Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 106092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Dan speaks up again. “I didn’t travel this far and lose damn near everything I hold dear just to give up now. I’m going to see my surviving child to the end of this and make sure she’s set up for the best possible life she can live, all things considered.”
Hailey cracks a semi-toothless grin at her father, which has him smiling. Jesse, clearly smitten with the girl, hugs her closer and kisses the top of her head.
I glance over at Wayne to see what his take is on the matter. He nods at Dan and says, “We owe it to Judy and Silas not to settle.”
Dan shudders at the mention of their names, but I know he appreciates the show of support.
“It’s settled,” Aaron says, smiling. “We’ll meet up with Jared and the others in the morning. Then we’ll head out.”
Everyone says their goodbyes and parts ways. Tyler stalks into our room and slams the door shut behind him.
He’s still pissed.
Sighing, I look up toward the cloudy sky and shake my head. I need to make this right. With a huff of breath that makes a white puff, I start after him. Once inside, I find him sitting on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees and face in his palms. Guilt rushes through me.
“Ty, I’m sorry,” I mutter, walking slowly over to him. “I was trying to do what’s best for you.”
His sardonic laugh is the only response I get.
Kneeling in front of his parted thighs, I grip his wrists and gently pull them from his face. His pained eyes meet mine.
“For the record, I don’t ever want to leave you,” I whisper. “I just want you to be happy and safe.”
He leans closer, dropping his forehead to mine. “I feel happiest and safest with you. I thought you felt the same.”
“Of course I do,” I rush out. “I feel so much for you, Ty, that it’s terrifying. For as little as I’ve known you, my feelings shouldn’t be so intense. But they’re there. Railroading my every thought. Being with you is the only good thing to have come from this nightmare.”
I tilt my head so that our mouths meet. At first, our lips rest on one another. Rejection stings my insides when he doesn’t kiss me, but then he groans in defeat, parting his lips to grant me the access I don’t just want but need.
We kiss like this until we’re both breathless and dizzy. Then I abruptly stand before pulling him to his feet. Cradling his head in my hands, I stare deeply into his eyes.
“You forgive me?”
Tyler rolls his eyes and nods. “Yeah. I’m still a little pissed but not pissed enough to stay away from you. You’re annoyingly addictive like that.”
Smirking, I pull back from him. “How about you take one last shower with me? I’ll get on my knees and beg for every last salty drop of forgiveness.”
Tyler’s eyes darken and his lips curl up on one side. “You play dirty, old man.”
I snort out a laugh. “It’s the only way to play.”
Tyler
To say the St. George group was stunned at our decision was an understatement. Florence actually teared up in disbelief while Jared argued extensively with us.
How stupid can we be to leave relative safety?
It was Dan, in the end, who stood up to the mayor. He wasn’t cruel, but he was direct, reminding them once more that this oasis in hell was temporary. That they needed to prepare for long-term survival.
In the end, they acquiesced without trouble. The St. George group was kind enough to stock our vehicle with food, supplies, and several precious containers of gasoline.
After a hearty breakfast, we left. It felt both relieving and terrifying with a healthy dose of uncertainty slathered on top.
We’ve been on the road for a couple of hours or so and every bone in my body is numb from the biting cold. So far, though, we haven’t experienced any terrible weather happenings, which gives me hope for a smooth ride to Denver.
“You sure we should hit Denver first?” I ask for the tenth time since we made the decision over breakfast. “Shouldn’t we just cut across toward Kansas?”
Kellen turns to look at me, studying my mouth for a beat before meeting my eyes. “Jared said they sent a small group up to Denver to check on the state of things with the supposed military presence there, but they haven’t heard from them in over a week. We owe it to them to at least give them an update. They took us in when we needed it most.”
If the group didn’t report back, then they most likely ran into trouble, were killed, or found something better. The last one seems like stupid hope.
I can’t help but feel as though we’re going to run right into trouble too. That’s our track record thus far, after all.