This is the End 2(640)

“Yes, I’m giving us a chance,” I whispered.

“And I can have you?”

“All of me,” I promised.

He jumped on top of me- but in like a sexy way, like a hunter pouncing on his prey kind of way. His mouth was on mine in a moment and he was drinking me in again, completely altering my entire perspective on life, love and the end of the world.

Suddenly living in the Zombie Apocalypse didn’t feel like the seventh circle of hell. It felt possible and full of potential. All of a sudden a purpose greater than myself, greater than my survival was growing inside of me, blooming into a mission, rising into a conviction, emerging into a crucial philosophy that I was destined to believe in. This wasn’t love- not yet- but it was the greatest, most intense emotion I had ever felt. It beat all of the fear I lived with, the grief that plagued me and the clawing pain of despair. This emotion, whatever it was, trumped even the dullness of depression.

This thing with Nelson would save me.

And not just from Zombies.

From the hopelessness of our world and the incessant struggle to survive. Nelson was purpose, comfort and faith all rolled into one life-altering event that would forever define who I was now.

His hands were under my shirt again, inching their way up my pebbled skin. My own hands were on his neck, then his face, pulling him to me as close as he would go- desperate to connect us in every way. We were lying next to each other, every limb tangled together. He pushed up on his forearms so that he hovered over me, pressing his body down on to mine with exciting pressure.

I kissed a path along the scruff of his jaw, loving how the whiskers scratched my skin, made a tangible mark on my body, proving that I was Nelson’s.

“There you guys are,” a voice panted from the doorway, effectively breaking us apart. “We thought you got eaten by Feeders. We were about to hold a memorial service.”

Harrison.

“I told you not to go in there!” Reagan shouted from somewhere beyond the doorway.

“You have an iPhone?” Harrison walked in to the room completely, ignoring the fact that Nelson was still lying on top of me and murdering him with the stink eye. “This music sucks. Do you have any Lil’ Wayne?” He began casually scrolling through my phone.

“Harrison, two seconds to get the hell out of here,” Nelson growled.

Harrison just waved him off, “Think of it like my education. You know, since there’s no other way for me to learn about the birds and the bees.”

“Oh, my gosh,” I groaned. I covered my bright red face with my hands and scrunched my eyes tightly closed.

“Get, out,” Nelson said slowly, dangerously. “I will not say it again.”

“Listen, nobody wants you guys to seal the deal more than…. Ok, probably you want it to happen more than me. I’ll give you that. But it’s like an hour till sunset and you’ve been summoned back to communal living and a life without privacy. Sorry, big bro, but your family needs you.”

Nelson looked down at me, his expression full of disappointment and concern. Placing a reverent kiss to my temple he slid off me and crawled to standing. He held his hand out and helped me to my feet.

“Is everything alright?” he asked with an entirely different tone and demeanor.

Harrison looked up anxiously and then forced himself to hold Nelson’s gaze- like he was demanding his expression to be strong. “Page has a fever. She’s had one ever since we got here and it’s only getting worse.”

I sobered quickly at that announcement. Nelson reached out and grabbed my hand, tugging me to equal footing with him.

“Alright,” he sighed. “You have my attention. Let’s go back to the house.”

Harrison nodded and then led the way out of the room. I grabbed my iPhone and charger, yanking them from the wall before following the boys out.

Reagan was waiting in the middle of the barn, looking pale with nerves. “Sorry to interrupt you,” she tried to smile but it was strained.

“It’s alright,” I sighed. “We weren’t doing anything important.”

Nelson shot me a dirty look from over his shoulder and then announced, “Not true. I had her seconds from falling in love with me before you two crashed our party.”

“So cocky,” I tsked in a quiet, amused voice.

Nelson turned around so he could walk backwards over to his pack while I stopped to pick up mine and the few tools I had collected. “Tell me then. Tell me you’re not halfway to falling in love with me.”

“I’m not-“

“And remember, there are witnesses to your lies, Haley Gable. We will all know and remember

your lies, should you choose, for some foolish reason, not to tell the truth.”