Page 48 of Bitten By Zombie

“He doesn’t even really want you. You’re just a warm hole on a cold night. He likes his women, well, shaped like women, not whales. You’re nothing more than a fuck. He always comes back to my bed when the novelty has worn off.”

Heidi’s smile slipped. Sherry looked so smug and superior. Like being skinny made her better somehow. As much as she told herself not to sink down to Sherry’s level, her words knocked on a deep-seated insecurity.

“Wayne loves all my curves. So maybe you should think about putting some meat on those bones if you want to challenge a big girl, because we do it so much better. I think his exact words were…” She grabbed her own crotch in imitation of Zombie. Leaning toward Sherry on the bed to maintain eye contact, she pitched her voice low. “This is all you, babe. I see that smoking hot body. The water dripping down the curves I get to touch, and I get jealous that it’s not me. But fucking hot at the same time. Knowing I can touch them, taste them again.”

The shocked look on Sherry’s face was worth the seat on the express line to hell she was surely punching her ticket for.

Heidi leaned back up and was about to tell Sherry she wasn’t going anywhere, and it’d be a hell of a lot easier on both of them if they weren’t enemies, but the woman knocked all the wind from her sails.

“Well, I hope you like sharing. I know he does. Because he’ll never give me up, not even for you. Especially now.”

Heidi followed the path of Sherry’s hand as she gently rubbed then cradled her nonexistent belly, leaving no question as to what she meant.

Sherry’s words rocked her back on her heels physically. Heidi had made the decision after Zombie left that if he still wanted her forever as he’d said, then she did too. But she couldn’t stand in the way of a growing family and sharing was out of the question.

“They tested me before the x-ray, and well, it’s—”

Sherry was cut off by Outlaw bursting into the room. Heidi was numb. It was the end of something that hadn’t even been given a chance to start. She choked back a sob. She had already fallen for Zombie, and there was no way to change that, but she couldn’t do this with him expecting a child either.

“Are you done here, Heidi, or do you want to stay for a little longer? I’ve gotta head to—”

“Nope, all done here,” she said with a cheer she didn’t feel at all. “Get well.” With that, she turned and fled the room with as much dignity as she could muster. Hoping to see Croon’s smiling face to soothe her just a little, but he was sprinting down the hall.

Outlaw’s voice drifted into the hall. “Injured or not, if you are fucking with prez’s ol’ lady, I’ll see you gone myself.”

Immediately after those words, Outlaw joined her. From his words, she assumed she didn’t hide her emotions as well as she thought she did.

The meaning of his words—ol’ lady—were just sinking in when he grabbed her hand and walked her past the elevators to the stairwell.

“Where are we going?”

“ER.”

Her heart violently skipped a beat. “Wayne?”

“No. Santa.” He stopped two steps below her and held his hand out palm up. “Give me a dollar.”

“What?” Color her confused.

“Never mind, you’ve already signed enough papers, I just wanted to be dramatic like in a rom-com or something. Let’s go check on Santa.”

Outlaw was smiling and didn’t seem rushed unlike Croon.

“What happened to Santa?”

“Just a scratch, but since it was a scratch inflicted by a bullet, well, he should have a lawyer there before answering any questions. And that’s yours truly.”

“Wait, shot? Santa was shot? How bad is it? You’re sure Zombie and the others are safe?” she asked as she raced past him on the stairs. When he didn’t follow, she turned to find him on the landing above her, smiling down at her.

“Why are we not moving?”

“I told you, it’s a flesh wound, and if the pigs get there before us, Santa knows how to conduct himself, most of the time.”

When he still didn’t move and just grinned like the Cheshire Cat, she huffed an exasperated breath. “What?”

“You. You’re going to make a great first lady.”

She just stared, dumbfounded. His words didn’t matter, she just wanted her eyes on Santa to make sure he was fine then, to see all the others in person too, but especially Zombie. He had to be okay. It was her fault Santa was at the ER, and the others were in danger.

---