisses me until I’m breathless.
When he pulls away, his cheeks are flushed.
“I hope that was okay?”
“Yes. I’d- I’d like to do it again.”
“Now?”
I nod. “Yes. Please.”
His lips recapture mine, more demanding this time. I drink in the sweetness of his kiss until I feel like I’m spinning. The wind blows around us, wrapping us in warmth. Somewhere, I hear birds singing to each other. And I know that somehow, we’ve found a piece of heaven in the apocalypse.
I pull away this time. “Wow. Jeff.”
He grins. “This might be the best date of all time.”
“I agree.”
We sit there in silence, enjoying each other. When he puts his arm around me shoulder, I lean in to him. We sit like that until the sky turns different shades of pinks and the air cools.
Sighing, Jeff says, “We should get back. The others are probably about to come looking for us.”
He helps me to my feet and I don’t let go of his hand as we walk.
I say, “Thank you, Jeffie. Today means more than you know.”
He smiles. “Right back at you, Nik.”
We make our way back to town and I feel refreshed. And it’s because of Jeff.
Rule 5: Enjoy the little things in life.
Six
Rocco
I’m a bit jealous when I see Nikki and Jeff coming back toward the restaurant with smiles on their faces and hands entwined. Neither have a freshly fucked look, so I’m not too concerned.
I call out, “We were starting to get worried about you.”
Jeff replies, “We figured as much.”
He doesn’t give any more hints to what they were up
to. Dave hears us talking and comes out, a scowl on his face.
“Didn’t realize you were going to be gone most of the day.”
Nikki’s cheeks flush, but Jeff shrugs.
“Didn’t realize you were my dad.”
A laugh escapes my mouth before I can stop it. Dave turns his sour look on me and I hold up my hands.
“Don’t get pissy with me. I did what I was supposed to do today.”
Which ended up being a huge waste. Out of all of the cars I checked, none worked. The ones that actually had batteries didn’t have gas. Whoever lived in this town before made sure to take all the good shit when they fled. I did, however, find enough bicycles for us. Dave laughed when I showed him, but it’d beat walking.
Harper comes from the restaurant with a towel over his shoulder.
“Dinner’s ready.”
Scents of tomato sauce kept drifting outside, so I couldn’t wait to see what he’d come up with tonight. We all go inside, where Noah is setting one table for all of us. I’m pleased when Nikki sits between Jeff and me. Dave, who sits at the head of the table, scowls even more. Noah sits next to him and Harper takes the last seat.
“Harper, it smells great,” Nikki says, eyes bright.
He grins. “Just some penne pasta with sauce over it. Nothing fancy.”
She takes a bite, moaning. “I beg to differ.”
Her moan sends a jolt of desire all the way to my cock and I have to resist adjusting myself. Fuck. It’s been too fucking long.
I must not be the only one who’s mind went to the gutter because Jeff coughs and Harper looks like he wants to pounce across the table and eat her up. Hell, the only one who doesn’t seem affected is Noah.
Dave says, “I’ve been thinking. Tomorrow we should head out.”
Nikki and Jeff share a look and I’m actually envious of them.
Dave notices, too, and barks out, “What?”
Nikki says, “Jeff and I were talking earlier. The town is pretty protected from biters because of the woods. What if we just stayed here for a while?”
Everyone turns to Dave. I’ve known him for a long time and he’s not going to react well to this.
“Is that so?”
Nikki’s cheek flush. “As I said, it’s just something Jeff and I were talking about.”
“No need to be a dick, Dave,” Jeff says.
Dave replies, “I’m not being a dick, Jeff.”
The two stare each other down. They’ve been known to finish their fights with their fists.
Harper drops his fork on his plate. “You two need to stop acting like fucking children. Dave, it’s okay for others to have opinions. Jeff, take a step back and calm the fuck down.” He sighs. “Fuck.”
Nikki nods. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
I ask, “Why stay here? We might find something better in the next town.”
“We’ve been saying that for over two years, since we left Boston.” She frowns. “Sometimes I think we made a mistake when we left.”
I know how she feels, but I can’t let my mind go there. It won’t change anything.
Dave replies, “Thought we agreed to head to Texas.”
Nikki nods. “We did, but we’re so far away, Dave. It might take months to get there.”
Noah adds, “We don’t even have a vehicle.”
“Rocco found some bikes today.” Dave replies.
Oh, so now he wants to use the bicycles.
Jeff’s eyebrows lifts. “Some bikes? What kind?”
I snort. “Bicycles, not motorcycles. Still beats walking.”
Jeff frowns. Can’t blame him. I’d kill to ride a motorcycle again.
Dave says, “I say tomorrow we get up, grab some bikes and make our way to the next town. If we don’t find anything there, then we can come back here.”
Dave never gives in this easily. I feel like it’s a trap. The guys must think the same thing, because no one replies.
Finally, Nikki says, “Deal.”
Dave looks like the cat who ate the canary. Fucker has no intention of coming back here once we leave.
I stand. “Nikki, want to take a walk?”
