Page 8 of Say You'll Stay

The warning is clear, and she nods, realizing a second later that it means he won’t be leaving them yet. She moves from the doorway, letting him pass and following him back to the living area where Lucy is asleep on the bed.

“You should eat something else.” Abruptly, he shoves another granola bar her way. It’s a clipped suggestion, but thekindness in his eyes softens the edges. “Got a whole box of these.”

She takes it, but exhaustion tugs at her, overriding the embarrassment at her own actions. “Later. I need to sleep for a while.”

“Alright then.”

“Are you sleeping, too?”

“No. Gonna keep watch for a bit longer.”

“When are we leaving? You said we can’t stay here.”

“Real soon,” he replies evenly. “Can’t wait. If we do, then we’ll never leave. Should talk about that safe zone you heard about tomorrow.”

Her eyes already droop as she grabs one of the giant diapers and wraps it around Lucy as best she can before her body stops working and she begins to drift.

Things might be looking up, after all. It’s a weird thought to have, all things considered. A few hours ago she was unsure if she’d take her last breath in that subway bathroom and now she’s warm and relatively safe with her baby sleeping on her chest.

Tomorrow they’ll start a fresh journey to that fruit farm, or the safe zone, or wherever they might end up when it’s all said and done. One thing is true regardless, she already feels safer in the company of a stranger than she ever did with the man she married.

Chapter 3

A pretty woman tried to give him a blow job, and he’s never felt worse. Not that Cole gets regular offers for that sort of thing. He doesn’t. He’s always kept people away, and that’s how he prefers it. Letting anyone close enough toseehim was never an option.

This, though…is a whole new level of horrifying because she only offered out of assumed obligation. As if he’s a waste of space asshole that would require sexual favors from anyone, let alone someone who just birthed a baby in an apocalypse. She caught him off guard, nearly causing him to fall into the bathtub during his escape attempt, but he shouldn’t be surprised. He’s not blind to the realities of this new world and she isn’t wrong to try to give what so many would take by force.

It was smart on her part. Keep him happy and secure herself and her baby’s protection. Logically, he knows it was a calculated choice that likely had very little to do with anything he’s said or done.

Emotionally, he is offended, upset, and on edge.

None of it changes the fact that if something happens to them, he won’t be able to live with himself. Said she shouldn’t expect any heroics, and he meant it, but the truth is they’rehis responsibility now whether he asked for that or not.

Olivia is strong enough to fend off one of the dead while having a baby and he can’t imagine how difficult that was, but she’s vulnerable and so is Lucy. They wouldn’t fare well alone while the city deteriorates by the minute.They need him,and that’s some scary shit. No one’s ever needed him for anything. The possibility of failing weighs heavy before the journey’s even begun.

It better begin soon, though. If not, they’ll be trapped while everything crumbles around them. He hasn’t missed how miserable Olivia is or how many of those Advil she’s asked for. Lucy had no problem waking up her momma every few hours all night, and he still feels like a jerk suggesting they head out when she needs rest.

Starts to rethink if another few nights holed up here could be an acceptable sacrifice. Should the worst happen and they get caught in a bad situation, she’ll need to be steady on her feet if he expects her to run for her life with a child in her arms. He doesn’t dare suggest that he carry Lucy. That’s like getting between a momma bear and her cub. She doesn’t trust him yet. It’s no secret now that her ex was a piece of shit and she probably expects the same from him.

She’s not far off base. He’s just a different type of trash.

He waits while she’s in the bathroom, changing into the clothes he found her. She zeroed right in on that deep purple top, stroking the fabric as if it were silk.

When she emerges again with the baby on her shoulder, in a pair of cargo pants and that purple top hanging off her in all the right ways, his first thought is that she’s got a lot of pretty freckles clustering across her skin like stardust.

“Looks real nice.” He watches her eye him with suspicion.

“Are you screwing with me?”

“What? No…” Shit, he can’t even give a simple compliment without fucking up his tone. He doesn’t get a reply, but her face wrinkles like she’s confused as she grabs one of those sweater things women like to wear over other tops. A cardigan, hoodie, whatever. His innocent comment could be mistaken for a flirt under the worst circumstances. He tries to shift attention away from the lingering awkwardness to something practical. “Tell me about that safe zone.”

“Supposed to be a mile east from here, set up by the army. Heard it on the radio before that went dark, too.”

“Could be overrun.”

She nods. “It could be.”

“Or maybe it’s not.”

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