Because I’ve had enough of these fools for now. Jeff and Dave glare at me. Noah doesn’t seem phased. And Harper… Harper looks like he’s planning something.
Nikki’s cheeks flush as she stands and I’m suddenly very excited about spending some time with her.
Nikki
My head is starting to ache from all the bickering between the guys. It’s moments like this that I can tell they’ve known each other for a long time. But Dave is also starting to piss me off. He thinks he’s real slick, when I know what he’s up to. When we leave, he has no intention of coming back to this town. But, if the next town is like all the others, then I’m going to come back with or without him.
Rocco stands. “Nikki, want to take a walk?”
My cheeks flush when I remember how my walk with Jeff went, but I find myself standing.
He goes on, “I found a cool little park.”
Dave snaps, “I hope you cleared the area.”
“Of course I did.”
Dave looks like he’s about to protest. A lot.
I say, “Sure, let’s go.”
We leave the restaurant. I glance over my shoulder and find Jeff and Noah looking at me. Guilt assaults me for a moment. I don’t want to hurt any of them, but I’ve enjoyed spending time with each of them separately. Rocco takes my hand and leads me down the street. We pass several cars with the doors wide open.
“Guessing you didn’t find anything useful today?”
“Just a box of unopened rubbers.”
He grins and my stomach flutters.
I let out a short laugh. “Well, better safe than sorry, I guess.”
He says, “I mentioned to the boys last night that I had some in case anyone needed them. You would have thought I killed their dog with the way they acted.”
My face warms. “Why would they need them?”
He stops, looking down at me. I’m taken aback at how much he looks like that famous actor who used to be a pro-wrestler, with his tan skin and sharp features. I’ve never noticed it before, but maybe it’s because I didn’t want to get too close.
His dark eyes meet mine. “Look, Nikki, I know these dates don’t mean you’re going to hook up with one of us. But, if it happens, I hope everyone is smart enough to use protection. The last thing we need out here is a baby.”
I mull over his words. “That’s fair. Do you have any with you right now?”
He pulls two from his back pocket. I take one and slip it into my own pocket. He’s right. I don’t have any plans to sleep with anyone, but if and when I make that choice I want to make sure I’m being smart.
He grins. “I knew I liked you for a reason.”
I bump my hip against his. “Where’s the park, Rocco?”
He points ahead. “Just over there. Looks like it was built right before the outbreak.”
He opens the gate for me. The grass is knee-length, but I can see the charm of the park. Wild flowers grow freely and some snake their way up the chain-link fence. There are several playsets, for various age groups. The swings catch my eye and I go to them, sitting in one. Rocco goes behind me and pushes me.
I laugh as I swing high into the air. “I bet you were a pro at this in school.”
He sits in the swing next to me and replies, “I was more of a loner in school.”
“That’s hard to believe.”
“It’s true. I was bigger than everyone and shy. Kids used to pick on me when they realized I wouldn’t fight back. Wasn’t until I played football in high school that I finally stopped taking people’s shit.”
I ask, “Is that why you joined the Army? So you could still be a part of a team?”
He stops swinging. “I’ve never thought about it like that. Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He looks nervous as he says, “My mother gave up me up to the state when
I was a toddler. I spent my life bouncing from one foster home to the next.”
My heart aches for him.
“I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. It’s simply a fact. My mother didn’t want me and I guess no one else did, either. When one of my foster families actually cared about me, they got me into football. I was so good at it that they let me stay with them until I graduated.” He exhales loudly. “Found out later it was because the foster dad thought I was going to end up playing pro ball. He was pissed when I enlisted in the Army and I never heard from any of them again.”
“Rocco, I’m so sorry they treated you like that.”
He shrugs. “I ended up surviving.” He looks off into the distance. “Sometimes I wonder what happened to all the other kids in the system when the outbreak began. No one gave a shit about them before, so I’m sure it was worse after.”
I stop swinging, I lean over, hugging him.
“You can’t think like that. It doesn’t do any good.”
“I know.” He lets out a laugh. “Hey. Sorry for being a downer on our date. I better pick up my game or you won’t want to go out with me again.”
I know he’s using humor to protect himself again, so I don’t let it bother me.
Instead, I say, “For sure. Even Noah has you beat at this point.”
He snorts. “I’ve been wounded. I have to ask – did the kid try to put any moves on you?”
“No, he didn’t. He was really sweet. Read me one of his poems. It was about a girl he met when your unit returned to the States.”
Rocco nods. “I remember her. She was a tag chaser.”
“A what?”
“Tag chaser. Someone who likes to sleep with guys in the military.”
“Oh. Wow.”
“Yeah, the kid lucked out, he just doesn’t know it. To him, it was true love.”
I reply, “Isn’t it strange how we can have an idea about something and someone else sees it a different way?”
“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”
I think of Steve and nod. “I suppose I am. I used to think my fiancé was the best I could do and I let him roll all over me. I had one friend who would tell me like it was, but I just didn’t believe her. Looking back, she was right.”